Language/Malayalam/Grammar/Direct-and-Indirect-Speech

Malayalam Grammar → Advanced Sentence Structures → Direct and Indirect Speech

As a Malayalam language teacher for over 20 years, I have encountered numerous students who struggle with changing direct speech to indirect speech and vice versa. However, this does not need to be a daunting task. With the right guidance, practice, and cultural context, you can master the art of direct and indirect speech in Malayalam.

Don't hesitate to look into these other pages after completing this lesson: Conditional Mood & Conditional Sentences.

What is Direct Speech and Indirect Speech?

Before delving into the intricacies of changing direct speech to indirect speech, it is important to understand what these terms mean. Direct speech (or quoted speech) refers to the exact words spoken by someone, often enclosed in quotation marks. Indirect speech (or reported speech) refers to the words spoken by someone reported by another person. For example:

Direct speech: ഞാന്‍ സന്ദേശം അയക്കുന്നു. (I am sending a message.) Indirect speech: പലര്‍ക്കും പറഞ്ഞുകൊടുത്തു ഞാന്‍ സന്ദേശം അയക്കുന്നു. (I am sending a message, as told to many people.)

As you can see, indirect speech often introduces an additional element, such as who the speaker reported the statement to.

Now that you have an understanding of direct and indirect speech, it's time to learn the rules for changing them.

Changing Direct Speech to Indirect Speech

When changing direct speech to indirect speech, there are a few things you need to keep in mind:

1. Introduce the indirect speaker or the person reporting the statement. This is often done using verbs such as പറയുന്നു (saying) or പറഞ്ഞുകൊണ്ട് (reported). 2. Change the tense of the verb in the direct speech to reflect the time when it is being reported. For example, if the direct speech occurs in the present tense, change it to the past tense when reporting it. 3. Make other necessary grammatical changes depending on the context of the sentence.

To illustrate, let's look at an example:

Direct speech: ഞാന്‍ എന്റെ പേര് സജി ആണെന്ന് പറഞ്ഞു. (I said, "My name is Saji.") Indirect speech: ഞാന്‍ പറഞ്ഞുകൊണ്ട് എന്റെ പേര് സജിയാണെന്ന് പറഞ്ഞു. (I reported that my name was Saji.)

Note how we introduced the indirect speaker with ഞാന്‍ പറഞ്ഞുകൊണ്ട് (I reported), changed the tense of പറഞ്ഞു (said) to പറഞ്ഞുകൊടുത്തു (reported), and made the necessary grammatical adjustments for the sentence to make sense.

Here is another example to practice:

Direct speech: നിങ്ങള്‍ ഗുഡ് കാണുകയും ചെയ്യാം. (You can see the goods.) Indirect speech: പലര്‍ക്കും പറഞ്ഞുകൊടുത്തു നിങ്ങള്‍ ഗുഡ് കാണാന്‍ കഴിയുന്നു എന്ന് പറഞ്ഞു. (It was reported that you could see the goods, as told to many people.)

Changing Indirect Speech to Direct Speech

Changing indirect speech to direct speech follows a similar set of rules as changing direct speech to indirect speech. The main differences involve reversing the grammatical changes made when reporting the indirect speech and removing the introducing verb. Here's an example:

Indirect speech: ഞാന്‍ പറഞ്ഞുകൊണ്ട് എന്റെ പേര് സജിയാണെന്ന് പറഞ്ഞു. (I reported that my name was Saji.) Direct speech: "എന്റെ പേര് സജി ആണ്," ഞാന്‍ പറഞ്ഞു. ("My name is Saji," I said.)

As you can see, we reversed the change made in the verb tense and removed the introducing verb പറഞ്ഞുകൊണ്ട്, replacing it with the appropriate punctuation and quotation marks.

Now, let's try a practice example:

Indirect speech: പലര്‍ക്കും പറഞ്ഞുകൊടുത്തു നിങ്ങള്‍ ഗുഡ് കാണാന്‍ കഴിയുന്നു എന്ന് പറഞ്ഞു. (It was reported that you could see the goods, as told to many people.) Direct speech: "നിങ്ങള്‍ ഗുഡ് കാണുകയും ചെയ്യാം," പലര്‍ക്കും പറഞ്ഞു. ("You can see the goods," as told to many people.)

With practice, changing direct speech to indirect speech and vice versa will become easier and more intuitive.

Cultural Context

It's important to note that direct and indirect speech may vary depending on culture and context. For example, in Kerala, it is common for people to use indirect speech when talking to someone of a higher social standing or authority. This can manifest in the use of humble speech forms or indirect references to what the speaker wants to say.

Additionally, certain cultural nuances may affect the choice of words used in direct or indirect speech. For example, referring to oneself in the first person is generally considered impolite in Malayalam. Instead, one may use indirect references or use the person's name and title instead.

By taking into consideration the cultural context and understanding the nuances of direct and indirect speech in Malayalam, you will be able to communicate more effectively andappropriately in various situations.

Conclusion

Mastering direct and indirect speech in Malayalam may seem challenging at first, but with practice and an understanding of the rules and cultural context, you can become proficient in both. Remember, knowing how to express yourself with precision and nuance in a new language takes time and dedication, so keep practicing and don't be afraid to make mistakes. By mastering direct and indirect speech, you will be one step closer to becoming proficient in the Malayalam language and culture.

With this lesson finished, you may want to explore these additional pages: Compound Sentences & Future Tense Verbs.

Table of Contents - Malayalam Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Introduction to Malayalam Script

• Basic Letters
• Conjunct Consonants
• Vowel Markers
• Syllable Structure

  ---

Everyday Phrases

• Greetings and Introductions
• Asking for Directions
• Food and Drink
• Numbers and Time

  ---

Basic Sentence Structure

• Subject Pronouns
• Word Order
• Nouns and Adjectives
• Present Tense Verbs

  ---

Family and Relationships

• Family Members
• Describing People
• Datings
• Work and Professions

  ---

Kerala Culture and Traditions

• The Land of Kerala
• Festivals of Kerala
• Arts and Performances
• Cuisine and Food Traditions

  ---

Future and Past Tenses

• Future Tense Verbs
• Past Tense Verbs
• Compound Sentences
• Noun Cases

  ---

Travel and Accommodation

• Booking a Hotel
• Means of Transport
• Tourist Attractions
• Emergencies

  ---

Malayalam Cinema and Literature

• Golden Era of Malayalam Cinema
• Famous Malayalam Writers and Works
• Malayalam Music

  ---

Advanced Sentence Structures

• Passive Voice
• Conditional Sentences
• Direct and Indirect Speech
• Participles and Infinitives

  ---

Technology and Social Media

• Using Social Media
• Emoticons and Expressions
• Technology and Gadgets
• E-commerce and Banking

Other Lessons

• Participles and Infinitives
• Adjectives
• Present Tense Verbs
• Conditional Sentences
• Nouns and Adjectives
• Syllable Structure
• Basic Letters
• Plurals
• How to Use Have

Sources

• REPORTED SPEECH (Direct and Indirect Speech in Malayalam ...
• Reported Speech (in Malayalam)