Direct and Indirect speech in Telugu

 Direct and Indirect speech in Telugu is termed as ‘PrathyakshaKathanam’ (ప్రత్యక్ష కథనం) and ‘ParokshaKathanam’ (పరోక్ష కథనం).

The sentences in Direct speech have quotation marks. The subject directly speaks these sentences. The sentences comprise of ‘ani’ (అని) after the quotation marks before they end with a verb.

Generally, the sentences in Direct Speech end with verbs like ‘Annadu’ (అన్నాడు) (said). Unlike English, the verbs change with gender,i.e., if the speaker is male, it ends with Annadu, and if the speaker is female, it ends with Annadhi(అన్నది).

Example sentences:

Ø  “Nenucinemaakuvelthunnaanu” ani Ramuannaadu. (“నేను సినిమాకు వెళ్తున్నాను” అని రాము అన్నాడు) – Ramu said, “I am going to a cinema.”

Ø  “Sarala oorikivellindi” ani Navyaannadhi. (“సరళ ఊరికి వెళ్ళింది” అని నవ్య అన్నది.) – Navya said, “Sarala went to a village.”

In the above sentences, the first sentence ended with ‘annaadu’ as the male said it and in the second sentence, it was said by a female, so it is ended with annadhi.

In the Indirect speech, the quotation marks are removed, and the quoted sentence is reported after changing the subject and object into the third person.

The above examples if converted into indirect speech they are as follows:

Ø  Thaanucinemakuvelthunnanani(velthunnaanu+ ani becomes velthunnaanani) Ramuannaadu. (తాను సినిమాకు వెళ్తున్నానని రాము అన్నాడు) – Ramu said that he was going to a cinema.

Ø  Sarala oorikivellindhani(vellindhi+ ani becomes vellinadhani) Navyaamdi. (సరళ ఊరికి వెళ్ళిందని నవ్య అన్నది.) – Navya said that Sarala had gone to a village.

In Telugu, the following changes are to be made while changing a sentence in Direct speech into Indirect speech.

Subjects are to be changed as follows:

Ø  Nenu(I) నేను – Taanu(తాను)

Ø  Maemu(we) మేము – Thaamu(తాము)

Ø  Nuvvu or Meeru(you) నువ్వు లేక మీరు – Naenu and Maemu (నేను లేక మేము) if the listener is the first person.

Example:

Ø  “Nuvvunaathoraavali” ani amenaathoannadhi. (“నువ్వు నాతో రావాలి” అని ఆమె నాతో అన్నది.) – She told me, “You have to come with me.”

Here the speaker is ‘she,’and the listener is ‘I,‘i.e.,the first person. So, it will be changed to naenu(నేను) in indirect speech.

The sentence in indirect speech will be as follows:

Ø  Naenuthanathoravalani(raavaali+ ani becomes raavaalani) aameannadhi. (నేను తనతో రావాలని ఆమె అన్నది.) – She said that I have to come with her.

If the listener is the third person, then the third person subject will remain.

Another essential thing in Telugu is that every verb in the sentence with quotation ends with the addition of ‘ani’ as the pattern follows in the direct speech.

For example, observe the below sentences.

Ø  “Nuvvunaathoraavali” ani aamenaathoannadhi. (“నువ్వు నాతో రావాలి” అని ఆమె నాతో అన్నది.) - She told me, “You have to come with me.”

Ø  Naenuthanathoravalani(raavaali+ ani becomes raavaalani) ameannadhi. (నేను తనతో రావాలని ఆమె అన్నది.) - She said that I have to come with her.

‘Ani’ (అని) is followed after the quotations in a direct speech. It is added to the verb in the indirect speech.

You will learn the rules for different tenses in the next lesson.