Dialogue
Je, vous and son in reported speech: who is speaking?
Follow Léa, Sami and Inès through a message relay. Practise je, vous, nous and possessives with a dialogue and four precise questions.
- B1
- 8 lines
- Practice mode
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In short
A reported je points to the original speaker; tu and vous point to the original listeners. Their new forms depend on who reports the message: Léa nous dit : « Je vous aiderai. » → Léa dit qu’elle nous aidera.
Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn
Meet the three roles
| Person | Role | What the pronoun names |
|---|---|---|
| Léa | Original speaker | The person offering help |
| Sami and Inès | Original listeners | The two people receiving help |
| Sami | Reporter, speaking to Inès | A member of the original listening group |
Léa speaks to Sami and Inès together. Then Sami passes her message to Inès. In practice mode, take Sami’s part. Keep elle for Léa and nous for Sami plus Inès. The verb aider takes a direct object: elle nous aidera.
- Léa
Je vous aiderai à préparer votre présentation.
English
I’ll help you prepare your presentation.
- Inès
Qu’est-ce que Léa dit, Sami ?
English
What is Léa saying, Sami?
- Sami
Elle dit qu’elle nous aidera à préparer notre présentation.
Report Léa’s offer. You and Inès are the people she will help.
English
She says that she’ll help us prepare our presentation.
- Léa
Mon frère peut aussi vous aider.
English
My brother can help you too.
- Sami
Elle ajoute que son frère peut aussi nous aider.
Report the extra offer. The brother is Léa’s; the listeners are still you and Inès.
English
She adds that her brother can help us too.
- Inès
Son frère ou ton frère ?
English
Her brother or your brother?
- Sami
Le frère de Léa. Il connaît bien notre sujet.
Name the brother explicitly, then say he knows your shared topic well.
English
Léa’s brother. He knows our topic well.
- Léa
Et moi, je dis que je serai disponible lundi.
English
And I’m saying that I’ll be available on Monday.
How do pronouns change in French reported speech?
| Who reports to whom? | The report |
|---|---|
| Sami speaks to Inès; both were addressed | Léa dit qu’elle nous aidera. |
| An outsider speaks about Sami and Inès | Léa dit qu’elle les aidera. |
| Léa repeats her own promise to the pair | Je dis que je vous aiderai. |
Son frère can mean “her brother”: son agrees with the masculine noun frère, while the owner here is Léa. Compare sa sœur and ses parents. When two owners are possible, a name makes the message clear: le frère de Léa. A polite singular vous also names one listener, so count people from the scene.