Understanding Direct and Indirect Speech in Bulgarian
In Bulgarian, just like in English, we use direct and indirect speech to tell what someone said. Direct speech shows the exact words of the speaker, while indirect speech tells what someone said without using their exact words.
Direct speech is when we repeat the exact words someone said. In Bulgarian, we use quotation marks to show this.
Examples
- Мария каза: "Обичам шоколад."
- Иван попита: "Къде е топката?"
- Тя извика: "Внимавай!"
Indirect speech, or reported speech, is when we tell what someone said without using their exact words. We often need to change the verb tense and pronouns to make it fit.
Examples
- Мария каза, че обича шоколад.
- Иван попита къде е топката.
- Тя каза да внимаваш.
Important Points
- In indirect speech, we often change the verb tense.
- Pronouns may need to change to match the new subject.
- Time expressions might change, like 'днес' (today) to 'тогава' (then).
When we change from direct to indirect speech, the verbs often change tense. This is because the time frame of the speech might be different.
Examples
- Той каза: "Играя футбол." -> Той каза, че играе футбол.
- Тя каза: "Ще дойда утре." -> Тя каза, че ще дойде на следващия ден.
Changing Pronouns and Time Expressions
Pronouns and time expressions might need to change to make sense in the new sentence. For example, 'аз' (I) might change to 'той' (he) or 'тя' (she).
Examples
- Той каза: "Аз съм тук." -> Той каза, че той е там.
- Тя каза: "Идвам днес." -> Тя каза, че идва тогава.