Discours indirect : impératif → de + infinitif

Direct speech is when you quote someone exactly. You use quotation marks and a colon. For example: Il me dit : « Étudie ! » (He says to me: "Study!"). But we don't always talk like that. Usually, we want to integrate that command into our own sentence. That’s where indirect speech comes in. Instead of repeating the command exactly, we transform it. The imperative verb (the command) loses its "bossy" conjugation and turns into its neutral, infinitive form. To connect the person speaking to that infinitive, we use the little word de. It’s like a hook that holds the two parts of the sentence together. Without that de, the sentence feels incomplete, like a bicycle without a chain. You have the person and the action, but nothing to make them move together.

1. 1Building this structure is as easy as making a sandwich. You just need four simple layers:
2. 2The Subject: This is the person giving the order (e.g., Le professeur).
3. 3The Reporting Verb: Usually dire (to say/tell) or demander (to ask). Don't forget to conjugate this for your subject!
4. 4The Link: The word de. If the next word starts with a vowel or a silent 'h', it becomes d'.
5. 5The Infinitive: The base form of the verb you are reporting (e.g., manger, finir, attendre).
6. 6So, if the original command was « Parle ! », your new sentence becomes Il me dit de parler. If the command was « Écoute ! », it becomes Il me dit d'écouter. Yes, even native speakers mess this up sometimes and forget the de, but you’ll be ahead of the game if you keep it in mind!

You will use this pattern constantly in real-life scenarios. Imagine you are at a job interview and the recruiter says, « Asseyez-vous ! » (Sit down!). Later, you tell your partner, Il m'a dit de m'asseoir. Or think about a busy restaurant. The waiter shouts, « Attendez ici ! » (Wait here!). You turn to your friends and say, Il nous dit d'attendre ici. It’s perfect for:

• Reporting instructions from a teacher or boss.
• Sharing advice a doctor gave you.
• Explaining what a parent told their child to do.
• Relaying directions you received on the street.

Basically, any time someone gives a command and you need to talk about it later, this is your go-to tool.

Don't get this confused with reporting a regular statement. If someone says, "I am happy," you don't use de. You use que. For example: Il dit qu'il est heureux. We only use the de + infinitif pattern when the original sentence was a command (an imperative). Also, be careful with questions. If someone asks, "Where are you going?", that’s a whole different rule. Stick to using this only when someone is being a bit bossy or giving clear instructions. If there wasn't an exclamation point or a command tone in the original sentence, you probably don't need de.

The biggest trap is the "Conjugation Trap." Many people try to keep the verb conjugated in the indirect speech. They might say Il me dit que je mange instead of Il me dit de manger. Remember, once you use de, the verb MUST be in the infinitive. Another common slip-up is forgetting the de entirely. Saying Il me dit manger sounds a bit like Tarzan—people will understand you, but it’s not quite right. Finally, watch out for the negative! If the command is « Ne fume pas ! », the ne pas stays together before the infinitive: Il me dit de ne pas fumer. It feels a bit weird at first, but you'll get used to it.

Let’s compare this to English. In English, we say "He tells me TO eat." That "to" is exactly like the French de. It’s actually very similar! However, in French, we have to be extra careful with that de vs que distinction. While English sometimes uses "that" (He said that I should eat), French strictly uses de + infinitif for commands to keep things simple and direct. Think of que as the word for facts and de as the word for actions/orders. It’s a clean split that helps keep your thoughts organized.