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 | Pattern | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| dire que | — | introduces a reported statement (to say that) |
| expliquer que | — | introduces a reported explanation (to explain that) |
| demander si | — | 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”).
Examples from our dialogues 5 · 4 with audio
- 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 winter
- 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 hobby
- 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 clerk
- 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 purchase
Il m'a demandé si j'avais mon passeport avec moi.
He asked me if I had my passport with me.
Common mistakes
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.
Practise speaking
La météo et les saisonsWeather and seasons
Talking about the weather, getting ready for winter — the French of weather.
These dialogues use this point. They open on the dialogue page (audio, vocabulary to save).