Reported speech in the present tense

When using reported speech, or restating something said by someone else (style indirect), we use que (that).

Il dit : « Il fait beau aujourd'hui. » → Il dit qu’il fait beau aujourd'hui. He says: 'The weather is nice today'. He says that the weather is nice today.
Je te répète : « Je ne suis pas fâché. » → Je te répète que je ne suis pas fâché. I'm telling you again: I'm not angry. I'm telling you again that I'm not angry.
Je sors et je rentrerai après dîner. → Je dis que je sors et que je rentrerai après dîner. (Notez que l'on répète que devant chaque verbe) I'm going out and I'll be back after dinner. I'm saying that I'm going out and that I'll be back after dinner. (Note that we must repeat que before each verb.)

When repeating or reporting questions that begin with a personal pronoun or est-ce que, we use si (if, whether). Note that these are generally 'yes/no' questions.

Tu vas venir ? → Je te demande si tu vas venir. Are you going to come? I'm asking if you're going to come. 
Est-ce que tu seras là demain ? → Il vous demande si vous serez là demain. Will you be there tomorrow? He's asking you if you will be there tomorrow.
Il va déménager ou il va rester ? → Je (me) demande s'il va déménager ou s'il va rester. Is he going to move or stay where he is? I wonder whether he is going to move or stay where he is.

When repeating or reporting questions that begin with qu'est-ce que or qu'est-ce qui, we use ce que or ce qui (what).

Qu'est-ce que tu dis ? → Je demande ce que tu dis . What are you saying? I'm asking what you are saying.
Qu'est-ce qui lui prend ? → Je demande ce qui lui prend. What's gotten into him? I'm asking what's gotten into him.

When repeating or reporting questions that begin with adverbs, we use the same adverb again.

Quel âge a Victor ? → Je te demande quel âge Victor a (ou quel âge a Victor). How old is Victor ? I'm asking you how old Victor is.
Comment s'appelle-t-il ? → Je me demande comment il s'appelle. What's his name? I wonder what his name is.
D'où viennent tes amis ? → Je te demande d'où viennent tes amis. Where are your friends from? 'm asking you where your friends come from.

Important: In the examples above, we don't invert the subject and verb in a reported question when the subject is a pronoun (je, tu, il, etc). We can, however, invert the subject and verb when the subject is a noun (Victor, le chien, le travail, etc.). (Note that this inversion is not possible with pourquoi and ce qui.)

Quel âge as-tu ? Je te demande quel âge tu as. (et pas : Je te demande quel âge as-tu.) How old are you? I'm asking you how old you are.  (and not: Je te demande quel âge as-tu.)
Quel âge a Victor? Je te demande quel âge a Victor. (tournure la plus fréquente) ou Je te demande quel âge Victor a. How old is Victor? I'm asking you how old Victor is. (more common)


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