Discorso Indiretto Italiano: How to use INDIRECT SPEECH in Italian (PDF Cheat-Sheet 📚)

Learn how to use the INDIRECT SPEECH in Italian in this step-by-step guide with clear explanations and examples

by Michele Frolla
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Discorso Indiretto Italiano
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How do you transform a simple phrase like “Domani vado a Roma” (Tomorrow I’m going to Rome) to “He said he was going to Rome tomorrow”?

Whether you’re recounting what someone said or explaining an event in Italian, mastering discorso indiretto italiano (Italian indirect speech) is a must—but it can feel like a real struggle, tripping over the verbs, pronouns, tenses and word order

In this guide, I’ll simplify everything about discorso indiretto italiano step by step. You’ll learn how to turn direct quotes into seamless indirect speech, rules for adapting verbs, pronouns, and time expressions and tips to avoid common pitfalls when reporting statements, questions, commands, and those tricky if clauses

But here’s the twist: there’s a subtle yet powerful rule that transforms how discorso indiretto works, and most learners miss it. Stick around till the end to uncover this essential tip—it’s going to take your Italian skills to the next level!

But first, make sure to download your free PDF cheat-sheet, which includes all the key points we’ll cover in this guide. Just enter your email below and I’ll send it to you straight away.

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Table to Contents

Here’s what we’ll cover in this guide. Click on any title to jump to each section.

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What is il discorso diretto Italiano?


In Italian, there are two main ways to report what someone said: 

  • The discorso diretto (direct speech), which involves quoting someone’s exact words
  • The discorso indiretto (indirect speech), which involves retelling what someone said by transforming the original statement into a subordinate clause and embedding it into your narrative.

Let’s clarify with an example:

  • Direct speech: Marco dice sempre: “Sono stanco” (Marco always says: “I’m tired”)
  • Indirect speech: Marco dice sempre che è stanco (Marco always says that he is tired)

In the first example, Marco’s words are presented verbatim. And since it’s in written form, we use colons and quotation marks to clearly indicate what is being quoted. Now, notice how the tone shifts in the second example: the verb dire (to say) introduces the reported statement, and the conjunction che (that) connects it to the rest of the sentence. That’s how the discorso indiretto italiano works.

Discorso Indiretto Italiano -Direct and Indirect speech in Italian

Switching from direct speech to indirect speech in Italian

The beauty of transforming direct speech into indirect speech in Italian is that it’s like you’re turning a dialogue into a story. It may seem tricky at first, I know, but once you have all the rules at hand, it’s straightforward, I promise!

Here are the key steps to follow to:

1. Adjust punctuation

When moving from direct to indirect speech in written Italian, we drop the colons (:) and quotation marks (” “) that frame the exact words someone says. Instead, the speech is incorporated into a subordinate clause introduced by the main clause, which contains a reporting verb. This verb varies depending on the type of reported speech—is it a statement, a question, or a request? For example:

  • Direct speech: Luca dice: “La nonna è a casa” (Luca says: “Grandma is at home”)
  • Indirect speech: Luca dice che la nonna è a casa (Luca says that grandma is at home)

In this example, the reporting verb is dire (to say), since the reported speech is a statement. 

2. Change subject pronouns

When switching from direct speech to indirect speech, think of subject pronouns as actors who adapt their roles to match the perspective of the narrator. As a result, the verb conjugation also changes to reflect this shift.Here’s how subject pronouns change:

Subject pronouns in Italian indirect speech
Direct speech Indirect speech Example
Direct speech Indirect speech
io (I) lui (he) / lei (she) Lei dice: “Vorrei partire“ 

(She says: “I’d like to leave”)

Lei dice che vorrebbe partire (She says she’d like to leave)
tu (you) lui (he) / lei (she) Lei dice a lui: “Sei gentile!“ 

(She says to him: “You’re kind!”)

Lei dice a lui che è gentile 

(Sara says to him that he’s really kind)

lui (he) / lei (she) lui (he) / lei (she) Lui dice: “È andata via“ 

(He says: “She left”)

Lui dice che è andata via“

(He says she left)

Lei (formal “you”) lui (he) / lei (she) Lui chiede: “Signora, vuole un caffè?“ 

(He asks: “Madam, would you like a coffee?”)

Lui chiede se vuole un caffè 

(He asks if she wants a coffee?)

noi (we) loro (they) Loro dicono: “Stiamo arrivando“ 

(They say: “We’re coming”)

Loro dicono che stanno arrivando 

(They say they’re coming)

voi (you) loro (they) Lei chiede: “Venite anche voi?”

(She asks: “Are you coming too?”)

Lei chiede se vengono anche loro

(She asks if they’re coming too)

loro (they) loro (they) Lei dice: “Non rispondono 

(She says: “They don’t answer”)

Lei dice che non rispondono 

(She says they don’t answer)

Attenzione: When the speaker is both the storyteller and the protagonist of the reported speech, the subject pronouns remain unchanged:

  • Direct speech: Dissi: “Voglio dormire” (I said: “I want to sleep”) 
  • Indirect speech: Dissi che volevo dormire (I said I wanted to sleep)
  • Direct speech: Diciamo sempre: “Vogliamo la verità!” (We always say: “We want the truth!”) 
  • Indirect speech: Diciamo sempre che vogliamo la verità! (We always say that we want the truth!)

3. Adapt direct and indirect object pronouns

Similar to subject pronouns, direct object pronouns and indirect object pronouns also need to be adjusted in narration:

Direct & indirect object pronouns in Italian indirect speech
Direct speech Indirect speech Examples
Direct speech Indirect speech
mi/me (me) lo/la (him/her), gli/le (to him/her) Lui chiede: “Chi passa a prendermi?“ 

(He asks: “Who comes to pick me up?”)

Lui chiede chi passa a prenderlo 

(He asks who comes to pick him up)

ti/te (you) lo/la (him/her), gli/le (to him/her) Lei dice a Piero: “Ti ho portato un libro“ 

(She says to Piero: “I brought you a book”)

Lei dice a Piero che gli ha portato un libro (She say to Piero that she brought him a book)
lo/la (him/her), gli/le (to him/her) lo/la (him/her), gli/le (to him/her) Lei dice: “Gli ho detto di no“ 

(She says: “I told him no”)

Lei dice che gli ha detto di no 

(She says she told him no)

La, Le (formal “you”) lo/la (him/her), gli/le (to him/her) Lui dice: “Dottore, La chiamerò domani“ 

(He says: “Doctor, I’ll call you tomorrow”)

Lui dice al dottore che lo chiamerà domani

(He tells the doctor that he will call him tomorrow)

ci (us) li/le (them), loro (to them) Lei dice: “Ci hanno servito cibo scadente“ 

(She says: “They served us poor food”)

Lei dice che hanno servito loro cibo scadente  

(She says they served them poor food)

vi (you) li/le (them), loro (to them) Lui dice: “Vi ammiro!“ 

(He says: “I admire you!”)

Lui dice che li ammira 

(He says he admires them)

li/le (them), loro (to them) li/le (them), loro (to them) Lei dice: “In paese li conoscono tutti“ 

(She says: “Everyone in town knows them”)

Lei dice che in paese li conoscono tutti 

(She says that everyone in town knows them)

Again, if the narrator is simultaneously the storyteller and the protagonist, the pronouns remain unchanged:

  • Direct speech: Mi chiedo: “Perché non mi chiamano?” (I ask: “Why don’t they call me?”) 
  • Indirect speech: Mi chiedo perché non mi chiamano (I ask myself why they don’t call me)

4. Change possessive pronouns and adjectives

Possessive pronouns and possessive adjectives change as follows:

Possessive pronouns & adjectives in Italian indirect speech
Direct speech Indirect speech Examples
Direct speech Indirect speech
mio/a (my), il mio/la mia (mine) suo/a (his/her), il suo/la sua (his/hers) Lei chiede: “Dove sono le mie ciabatte?“ 

(She asks: “Where are my slippers?”)

Lei chiede dove sono le sue ciabatte. 

(She asks where her slippers are)

tuo/a (your), il tuo (yours) suo/a (his/her), il suo/la sua (his/hers) Lei dice a Luca: “Preferisco il tuo 

(She says to Luca: “I prefer yours”)

Lei dice a Luca che preferisce il suo.

(She says Luca that she prefers his)

suo/a (his/her), il suo/la sua (his/hers) suo/a (his/her), il suo/la sua (his/hers) Lui dice: “Non vedo Ugo né la sua macchina“ 

(He says: “I don’t see Ugo nor his car”)

Lui dice che non vede Ugo né la sua macchina. 

(He says he doesn’t see Ugo nor his car)

Suo/a, il Suo/la Sua (informal “you”) suo/a (his/her), il suo/la sua (his/hers) Lei dice: “Professore, ho comprato il Suo libro“ 

(She says: “Professor, I bought your book”)

Lei dice al professore che ha comprato il suo libro. 

(She tells the professor that she bought his book)

nostro/a (our), il nostro/la nostra (ours) loro (their), il loro/la loro (theirs) Lui dice: “La casa di Emma è bella, invece la nostra è piccola“ 

(He says: “Emma’s house is beautiful, while ours is small”)

Lui dice che la casa di Emma è bella, invece la loro è piccola.

(He says Emma’s house is nice, while theirs is small)

vostro/a (your), il vostro/la vostra (yours) loro (their), il loro/la loro (theirs) Lui dice: “Mi piace il vostro approccio” 

(He says: “I like your approach”)

Lui dice che gli piace il loro approccio.

(He says he likes their approach)

loro (their), il loro (theirs) loro (their), il loro/la loro (theirs) Lei dice: “Il loro ufficio è molto luminoso” 

(She says: “Their office is very bright”)

Lei dice che il loro ufficio è molto luminoso. 

(She says their office is very bright)

As always, if the narrator also serves as the protagonist of the reported speech, the possessive pronouns and adjectives stay the same: 

  • Direct speech: Ho detto: “Prendo la mia macchina!” (I said: “I take my car”) 
  • Indirect speech: Ho detto che prendo la mia macchina (I said I’ll take my car)

5. Adjust adverbs of time and place

When the reporting verb in the main clause is in the past tense, expressions of time and place often need to be modified. Below is a list of common changes:

Expressions of time and place in Italian indirect speech
Direct speech Indirect speech
Questo/a (This) Quello/a (That)
Qui/Qua (Here) / (There)
Ora (Now) In quel momento, allora (At that moment, then)
Oggi (Today) Quel giorno (That day)
Ieri (Yesterday) Il giorno prima (The day before)
Domani (Tomorrow) Il giorno dopo, il giorno seguente, l’indomani (The next day)
Questa mattina (This morning) Quella mattina (That morning)
La settimana scorsa (Last week) La settimana precedente (The previous week)
La settimana prossima (Next week) La settimana successiva (The following week)
Tra un mese (In a month) Un mese dopo (A month later)
Un mese fa (A month ago) Un mese prima (A month earlier)
Tra poco (In a bit) Poco dopo (A little later)
Poco fa (A little while ago) Poco prima (A little earlier)

Some examples:

  • Direct speech: Lui dice: “Partiremo domani (He says: “We’ll leave tomorrow”)  
    Indirect speech: Lui ha detto che sarebbero partiti l’indomani (He said that they’d leave the next day)
  • Direct speech: Lei dice: “Questa statua ha un valore inestimabile” (She says: “This statue has immeasurable value”)  
    Indirect speech: Lei ha detto che quella statua ha un valore inestimabile (She said that that statue has immeasurable value)

Discorso Indiretto Italiano - How to switch between direct and indirect speech

Attenzione: If the reporting verb in the main clause is in the present tense, you don’t need to change time expressions. For example:

  • Direct speech: Il nonno dice “Ora voglio riposare” (Grandpa says: “Now I want to rest”) 
  • Indirect speech: Il nonno dice che ora vuole riposare (Grandpa says that now he wants to rest)
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How verbs change in Italian indirect speech

Discorso Indiretto Italiano - How verbs changeWhen forming reported speech in Italian, it’s important to pay attention to the verbs in both the main clause (which reports the information) and the subordinate clause (which contains the reported speech).

If the reporting verb in the main clause is in the present, the tense in the subordinate clause remains unchanged.

However, if the reporting verb in the main clause is in the past tense, you must adjust the tense of the verb in the subordinate clause. The specific change will depend on the type of speech you’re reporting (a statement, a question, etc.).

Reporting statements in Italian

Indirect statements in Italian are introduced by reporting verbs such as dire (to say), spiegare (to explain), affermare (to declare), rispondere (to respond) followed by the conjunction che (that) which introduces the subordinate clause containing the reported speech.

If the verb in the main clause is in the present, the verb tense in the reported speech doesn’t change. For example: 

  • Direct speech: Anna dice “Andrò in Italia” (Anna says: “I will go to Italy”) 
  • Indirect speech: Anna dice che andrà in Italia (Anna says that she will go to Italy)

On the other hand, when the reporting verb in the main clause is in the past tense, the verb tense in the reported speech changes as follows:

Changing verb tenses in Italian indirect statements
Direct speech Indirect speech Examples
Direct speech Indirect Speech
Simple present Imperfetto Lei dice: “Amo Sergio” 

(She says: “I love Sergio”)

Lei ha detto che amava Sergio.

(She said she loved Sergio)

Imperfetto Imperfetto Lui dice: “Eravamo grandi amici” 

(He says: “We were great friends”)

Lui ha detto che erano grandi amici. 

(He said they were great friends)

Passato prossimo Trapassato prossimo Lei dice: “Sono andate a Padova” 

(She says: “They went to Padua”)

Lei ha detto che erano andate a Padova. 

(She said they went to Padua)

Passato remoto Trapassato prossimo Lui dice: “Li sentii due volte” 

(He says: “I heard them twice”)

Lui ha detto che li aveva sentiti due volte. 

(He said he heard them twice)

Trapassato prossimo Trapassato prossimo Lei dice: “Quel giorno era andato al lavoro tardi” 

(She says: “He went to work late that day”)

Lei ha detto che quel giorno era andato al lavoro tardi. 

(She said he went to work late that day)

Simple future Past conditional Lui dice: “Andrò a Roma” 

(He says: “I will go to Rome”)

Lui ha detto che sarebbe andato a Roma.

(He said he was going to Rome)

Future perfect Past conditional Lei dice: “Solo quando lo avrò visto, gli crederò” 

(She says: “Only when I see it, I will believe him”)

Lei disse che solo quando lo avrebbe visto, gli avrebbe creduto. 

(She said that only when she saw him would she believe him)

Attenzione: If the subject of the main clause is the same as that of the subordinate clause, it is common to use the preposition di (of) followed by the infinitive form of the verb:

  • Direct speech: Lui dice: “Ho sonno” (He says: “I’m sleepy”)
  • Indirect speech: Lui dice di avere sonno (He says he’s sleepy)

Reporting questions in Italian

When reporting a question in Italian, the most common reporting verbs are chiedere (to ask) and voler sapere (want to know), typically followed by the conjunction se (if):

  • Direct speech: Elena chiede: “Volete un caffè?” (Elena asks: “Do you want a coffee?”)
  • Indirect speech: Elena chiede se vogliono un caffè (Elena asks if they want a coffee)

For open-ended questions — those starting with words like perché (why), cosa (what), dove (where), come (how), etc. — the same question word is used in indirect speech:

  • Direct speech: Antonio chiede: “Dove sono le chiavi?” (Antonio asks: “Where are the keys?”
  • Indirect speech: Antonio vuole sapere dove sono le chiavi (Antonio wants to know where the keys are)

To report the answer to a yes/no question, we need to use the proposition di (of):

  • Direct speech: Chiara dice “Sì” (Chiara says: “Yes”)
  • Indirect speech: Chiara dice di (Chiara says yes)

The verb tenses in reported questions follow the same rules as those in reported statements.

If the reporting verb in the main clause is in the present tense, the verb in the reported question remains unchanged.

If the reporting verb is in the past tense, the verb in the reported question must be adjusted as follows:

Changing verb tenses in Italian indirect questions
Direct speech Indirect speech Examples
Direct speech Indirect Speech
Simple present Imperfect subjunctive Lei ha chiesto: “Avete sete?” 

(She asked: “Are you thirsty?”)

Lei ha chiesto se avessero sete. 

(She asked if they were thirsty)

Imperfetto Imperfect subjunctive Lui ha chiesto: “Parlavate con Andrea?” 

(He asked: “Were you talking to Andrea?”)

Lui ha chiesto se parlassero con Andrea.

(He asked if they were talking to Andrea)

Passato prossimo Past perfect subjunctive Lei ha chiesto: “Tua sorella è partita?” 

(She asked: “Did your sister leave?”)

Lei ha chiesto se sua sorella fosse partita.

(She asked if her sister had left)

Passato remoto Past perfect subjunctive Lui ha chiesto: “La riunione durò molto?” 

(He asked: “Did the meeting last long?”)

Lui ha chiesto se la riunione fosse durata molto. 

(He asked if the meeting lasted long)

Trapassato prossimo Past perfect subjunctive Lei ha chiesto: “Avevano avuto problemi?” 

(She asked: “Did they have any problems?”)

Lei ha chiesto se avessero avuto problemi. 

(She asked s they had any problems)

Simple future Past conditional Lui ha chiesto: “Verrà anche Serena?” 

(He asked: “Is Serena coming too?”)

Lui ha chiesto se anche Serena sarebbe venuta.

(He asked is Serena would come too)

Future perfect Past conditional Lei ha chiesto: “Avranno finito i lavori la prossima settimana?” 

(She asked: “Will they be finished next week?”)

Lei ha chiesto se avrebbero finito i lavori la prossima settimana. 

(She asked if they would finish the work next week)

Reporting commands and requests in Italian

Commands and requests expressed using the imperative are generally reported in indirect speech with an infinitive clause introduced by the preposition di (of), even when the subject of the main clause differs from the subject of the subordinate clause. For example:

  • Direct speech: La guida dice: “Mostrate i biglietti all’ingresso” (The guide says: “Show the tickets at the entrance)
  • Indirect speech: La guida dice di mostrare i biglietti all’ingresso (The guide says to show the tickets at the entrance)

However, commands and requests can also be reported using a subordinate clause introduced by the conjunction che (that):

  • Direct speech: Lui dice sempre ai visitatori: “Fate attenzione!” (He always tells visitors: “Be careful!”)
  • Indirect speech: Lui dice sempre ai visitatori che facciano attenzione (He always tells visitors to be careful)

In this construction, the verb tense in the reported speech changes as follows:

Verb tense in indirect commands and requests in Italian
Reporting verb Reported speech  Example
Direct speech Indirect speech
Simple present Present subjunctive Lei dice: “Parlate più forte!” 

(She says: “Speak louder!”)

Lei chiede che parlino più forte. 

(She asks them to speak louder)

Past tense Imperfect subjunctive Lei dice: “Usate i contanti per pagare!” 

(She says: “Use cash to pay!”)

Lei ha chiesto che usassero i contanti per pagare. 

(She asked them to use cash to pay)

Reporting if clauses in Italian

When reporting if clauses (periodi ipotetici) in Italian, the way tenses change in reported speech depends on the tense of the reporting verb in the main clause:

1. If the reporting verb is in the present tense, the tenses in the “if clauses” remain the same in reported speech:

  • Direct speech: Aurora dice: “Se finisco presto, vengo anch’io” (Aurora says: “If I finish early, I’ll come too”)
    Indirect speech: Aurora dice che se finisce presto, viene anche lei (Aurora says that if she finishes early, she’ll come too
  • Direct speech: Mattia dice: “Se fossi più giovane, cambierei lavoro” (Mattia says: “If I were younger, I would change job)
    Indirect speech: Mattia dice che se fosse più giovane, cambierebbe lavoro (Mattia says that if he were younger, he would change jobs)

2. If the reporting verb is in the past tense, all types of if clauses are reported using the third type of conditional structure in Italian, which consists of past perfect subjunctive + the past conditional:

  • Direct speech: Sonia dice: “Se continua così, lo lascio!” (Sonia says: “If he continues like this, I’m breaking up with him!”)
    Indirect speech: Sonia ha detto che se avesse continuato così, lo avrebbe lasciato (Sonia said that if he had continued like that, she would have broken up with him.)
  • Direct speech: Mio fratello dice: “Se potessi, lo aiuterei” (My brother says: “If I could, I would help him”.)
    Indirect speech: Mio fratello ha detto che se avesse potuto, lo avrebbe aiutato (My brother said that if she could have, he would have helped him)
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