B1 · Intermediate Chapter 32

Reported Speech

4 Total Rules
1 min
Rules in This Chapter Quick Practice

Chapter in 30 Seconds

Master the art of relaying conversations and information accurately using 'bahwa' in Indonesian.

  • Connect sentences using the conjunction 'bahwa'.
  • Transform direct questions into indirect, flowing clauses.
  • Report statements and information shared by others naturally.
Mastering the art of relaying information.

What You'll Learn

Teaches how to relay information using 'bahwa'. Covers indirect questions and statements.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

  1. 1
    By the end you will be able to: Use 'bahwa' to report statements in written Indonesian.
  2. 2
    By the end you will be able to: Convert direct questions into indirect speech during a conversation.

Tips & Tricks (4)

💡

When in doubt, use it

If you are writing, always include 'bahwa'. It makes your writing look much more professional.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Reported Speech with 'Bahwa'
💡

The Buffer Rule

Always use a buffer phrase like 'Saya ingin tahu' to soften your question.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Indirect Questions
💡

Omit for speed

In casual text, you can drop 'bahwa' entirely. 'Dia bilang dia lapar' is perfectly fine.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Indirect Statements
💡

Use 'bahwa'

Never forget 'bahwa' after a passive reporting verb. It is the glue that holds your sentence together.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Relaying Information

Key Vocabulary (5)

bahwa that bertanya to ask memberitahu to tell/inform menurut according to apakah whether/if

Real-World Preview

briefcase

Office Update

Review Summary

  • Subject + Verb + bahwa + Clause
  • Subject + Verb + apakah + Clause

Common Mistakes

Do not use 'bahwa' (statement) and 'apakah' (question) together. Choose one based on intent.

Wrong: Dia bilang bahwa apakah dia datang.
Correct: Dia bertanya apakah dia datang.

While sometimes omitted in casual speech, using 'bahwa' is grammatically safer for B1 level.

Wrong: Dia bilang dia datang.
Correct: Dia bilang bahwa dia datang.

Questions require 'apakah', not 'bahwa'.

Wrong: Dia bertanya bahwa dia datang.
Correct: Dia bertanya apakah dia datang.

Next Steps

You've done an incredible job mastering reported speech. Keep practicing these structures in your daily conversations!

Listen to a news clip and summarize it using 'bahwa'.

Continue to: Causative Verbs

Quick Practice (10)

Find the error.

Find and fix the mistake:

Dia mengatakan yang dia senang.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: yang
Should be 'bahwa'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Reported Speech with 'Bahwa'

Fill in the blank with 'bahwa'.

Dia bilang ___ dia lapar.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: bahwa
Bahwa is the correct conjunction for reported speech.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Reported Speech with 'Bahwa'

Choose the correct sentence.

Which is correct?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Dia bilang bahwa dia lapar.
Pronoun must shift to 'dia'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Indirect Statements

Fill in the blank with the correct passive verb.

___ bahwa dia orang baik.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Dikatakan
Passive verb is needed.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Relaying Information

Find the error in this sentence.

Find and fix the mistake:

Saya ingin tahu di manakah dia.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: di manakah
Remove -kah.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Indirect Questions

Fill in the blank with the correct question word.

Saya ingin tahu ___ dia tinggal.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: di mana
Location requires 'di mana'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Indirect Questions

Choose the correct sentence.

Which sentence is correct?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Dia bilang bahwa dia lapar.
Bahwa is the correct conjunction.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Reported Speech with 'Bahwa'

Select the best fit.

___ bahwa dia adalah kandidat terbaik.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Disebut-sebut
Commonly used for rumors/opinions.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Relaying Information

Fill in the blank with the correct conjunction.

Dia bilang ___ dia akan datang.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: bahwa
Bahwa is the correct conjunction for reported statements.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Indirect Statements

Choose the most polite version.

Which is the most polite?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Saya ingin tahu di mana dia.
The indirect structure is the most polite.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Indirect Questions

Score: /10

Common Questions (6)

Yes, it is grammatically correct in almost all cases where you report speech or thoughts.
In formal writing, yes. In casual speech, it is often omitted.
The -kah particle is specifically for direct questions. Once a question is embedded, it loses its interrogative status.
Not always, but in formal or new social settings, it can sound blunt. Indirect questions are safer.
Yes, in casual speech, but keep it in formal writing to ensure clarity.
No, Indonesian does not have tense shifting like English.
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Conditional Sentences
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Causative Verbs
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