You will retell a conversation from your own viewpoint. First identify the speaker, the listener and the person doing each action; then decide whether the original utterance states something, asks a question or requests an action.
The idea
With söylemek, embed a present or past statement using -dik, or a future statement using -ecek, followed by a possessive ending and the accusative. These are suffix labels, not complete lists of their shapes. The possessive follows the embedded subject: Ece benim erken ayrıldığımı söyledi reports my departure, not hers. An explicit embedded subject takes the genitive; a noun or adjective predicate uses olmak, as in odanın boş olduğunu. Keep negation inside the report: bulamadığını means that she could not find it. With sormak, keep a question word (nerede oturduğumu) or use a positive–negative pair (gelip gelmeyeceğimi). A request with istemek instead uses the action noun: benden kapatmamı istedi. Adjust time and place words only when the reference changes: yarın can become ertesi gün, and burada can become orada.
| Original words | Indirect report |
|---|---|
| Ece: “Atölyede çalışıyorum.” | Ece bana atölyede çalıştığını söyledi. |
| Mert: “Size dosyayı göndereceğim.” | Mert bize dosyayı göndereceğini söyledi. |
| Selin bana: “Nerede oturuyorsun?” | Selin bana nerede oturduğumu sordu. |
| Ece: “Anahtarı bulamadım.” | Ece anahtarı bulamadığını söyledi. |
| Mert bana: “Gelecek misin?” | Mert bana gelip gelmeyeceğimi sordu. |
| Selin bana: “Pencereyi kapat.” | Selin benden pencereyi kapatmamı istedi. |
| Ece: “Oda boş.” | Ece odanın boş olduğunu söyledi. |
Examples
- Ece bana atölyede çalıştığını söyledi.Ece told me that she worked in the workshop.
- Mert bize dosyayı göndereceğini söyledi.Mert told us that he would send the file.
- Selin bana nerede oturduğumu sordu.Selin asked me where I lived.
- Ece anahtarı bulamadığını söyledi.Ece said that she had not been able to find the key.
- Mert bana gelip gelmeyeceğimi sordu.Mert asked me whether I would come.
- Selin benden pencereyi kapatmamı istedi.Selin asked me to close the window.
- Ece odanın boş olduğunu söyledi.Ece said that the room was empty.
- Mert ertesi gün orada olacağını söyledi.Mert said that he would be there the next day.
- Ece benim erken ayrıldığımı söyledi.Ece said that I had left early.
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Watch out
Do not turn every reported “I” into “he/she”: if you report your own words, the person stays first person. Nor does past söyledi make every embedded event past. Geleceğini söyledi locates the coming after the original statement; it does not tell us whether the person eventually came. On the same day, yarın may still be right.
Try it yourself
Complete the report: Ece said, “I sent the file.” Write only the missing word.
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gönderdiğini
gönderdiğini: Ece sent the file, so the embedded subject is third person. The final accusative makes her completed action the content of what she said; it does not mark the listener.
On Monday Mert said, “I will be here tomorrow.” Report this on Friday from another place. Write the missing verb form.
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olacağını
olacağını: the visit was still future when Mert spoke on Monday. Reporting it on Friday does not remove that relationship; ertesi gün refers to Tuesday and orada to the original place.
Earlier today Selin asked me, “Will you come this evening?” Report her yes/no question. Fill the gap with the positive–negative pair.
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gelip gelmeyeceğimi
gelip gelmeyeceğimi: Selin addressed me, so I am the possible visitor. The positive–negative pair reports a yes/no question, and the first-person possessive preserves who was asked to come.
Mert told me, “Close the door.” Complete the report as a request addressed to me; write only the missing word.
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kapatmamı
kapatmamı: Mert wanted me to close the door, rather than claiming that I had closed it. The action noun carries my first-person possessive and the accusative; benden identifies whom he asked.
Practice round
Answer questions, then rebuild Turkish sentences and words where available. We keep your score.
Complete the report: Ece said, “I sent the file.” Write only the missing word.
On Monday Mert said, “I will be here tomorrow.” Report this on Friday from another place. Write the missing verb form.
Earlier today Selin asked me, “Will you come this evening?” Report her yes/no question. Fill the gap with the positive–negative pair.
Mert told me, “Close the door.” Complete the report as a request addressed to me; write only the missing word.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Keep your progress
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Invent a Monday conversation containing a statement, a question and a request. Retell it on Friday from another place. Name each actor and explain which time and place words you changed, and why.