Another's speech: qaala inna…
Other languages chain another's words with "that"; here it is done with inna: "qaala" + inna + an ordinary sentence. Qaala inna al-mataar saghiil — he said that the rain is heavy. The tense inside does not move: what was present in direct speech stays present in the reported one. For example: “قال المدير إن الاجتماع في الثامنة” — The director said that the meeting is at eight. A rule from the Arabic course: worked…
How it works
Other languages chain another's words with "that"; here it is done with inna: "qaala" + inna + an ordinary sentence. Qaala inna al-mataar saghiil — he said that the rain is heavy. The tense inside does not move: what was present in direct speech stays present in the reported one.
Only what changes in English changes too: the person of the pronouns and the pointers of time. Inna — with the "i" at the start — sits exactly after "said", "believe", "learn". The familiar anna from "li-anna" and "raghma ann" is the same particle "that"; in other links it simply stands with an "a".
A question with the word "ayna", "mataa", "limaadhaa" keeps its word: saʾalanii ayna askunu — asked where I live. After "say" the particle can also be dropped: "qaala al-mawquud daʿiif" — he said the source is weak. The sense does not change; only the tone grows drier.
Table
| direct speech | reported | what changed |
|---|---|---|
| "المطر ثقيل." | قال إن المطر ثقيل | the tense is the same |
| "أنا سعيد." | قال إنه سعيد | the "he" hides inside inna |
| "أنا من روسيا." | قالت إنها من روسيا | the speaker is now she |
| "أين تسكن؟" | سألني أين أسكن | the question word stays |
| "السعر كبير." | قال إن السعر كبير | arabic puts no comma |
By example
- قال المدير إن الاجتماع في الثامنةкааля аль-мудиир инна аль-иджтимаа фи ас-сааминаThe director said that the meeting is at eight
- سألني الصحفي أين أسكنсаʾаляни ас-сиххаафий айна аскунуThe journalist asked me where I live
- قالت إن الرحلة غداкаалят инна ар-рихля гаданShe said that the flight is tomorrow
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
Reported speech in Arabic?
Other languages chain another's words with "that"; here it is done with inna: "qaala" + inna + an ordinary sentence. Qaala inna al-mataar saghiil — he said that the rain is heavy. The tense inside does not move: what was present in direct speech stays present in the reported one.
Inna after qaala in Arabic?
Other languages chain another's words with "that"; here it is done with inna: "qaala" + inna + an ordinary sentence. Qaala inna al-mataar saghiil — he said that the rain is heavy. The tense inside does not move: what was present in direct speech stays present in the reported one.
Inna vs anna in Arabic?
Only what changes in English changes too: the person of the pronouns and the pointers of time. Inna — with the "i" at the start — sits exactly after "said", "believe", "learn". The familiar anna from "li-anna" and "raghma ann" is the same particle "that"; in other links it simply stands with an "a".
Does the tense change in arabic reported speech?
Other languages chain another's words with "that"; here it is done with inna: "qaala" + inna + an ordinary sentence. Qaala inna al-mataar saghiil — he said that the rain is heavy. The tense inside does not move: what was present in direct speech stays present in the reported one.
What does it look like in a Arabic example sentence?
“قال المدير إن الاجتماع في الثامنة” (кааля аль-мудиир инна аль-иджтимаа фи ас-саамина) — The director said that the meeting is at eight. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.