B1IntermediateVerbs · Point 33 / 40
dire que, expliquer que, demander si
To repeat what someone said, introduce the sentence with “dire que”, “expliquer que”, “répondre que”, and for a yes/no question with “demander si”: “on m’a dit…
| Introducing word | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| dire que | Tu m’as dit que tu voulais essayer la poterie ? | introduces a reported statement (to say that) |
| expliquer que | Il m’a expliqué que le dossier était incomplet. | introduces a reported explanation (to explain that) |
| demander si | Il m’a demandé si j’avais mon passeport. | introduces a reported yes/no question (to ask whether) |
When the introducing verb is in the past (“a dit”, “m’a expliqué”), the reported verb moves back one tense: present becomes imparfait, future becomes conditional (“je viendrai” → “il a dit qu’il viendrait”).
In context
Examples from our dialogues
Lines taken from our dialogues. Listen to them, then open the full dialogue to hear them in a real situation.
- Listen
J'ai un peu peur de mon premier hiver ici. On m'a dit que ça pouvait atteindre moins trente.
I'm a bit afraid of my first winter here. I've been told it can reach minus thirty.
Check The Full DialogueGetting ready for the Quebec winterSe préparer pour l'hiver québécois
B1 - Listen
Tu m'as dit que tu voulais essayer la poterie ?
You told me you wanted to try pottery?
Check The Full DialogueLearning a new hobbyApprendre un nouveau loisir
B1 - Listen
Bonjour, j'ai reçu un avis qui dit que mon dossier est incomplet, mais je ne comprends pas exactement ce qui manque.
Hello, I received a notice saying my file is incomplete, but I don’t fully understand what is missing.
Check The Full DialogueClarifying missing documents with a clerkClarifier des documents manquants avec un agent
B2 - Listen
Le fournisseur me dit qu'il faudrait l'envoyer en réparation, ça prendrait six semaines.
The supplier tells me it would have to be sent for repair, that would take six weeks.
Check The Full DialogueReturning a purchaseRetourner un achat
C1 Il m'a demandé si j'avais mon passeport avec moi.
He asked me if I had my passport with me.
Watch out
Common mistakes
Mistakes you will often hear, and the right way to say it.
Elle m'a demandé que je viens demain.Elle m'a demandé si je venais demain.
To report a yes/no question use “demander si”, not “demander que”. And after “m’a demandé” (past), “je viens” moves back to the imparfait: “je venais”.
Il a dit : je suis malade. → Il a dit que je suis malade.Il a dit qu'il était malade.
When you report, the person’s “je” becomes “il” or “elle”, and the present becomes the imparfait. Otherwise the sentence is about you, not about him.
Read
Related readings
Short texts where this point comes up. Read them to see it inside a story.