#how to use estilo indirecto

[mylanguageclasses]

Reported Speech (Estilo Indirecto) in Spanish

Introduction Reported speech, or estilo indirecto, is a fundamental aspect of Spanish grammar that allows us to relay what someone else has said without quoting their exact words. It is used in both formal and informal contexts, making it an essential skill for effective communication in Spanish. Whether you’re recounting a conversation, sharing news, or summarizing someone’s thoughts,…

[spanishskulduggery]

👋 I hope it’s ok to ask again so soon but I was wondering if you could tell me how to know when to use te in estilo indirecto. For example why do i say ‘jaime te dice que...’ but sometimes i just say ‘dice que le...’. Hope that makes sense. Thank you!!! 😘

It’s more about how familiar or formal you’re being with the person you’re speaking to, and the context of what you’re saying.

The indirect object pronouns go like this:

yo => me

tú => te

él / ella / Usted => le

ellos / ellas / ustedes => les

nosotros => nos

vosotros => vos

So in your examples, both make sense.

Jaime te dice que... = Jaime tells you that...

Jaime le dice (a usted) que... = Jaime tells you that... Jaime le dice (a él/ella) que... = Jaime tells him/her that...

You’re not wrong to use le when you mean “you”, but you do sound formal. That’s not necessarily a bad thing but it does depend on what you want and how you want to sound.

But when talking about other people, you should be using the le or les because that’s 3rd person:

Jaime le dijo que era buena idea. = Jaime told him/her that it was a good idea.

Jaime les dijo que era buena idea. = Jaime told them it was a good idea.

This is the same when you use estilo indirecto or reported speech with phrases that would make you use subjunctive:

Te digo que te vayas. = I’m telling you to go. Le digo que se vaya. = I’m telling you [formal] to go. / I’m telling him/her to go.

Te dije que vinieras. = I told you to come. Le dije que viniera. = I told you [formal] to come. / I told him/her to come.

*Note: Since les can also be ustedes, you might be saying “you” as in plural or “you all”.

Like les digo when said to ustedes could come out like “I’m telling you” or the way I say it to differentiate it in examples is “I’m telling all of you / I’m telling you all”

EDIT: There are also times when you would be using this in letters and it’s the same kind of idea like Papá te manda un abrazo “Dad sends you a hug” that kind of thing.

[mylanguageclasses]

Master reported speech in past tense (estilo indirecto en pasado) and improve your Spanish fluency! Learn how to transform direct speech, adjust verb tenses, and avoid common mistakes with clear explanations and examples. Read now and take your Spanish skills to the next level! #SpanishGrammar