කියලා: the word all reported speech rests on
Reported speech rests on one word, කියලා. The order runs: what was said, then කියලා, then the verb of speaking. For example: “එයා කඩේ කොහෙද කියලා ඇහුවා” — She asked where the shop is. A rule from the Sinhala course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
Reported speech rests on one word, කියලා (kiyalā). The order runs: what was said, then කියලා, then the verb of speaking.
එයා වැඩේ ඉවරයි කියලා පැහැදිලි කළා (eyā væḍē ivarayi kiyalā pæhædili kaḷā) is "he explained that the work is finished". English puts "that" in front of the words, Sinhala puts කියලා after them.
A question is not rebuilt when it is passed on: එයා කඩේ කොහෙද කියලා ඇහුවා (eyā kaḍē kohēda kiyalā æhuvā) — "she asked where the shop is". The -ද (-da) particle stays inside. A request goes in the -න්න shape: උදව් කරන්න කියලා ඉල්ලුවා (udav karanna kiyalā illuvā).
A rumour is marked by ලු (lu) at the very end: එයා හෙට එනවා ලු (eyā heṭa enavā lu) — "he is coming tomorrow, they say". English puts "supposedly" before the words; Sinhala puts ලු after everything.
Table
| What is reported | The Sinhala order | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| a statement | වැඩේ ඉවරයි කියලා කිව්වා | he said the work is finished |
| a question with a word | කොහෙද කියලා ඇහුවා | he asked where |
| a question without a word | එනවද කියලා ඇහුවා | he asked whether he will come |
| a request | කරන්න කියලා ඉල්ලුවා | he asked to do it |
| a rumor | එනවා කියලා අහලා තියෙනවා | he heard he will come |
| a rumor with one mark | එනවා ලු | allegedly he will come |
| one’s own understanding | මට තේරුණු විදිහට | as I understood |
| common talk | කියන හැටියට | as they say |
By example
- එයා කඩේ කොහෙද කියලා ඇහුවාeyā kaḍē kohēda kiyalā æhuvāShe asked where the shop is
- එයා වැඩේ ඉවරයි කියලා පැහැදිලි කළාeyā væḍē ivarayi kiyalā pæhædili kaḷāHe explained that the work is finished
- එයා හෙට එනවා ලුeyā heṭa enavā luHe will supposedly come 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
the word all reported speech rests on: how does it work in Sinhala?
Reported speech rests on one word, කියලා. The order runs: what was said, then කියලා, then the verb of speaking.
What does it look like in an example sentence Sinhala?
“එයා කඩේ කොහෙද කියලා ඇහුවා” (eyā kaḍē kohēda kiyalā æhuvā) — She asked where the shop is. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.