Subordinate Clauses in Indirect Speech

Indirect speech acts like a two-part train. The first part is your "Reporting Clause." This is usually something simple like Ich glaube (I believe) or Er sagt (He says). This part sets the stage. The second part is the "Subordinate Clause." This is the actual message you are reporting. In English, we often skip the word "that." We say, "I think he is coming." In German, you almost always need that bridge word: dass. This word acts like a glue. It sticks the two parts of your sentence together. But there is a catch! This glue is so strong it pushes the verb to the very end of the sentence. Yes, the verb is a bit shy here. It sees the bridge word and runs to the back of the line.

1. 1Building these sentences is a step-by-step process. Think of it like a recipe. If you miss a step, the cake collapses!
2. 2Start with your main clause: Sie sagt... (She says...).
3. 3Add a comma: This is non-negotiable in German. It is the gatekeeper of the sentence.
4. 4Add your conjunction: Usually dass (that) or ob (if/whether).
5. 5Put the subject of the reported speech right after the conjunction: Sie sagt, dass sie....
6. 6Add all other details: Sie sagt, dass sie heute....
7. 7Place the conjugated verb at the very end: Sie sagt, dass sie heute kommt.

You will use this pattern constantly in daily life. Imagine you are ordering food for a group. You tell the waiter, "My friend says that he is vegetarian." That is Mein Freund sagt, dass er Vegetarier ist. Or maybe you are in a job interview. You want to say, "I believe that I am punctual." That is Ich glaube, dass ich pünktlich bin. You also use it for questions. If you aren't sure if a store is open, you might say, "I don't know if the store is open." In German: Ich weiß nicht, ob der Laden offen ist. It is the standard way to report facts, thoughts, and uncertainties.

Do not use this if you are quoting someone directly. If you use quotation marks, keep the normal word order. For example: Er sagt: "Ich habe Hunger." (He says: "I am hungry."). You also don't need it for simple, direct statements. If you just want to say "The coffee is cold," just say Der Kaffee ist kalt. You only need indirect speech when you are adding a layer of "He said" or "I think" on top of the fact. Think of it like a grammar traffic light. If you have two separate thoughts, you need the dass bridge. If it is just one thought, keep it simple.

The "Verb Trap" is the most common pitfall. English speakers want to say Ich denke, dass er ist hier. This sounds very strange to a German ear. It must be Ich denke, dass er hier ist. The verb must be the very last word. Another mistake is forgetting the comma. In English, commas are optional decorations. In German, they are structural pillars. If you forget the comma, the sentence feels like it is falling over. Also, watch out for das vs dass. das with one 's' is an article (the). dass with two 's' is your bridge word. Even native speakers mess this up in texts sometimes, so don't be too hard on yourself!

You might know the word denn (because). denn is a friendly neighbor. It connects sentences but does not move the verb. Ich bleibe zu Hause, denn ich bin müde. But dass and weil (because) are "verb-kickers." They both kick the verb to the end. The difference is the meaning. dass reports a fact or thought. weil gives a reason. If you can remember that dass, weil, and ob all follow the same "verb-at-the-end" rule, you are already halfway to being a pro.