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Reported Speech

که and no backshift

Reported speech uses که ('that')

که + the clause; tenses don't shift as in English.

💬 Examples
گفت که خسته است.
goft ke xaste ast.
He said (that) he is tired.
📝 که + clause; tense kept
فکر می‌کنم که می‌آید.
fekr mikonam ke miāyad.
I think (that) he's coming.
📝 Reported with که
No 'sequence of tenses' backshift

The original tense is generally kept.

📊 Reporting verbs
Verb Meaning
گفتن goftan to say
پرسیدن porsidan to ask
فکر کردن fekr kardan to think
دانستن dānestan to know
💬 Examples
گفت که فردا می‌آید.
goft ke fardā miāyad.
He said he would come tomorrow.
📝 Present kept (no backshift)
گفت که دیروز رفت.
goft ke diruz raft.
He said he went yesterday.
📝 Past kept as-is
Indirect questions use که / question words

Embedded questions.

💬 Examples
پرسید که کجا می‌روم.
porsid ke kojā miravam.
He asked where I was going.
📝 که + question word
نمی‌دانم که او می‌آید یا نه.
nemidānam ke u miāyad yā na.
I don't know whether he's coming or not.
📝 یا نه = or not