In this lesson, we explain Reported Speech (Indirect Speech) in Nepali, one of the most useful topics in grammar for expressing what someone said without quoting them directly. Understanding how to form reported speech will help you speak and write Nepali more naturally and accurately.
The basic pattern shows that reported speech uses the conjunction “कि” (ki) to connect the reporting clause to the reported clause, with appropriate pronoun changes.
Direct speech is when we quote someone’s exact words using quotation marks. Study these 10 examples carefully to understand the pattern before converting to reported speech.
| English | Romanized Nepali | Nepali Script |
|---|---|---|
| He said, “I will come.” | Usle vanyo, “ma auchu” | उसले भन्यो, “म आउँछु।” |
| I said, “I am going to sleep.” | Maile vane, “ma sutna gairahechu” | मैले भनें, “म सुत्न गइरहेछु।” |
| She said, “I am happy.” | Tinle vanin, “ma khusi chu” | तिनले भनिन्, “म खुशी छु।” |
| She said, “I drink tea.” | Tinle vanin, “ma chiya piu chu” | तिनले भनिन्, “म चिया पिउँछु।” |
| Ram said, “You are beautiful.” | Ram le vanyo, “timi ramri chau” | रामले भन्यो, “तिमी राम्री छौ।” |
| He said, “Where are you going?” | Usle vanyo, “timi kata gairaheka chau” | उसले भन्यो, “तिमी कता गइरहेका छौ?” |
| She said, “Are you okay?” | Tinle vanin, “k timi thik chau” | तिनले भनिन्, “के तिमी ठीक छौ?” |
| Ram said, “I go to school.” | Ramle vanyo, “ma school janchu” | रामले भन्यो, “म स्कूल जान्छु।” |
| Ram said, “Do you play?” | Ramle vanyo, “k timi khelchau” | रामले भन्यो, “के तिमी खेल्छौ?” |
| I said, “I am hungry.” | Maile vane, “ma vokayeko chu” | मैले भनें, “म भोकाएको छु।” |
Reported speech tells what someone said without using quotation marks. Notice how pronouns and verb forms change to reflect the speaker’s perspective. Study the transformations carefully.
| English | Romanized Nepali | Nepali Script |
|---|---|---|
| He said that he would come. | Usle vanyo ki uh aucha | उसले भन्यो कि ऊ आउँछ। |
| I said that I was going to sleep. | Maile vaney ki ma sutna gairahechu | मैले भनें कि म सुत्न गइरहेछु। |
| She said that she is happy. | Tinle vanin ki uh khusi chin | तिनले भनिन् कि ऊ खुशी छिन्। |
| She said that she drinks tea. | Tinle vanin ki uh chiya puichin | तिनले भनिन् कि ऊ चिया पिउँछिन्। |
| Ram said that I am beautiful. | Ramle vanyo ki ma ramro chu | रामले भन्यो कि म राम्री छु। |
| He asked where I was going. | Usle sodhyo ki ma kata gairaheko chu | उसले सोध्यो कि म कता गइरहेको छु। |
| She asked if I was okay. | Tinle sodhin ki ma thik chu ki chaina | तिनले सोधिन् कि म ठीक छु कि छैन। |
| He said that he is happy. | Usle vanyo ki uh khusi cha | उसले भन्यो कि ऊ खुशी छ। |
| Ram said that he goes to school. | Ramle vanyo ki uh school jancha | रामले भन्यो कि ऊ स्कूल जान्छ। |
| Ram asked if I play or not. | Ramle sodhyo ki ma khelchu ki kheldina | रामले सोध्यो कि म खेल्छु कि खेल्दिन। |
| I said that I am hungry. | Maile vaney ki ma vokayeko chu | मैले भनें कि म भोकाएको छु। |
One of the most important aspects of reported speech is correctly transforming pronouns. The speaker’s perspective changes, so the pronouns must change as well. Below is the complete reference guide.
| Direct Pronoun (Nepali) | Reported Pronoun (Nepali) | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| म (ma) | ऊ (u) / उनले (unle) | I → he/she |
| तिमी (timi) | म (ma) / ऊ (u) | you → I/he |
| हामी (haami) | उनीहरू (uniharu) | we → they |
Master reported speech to express what others said naturally, without repeating exact words. This fundamental grammar skill is essential for advanced Nepali communication.
The conjunction “कि” (ki) connects the reporting clause to the reported clause. It’s the structural backbone of reported speech.
Always change pronouns to reflect the listener’s perspective. “I” becomes “he/she,” “you” becomes “I,” and “we” becomes “they.”
Verb forms may change to match the correct grammatical tense based on the reported pronoun and context.
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