Reported Speech: Preterite

Imagine your friend Maria says, "I am tired." Later, you tell your mom about it. You do not say, "Maria said I am tired." That would mean you are tired! You say, "Maria said she was tired." In Portuguese, the verb estar changes. It shifts from the present to the past. This shift happens because the reporting happened earlier. It is like a grammar domino effect. One past verb triggers changes in the whole sentence. Think of it like a grammar traffic light. The past reporting verb turns the light yellow. You must slow down and change the following verbs. It keeps the timeline of your story clear for everyone.

1. 1Pick a reporting verb like disse (said) or contou (told).
2. 2Add the word que (that) to connect the ideas.
3. 3Shift the main verb one step back in time.
4. 4If the original was Presente, use Pretérito Imperfeito (fala becomes falava).
5. 5If it was Pretérito Perfeito, use Pretérito Mais-que-perfeito Composto (falei becomes tinha falado).
6. 6If it was Futuro do Presente, use Futuro do Pretérito (falarei becomes falaria).
7. 7Change pronouns like eu (I) to ele or ela (he/she).
8. 8Adjust time words like hoje (today) to naquele dia (that day).
9. 9Change place words like aqui (here) to ali or lá (there).

Use this when retelling a job interview to your friends. "The boss said I was hired!" Use it when ordering food for a late friend. "He said he wanted the steak." It is perfect for sharing secrets or news. If you are gossiping about a breakup, you will need this. It is the backbone of narrative writing in Portuguese. Even in casual chats, it keeps the timeline clear. Use it when reporting what you read in the news. It helps differentiate between your opinion and the source's words. It is your best friend for any "storytime" moment on social media.

Do not use it if the statement is still true right now. If someone says "The sun is hot," just keep it. "He said the sun is hot" works perfectly fine. Avoid it if you are quoting someone directly with marks. Use quotation marks for that instead. Do not overcomplicate things in very fast, informal speech. Sometimes, native speakers keep the original tense for speed. But for B2 level, you should stick to the rules! Also, if the reporting verb is in the present, do not shift. "Ele diz que vem" (He says he is coming) stays simple. No need to over-engineer a simple conversation.

A big one is forgetting to change the pronouns. If you say Ele disse que eu vou, it is confusing. You probably meant Ele disse que ele ia. Another mistake is mixing up disse and falou. Disse usually introduces a specific statement with que. Falou is more about the act of speaking generally. Also, watch out for those tricky irregular verbs. Ir becomes ia or tinha ido, not just ido. Students often forget to change the time markers too. Saying "He said he did it tomorrow" will make people tilt their heads. It is like wearing socks over your shoes—just a bit off.

Direct speech is easy; you just repeat the words exactly. Indirect speech requires more mental gymnastics. It is different from the Subjuntivo which expresses doubt or wishes. Reported speech is usually about reporting facts or claims. Do not confuse it with the choice between Pretérito Perfeito and Imperfeito. In reported speech, the choice is dictated by the original tense. It is a logical sequence, not a stylistic choice. Think of it as a translation process within the same language. You are translating "now" into "then" and "here" into "there."