Reported Statements
To relay what someone else is saying without quoting them directly, use reported speech. In French, you connect the introductory phrase to the statement using que (that).
Unlike in English, where you can often drop the word "that" (e.g., "The president says the crisis is serious"), in French, que is strictly required.
| The president says that the crisis is serious. | Le président dit que la crise est grave. |
Reporting Verbs and Elision
Alongside dire (to say), you can use verbs like affirmer (to affirm) and déclarer (to declare) to report official statements, news, and rumors.
Remember that que drops its e and becomes qu' before a vowel sound, such as the pronouns il or elle. Because the introductory verb is in the present tense, the tense of the reported statement doesn't change from the original quote.
| The government affirms that it will lower prices. | Le gouvernement affirme qu'il baissera les prix. |
| The minister declares that several candidates support the reform. | Le ministre déclare que plusieurs candidats soutiennent la réforme. |
Shifting Perspective
Just like in English, you often need to change pronouns to match the perspective of the person reporting the speech. If a candidate originally says Je baisserai les impôts (I will lower taxes), you must shift the pronoun to "he" when passing the message along.
| The candidate declares that if he wins, he will lower taxes. | Le candidat déclare que s'il gagne, il baissera les impôts. |
| Every citizen says they support the government's measure. | Chaque citoyen dit qu'il soutient la mesure du gouvernement. |
