zeluj gejes supe ruxotefa borohuye sipeli mepomu

Types of Speech in Modern Greek

Modern Greek employs both direct and indirect speech to report spoken words or thoughts. Each type has its own grammatical rules and usage patterns.

Direct Speech

• Introduced by a colon (:) or quotation marks («»)
• Maintains the original speaker's tense, person, and mood
• Often includes the particle "ότι" (that) before the quoted speech
• Example: Είπε: «Θα έρθω αύριο.» (He said, "I will come tomorrow.")

Indirect Speech

• No quotation marks or colon
• Shifts tense, person, and mood to reflect the reporter's perspective
• Uses subordinating conjunctions like "ότι" or "πως" (that)
• Example: Είπε ότι θα ερχόταν την επόμενη μέρα. (He said that he would come the next day.)

Tense Changes in Indirect Speech

• Present → Imperfect
• Past Tense → Past Perfect
• Future → Conditional

Mood Changes

• Imperative → Subjunctive
• Example: Direct: «Φύγε!» (Leave!) → Indirect: Του είπε να φύγει. (He told him to leave.)

Pronoun and Adverb Shifts

• First person → Third person
• "Εδώ" (here) → "Εκεί" (there)
• "Τώρα" (now) → "Τότε" (then)

Reporting Questions

• Direct questions become indirect using "αν" (if) or question words
• Example: Direct: «Πού πας;» (Where are you going?) → Indirect: Ρώτησε πού πήγαινα. (He asked where I was going.)