Rekao je da radi: other people's words, with the tense left alone
You report other people's words in your first conversation about the news, and Serbian makes that easy. The tense does not shift. For example: “Новинар је рекао да влада припрема нови закон” — The journalist said the government is preparing a new law. A rule from the Serbian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
You report other people's words in your first conversation about the news, and Serbian makes that easy. The tense does not shift.
He said: "Radim". Reported: Rekao je da radi. The verb stays in the tense it was spoken in. If he spoke about the past, the past stays: Rekao je da je radio.
What changes is the person, and only the person. "Ja dolazim" turns into Rekao je da on dolazi. Possessives travel with it: Rekao je da je njegov auto pokvaren.
A question is reported with da li or a question word, and the word order goes plain. Pitali su me gde sam bio. A request goes through da plus the present: Rekla mi je da dođem ranije.
Table
| direct speech | reported | what changed | in English |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Radim" | rekao je da radi | the person only | said he is working |
| "Radio sam" | rekao je da je radio | the person only | said he was working |
| "Radiću" | rekao je da će raditi | the person only | said he will work |
| "Da li dolaziš?" | pitao je da li dolazim | da li + plain order | asked if I am coming |
| "Gde si?" | pitao je gde sam | the short word stays second | asked where I was |
| "Dođi!" | rekao je da dođem | da + present | told me to come |
| a rumor in print | navodno je podneo ostavku | navodno = reportedly | he reportedly resigned |
By example
- Новинар је рекао да влада припрема нови законNovinar je rekao da vlada priprema novi zakonThe journalist said the government is preparing a new law
- Питали су ме где сам био синоћPitali su me gde sam bio sinoćThey asked me where I was last night
- Рекла ми је да дођем ранијеRekla mi je da dođem ranijeShe told me to come earlier
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
Rekao je da radi: how does it work in Serbian?
You report other people's words in your first conversation about the news, and Serbian makes that easy. The tense does not shift.
What does it look like in an example sentence Serbian?
“Новинар је рекао да влада припрема нови закон” (Novinar je rekao da vlada priprema novi zakon) — The journalist said the government is preparing a new law. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.