In French, reported speech, also known as indirect speech, is used to repeat or report what someone else said or thought, without directly quoting them.

Here’s how to use reported speech in French:

1. To form a sentence in reported speech, use a conjugated form of the verb “dire” (to say) followed by the reported statement in its original form.

Example: “Il a dit qu’il allait venir.” (He said that he was going to come.)

2. When reporting speech in the past, the tense of the original statement must be shifted to reflect the fact that it’s being reported in the present. For example, if the original statement was in the present tense, it must be shifted to the past.

3. In French, the pronoun usage and verb conjugation must agree with the original speaker, not the person reporting the speech.

Example: “Il a dit qu’il est fatigué.” (He said that he is tired.)

4. When reporting questions, use the conjunction “si” (if) followed by the reported statement in its original form.

Example: “Il a demandé si je voulais venir.” (He asked if I wanted to come.)

It’s important to practice forming sentences in reported speech in context to get a feel for how it’s used in French.

With time and practice, you’ll be able to express what others have said or thought in French using reported speech with ease.