Reporting what someone said

By Speak Indo, from the Speak Indo Indonesian course.

kata, bilang, menurut. Reporting other people's words.

How it works

Indonesian reported speech does not require the tense backshift found in English. Common patterns include: • Kata Ibu, ..., 'Mom said ...' • Ibu bilang ..., 'Mom said ...' (very common in conversation) • Menurut Ibu, ..., 'according to Mom' or 'in Mom's opinion' The speaker can come before or after the reporting word depending on the pattern. Context and time expressions show when the reported event happens.

Examples

• Kata ibu, kita makan malam jam tujuh.
  Mom said we eat dinner at seven.
• Dia bilang dia sibuk.
  She said she's busy.
• Menurut berita, besok akan hujan.
  According to the news, it'll rain tomorrow.