Lesson 7.2 — Er hat gesagt, dass … — Reporting what others said (German B1)

Listen first

A colleague relays what the manager said in a meeting that one person missed.

🔊 Real audio — spoken by your browser in German. Tap any word below to hear it.

New vocabulary — tap to hear

berichtento report 🔊

erwähnento mention 🔊

die Aussagethe statement 🔊

versprechento promise 🔊

sich erkundigento inquire 🔊

die Verspätungthe delay 🔊

Now say it

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« Sie hat gefragt, ob wir den Termin verschieben können. » 🔊

She asked whether we can postpone the appointment.

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Pronunciation

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Ich habe das Meeting verpasst. Was hat der Chef gesagt? 🔊I missed the meeting. What did the boss say?

Er hat gesagt, dass das Projekt zwei Wochen später fertig wird. 🔊He said that the project will be finished two weeks later.

Oh. Und hat er erwähnt, warum es eine Verspätung gibt? 🔊Oh. And did he mention why there's a delay?

Ja, er hat erklärt, dass ein wichtiger Lieferant Probleme hatte. 🔊Yes, he explained that an important supplier had problems.

Hat jemand gefragt, ob wir trotzdem den Termin schaffen? 🔊Did anyone ask whether we'll still make the deadline?

Ja, und er hat versprochen, dass er sich darum kümmern wird. 🔊Yes, and he promised that he would take care of it.

Grammar in focus · reported speech with dass/ob

In everyday spoken German, indirect speech often uses 'dass' + verb-final: 'Er sagt, dass er müde ist.' Report a yes/no question with 'ob': '"Kommst du?" → Sie fragt, ob ich komme.' Report a W-question by keeping the question word as the conjunction: '"Wann beginnt es?" → Er fragt, wann es beginnt.' Remember to shift pronouns to the new speaker's perspective: '"Ich helfe dir" → Er sagt, dass er mir hilft.'

Write it yourself

A friend told you their weekend plans. Write 5-6 sentences reporting what they said and asked, using 'dass' and 'ob'.

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Tip for this task
Gut! Keep the verb at the end after 'dass' and 'ob': « Er hat gesagt, dass er am Samstag arbeitet. » and « Er hat gefragt, ob ich mitkomme. » Watch the pronoun shift.

Quick check

An adaptive quiz confirms you've got it and schedules the right words for review.

1. How do you report a yes/no question ('Kommst du?')?

2. Complete: 'Er hat gesagt, dass er später ___.'

3. Reporting 'Wann beginnt es?' keeps which word as the conjunction?

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