Indirect speech and changes of perspective

In brief

Indirect speech reports someone’s words from the reporter’s point of view rather than quoting them. In Brazilian Portuguese, adjust pronouns and time expressions to fit who is speaking and when: Ana said ‘Estou cansada hoje’ can become Ana disse que estava cansada naquele dia.

Form

Reporting verb (disse, falou, contou) + que + reported statement; choose verb forms, pronouns and time words from the new viewpoint.

Usage

• After a past reporting verb, a present-tense statement is often reported with the imperfect: estou → estava. This is common, not an automatic rule; keep the present if the fact still holds and the context calls for it.
• For an earlier completed action, use tinha + past participle; for a future action viewed from the past, use the conditional, such as ligaria or iria ligar.
• Change eu, meu, hoje or amanhã only when the speaker, owner or time reference changes; naquele dia and no dia seguinte can clarify the new perspective.

Examples

• A Marina disse que estava ocupada naquele dia. — Marina said she was busy that day.
• Ele contou que já tinha enviado o currículo. — He said he had already sent the résumé.
• A Júlia falou que me ligaria mais tarde. — Júlia said she would call me later.
• O Pedro disse que não podia vir naquele dia. — Pedro said he couldn’t come that day.

Common mistake

❌ A Ana disse que eu estava cansada.

✅ A Ana disse que estava cansada.

If Ana said ‘Estou cansada’ and you are reporting her words, the implied subject is Ana, not you. Keeping eu changes who is tired.

Remember

Report the meaning from your current viewpoint, not the original speaker’s viewpoint. Tense and time-word changes depend on context.