Direct speech (diye)

Quoting Direct Speech with "diye"

In English, we usually introduce a quote before the exact words. In Turkish, the quote comes first, followed by diye, and then the reporting verb.

The word diye translates roughly to "saying" or "asking." It links a direct quote to the action of reporting it.

She asked, "Which language is this?"
"Bu hangi dil?" diye sordu.

You can use diye with communication verbs like sormak (to ask), demek (to say), or to describe the content of a message:

The interpreter sent a message saying, "The translation is ready."
Tercüman "Çeviri hazır" diye mesaj gönderdi.

Quoting Thoughts and Expressions

Direct speech isn't just for spoken words. You can also use diye to report exact thoughts with düşünmek (to think):

I thought to myself, "This text is very difficult."
"Bu metin çok zor" diye düşündüm.

This structure works with almost any verb of communication or expression, such as shouting (bağırmak):

He shouted, "What is the meaning of this sign?"
"Bu işaretin anlamı ne?" diye bağırdı.