give speech spanish

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To Give A Speech in Spanish

Understanding the phrase “to give a speech” in spanish.

Giving a speech, the act of delivering a formal presentation or address to an audience, can be expressed in Spanish through the phrase “dar un discurso”. This phrase is commonly used when discussing public speaking or presenting information to a group of people. Let’s explore the different aspects of giving a speech in Spanish.

Preparing for a Speech

Researching the topic.

When it comes to preparing for a speech, you can use the phrase “investigar el tema” in Spanish. This involves gathering information, conducting research, and becoming knowledgeable about the subject matter to deliver a well-informed and engaging speech.

Organizing the Content

If you want to express the action of organizing the content for a speech, you would say “organizar el contenido” in Spanish. This refers to structuring the speech, outlining key points, and arranging the information in a logical and coherent manner.

Delivering the Speech

Opening with an introduction.

When delivering a speech, it’s important to start with a strong introduction. In Spanish, you can use the phrase “comenzar con una introducción” to express this. This involves capturing the audience’s attention, stating the purpose of the speech, and providing an overview of what will be discussed.

Presenting Key Points

To convey the idea of presenting key points in a speech, you can use the phrase “presentar puntos clave” in Spanish. This involves discussing the main ideas, supporting them with relevant examples or evidence, and maintaining a clear and organized flow of information.

Engaging the Audience

In order to engage the audience during a speech, you can use the phrase “involucrar a la audiencia” in Spanish. This includes techniques such as using rhetorical questions, employing storytelling techniques, and encouraging active participation through gestures or interactive elements.

Giving a speech, expressed as “dar un discurso” in Spanish, is a powerful means of communicating ideas and engaging with an audience. By preparing effectively, organizing the content, and delivering the speech with confidence and engagement, you can deliver a compelling and impactful presentation. Whether it’s delivering a speech in a formal setting, academic environment, or public event, understanding the correct usage of “to give a speech” in Spanish is essential for effective communication and successful public speaking. I Will Return Spanish I Will Do in Spanish

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Reported Speech in Spanish: Master the Art of Talking About What Other People Say

Reported speech is everywhere.

In English, you use it dozens (if not hundreds) of times every day without even realizing it.

The good news is that you can be that natural in Spanish, too. You’re literally just an article away from becoming a Spanish reported speech master yourself!

Don’t believe me? Give this post just 10 minutes of your time, and you’ll see how easy it can be.

What Is Spanish Reported Speech?

Basics of spanish reported speech, spanish reporting verbs, decir  (to say, to tell), preguntar  (to ask), querer saber (to want to know), pedir  (to ask), querer (to want), other reporting verbs in spanish, using  que (that), spanish reported speech word order: subject + verb + object, spanish reported speech based on questions, yes or no questions, “wh-” questions, other changes in spanish reported speech, personal pronouns and possessives, time and place expressions, verb tenses, and one more thing….

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

Direct and reported speech are two of the most frequently-used grammar points in languages, and Spanish is no exception. Whenever you talk about what someone else has said, you use either direct or reported speech.

When you repeat exactly what another person has said and explicitly indicate who said it, you’re using direct speech. For example:

Daniel dice: “Estoy muy cansado hoy.” (Daniel says: “I am very tired today.”)

Now, let’s say you don’t remember exactly what your  compadre (buddy) Daniel said, but you do remember the gist of it. If someone else asks you what Daniel said, you’d say something like:

Daniel dice que está muy cansado hoy.  (Daniel says he is very tired today.)

That, in a nutshell, is reported speech. Spanish reported speech is where you talk about someone (other than yourself and the person you’re talking to) and what that person said without necessarily quoting them verbatim.

In written texts or messages, it’s usually easier to differentiate between Spanish direct and reported speech. For starters, direct speech uses quotation marks to enclose the statement being quoted, while reported speech doesn’t. Direct speech quotes the person being talked about word-for-word, while reported speech may or may not use their exact words, though the gist of what they said is always present.

So that’s it, right? Differentiating direct and reported speech in Spanish is just a matter of using the right punctuation marks and whether you used the other person’s exact words, yes? 

Not quite. Although English and Spanish reported speech are similar for the most part, the latter has some unique quirks that we’ll be discussing in the next sections.

Like in English, reported speech in Spanish consists of a few basic elements: reporting verbs, connecting words like que (“that”) and the message from the person being talked about—whether the message is verbatim or not.

Let’s break them down below.

Similar to English, Spanish reporting verbs (also known as communication verbs ) are used to signal that you’re either quoting someone directly (direct speech) or paraphrasing them (reported speech).

There are dozens of reporting verbs in every language, although we tend to use some of them more often than others.

Here are a few of the most common reporting verbs in Spanish:

Decir is probably the most common Spanish word to use when talking about what someone else said.

If you want to tell someone about what another person is asking, use preguntar.

Querer saber can be used in a similar way as preguntar.

When you’re talking about what someone else wants, use pedir.

Instead of pedir, you can also use querer.

As I’ve mentioned earlier, there are so many Spanish reporting verbs that it would be impossible to list them all here. However, I can give you some of the most common ones:

You may have noticed that almost all of our examples above have the word que . I’m telling you now: que is going to be your new best friend, because every single reported statement and command in Spanish will include it, even if you omit or don’t need “that” in English.

Let’s look at a few examples:

It doesn’t matter if you’re talking about a statement, command or question. The word order will always be Subject + Verb + Object, as is typical of Spanish sentence structure .

When the reported speech Spanish speakers use is based on questions , it deviates slightly from the structure we just discussed and is based on whether you’re using a “yes or no” question or a “wh-” question.

In reported speech that’s based on this kind of question, you use si (if, whether) instead of que .

Recall the Spanish equivalents of the English “wh-” questions:

When you’re reporting a “wh-” question, you use the appropriate question words above instead of  que or  si .

One thing to keep in mind: when using the verb preguntar , you can add que just before the question word.

Don’t be afraid to write two que together! They aren’t the same word, and they don’t have the same function.

In reported speech, the personal pronouns and possessives change from the reported version. Luckily, it works the same way in English—that is, the change is necessary so that the core message isn’t lost or misinterpreted.

Again like English, time and place expressions in the reported speech Spanish speakers use change from their direct counterparts.

Here are some of the main changes that take place:

There’s a group of words I’d like to include in this section. They’re neither time nor place expressions, but they imply distance from the speaker.

Undoubtedly, the most troublesome part of reported speech in Spanish is that the verbs change their tenses.

The good news is that these changes don’t happen all the time, and you have almost identical changes in English.

But when do we need to make changes in verb tenses? How do we know?

The only thing you have to bear in mind here is the reporting verb. Yes, that little friend present at the beginning of the reported sentences we studied before.

There are only two straightforward rules, really:

1. If the reporting verb is in the present simple or the present perfect tense, you DON’T have to change any verb tenses unless you have a command.

2. If the reporting verb is in the preterite, the imperfect or the past perfect tense ( pluscuamperfecto ), you DO need to make changes.

Have a look at the following examples. The reporting verbs (in bold) are in the present simple or the present perfect, so there are no verb changes in the reported sentences.

As stated before, when you have a command, you do need to make changes even when the reporting verb is in the present or the present perfect tense. Therefore, the imperative changes into the present subjunctive .

Similarly, if the command’s reporting verb is in the past tense, the imperative changes into the imperfect subjunctive.

In those sentences where the reporting verb appears in the past tense, you need to make verb tense changes in the reported fragment. These changes are almost identical to those in English, but here are the most important ones for your convenience:

In those sentences where the verb is in the imperfect , conditional or past perfect ( pluscuamperfecto ), there are no tense changes.

I know this can all sound very overwhelming and confusing, so I’d like to introduce you to the language learning platform FluentU , where you can watch reported speech in Spanish in action.

And that’s all!

As you can see, Spanish and English reported speeches are very similar.

Just remember the few rules I’ve taught you in this post, and you’ll have no problem at all!

If you've made it this far that means you probably enjoy learning Spanish with engaging material and will then love FluentU .

Other sites use scripted content. FluentU uses a natural approach that helps you ease into the Spanish language and culture over time. You’ll learn Spanish as it’s actually spoken by real people.

FluentU has a wide variety of videos, as you can see here:

FluentU brings native videos within reach with interactive transcripts. You can tap on any word to look it up instantly. Every definition has examples that have been written to help you understand how the word is used. If you see an interesting word you don’t know, you can add it to a vocab list.

Review a complete interactive transcript under the Dialogue tab, and find words and phrases listed under Vocab .

Learn all the vocabulary in any video with FluentU’s robust learning engine. Swipe left or right to see more examples of the word you’re on.

The best part is that FluentU keeps track of the vocabulary that you’re learning, and gives you extra practice with difficult words. It'll even remind you when it’s time to review what you’ve learned. Every learner has a truly personalized experience, even if they’re learning with the same video.

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What is the translation of "give speech" in Spanish?

Did you mean:.

• give a speech

Context sentences

English spanish contextual examples of "give speech" in spanish.

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Similar translations

Similar translations for "give speech" in spanish.

• forma de hablar
• disertación

English-Spanish dictionary

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Spanish Grammar for Beginners: The 9 Parts of Speech

One of the most important parts of Spanish grammar for beginners is parts of speech!

You’ve probably heard your Spanish teacher talk about terms like sustantivo, verbo, and artículo in class, but what do they mean? Well, these are just a few of the parts of speech in Spanish!

Today, you’ll learn what these terms mean as I go over the 9 parts of speech in Spanish. Understanding how to use these terms can even help you learn Spanish faster! You can even test your new knowledge at the end of the post with a fun grammar quiz. 

What is a “Part of Speech”?

There are thousands of words in English and Spanish. Luckily, parts of speech exist to help categorize these words.

Parts of speech group words together based on their function in a sentence. In Spanish, the main parts of speech are: 

• Preposition
• Conjunction
• interjection 

The parts of speech are one of the most important Spanish grammar rules for beginners. There is lots of information packed into these 9 categories!

Knowing the Parts of Speech Makes Learning Spanish Easier

Understanding parts of speech is incredibly useful when learning a foreign language. Knowing a word’s part of speech tells you how to use it in a sentence. This knowledge makes it easier to properly construct sentences. 

Additionally, it’s important to know the parts of speech so that you’re not confused when your Spanish teacher talks about conjunctions, adverbs, and articles. Knowing some basic grammar terminology will help you better understand what’s going on in class. 

Discover the 9 Parts of Speech in Spanish

If you want to learn Spanish grammar for beginners, then knowing the parts of speech is a must. These categories are the building blocks for Spanish grammar. 

1. Articles ( Los artículos )

Articles draw special attention to the noun that they precede. The type of article shows the way that the speaker is thinking about the noun. The speaker could be talking about the noun in a general sense or as a specific item. The two distinct types of articles are definite and indefinite. 

Definite Articles

Definite articles specify which object, person, or place the speaker is talking about.

“The” is the only definite article in English. In Spanish, however, there are 4 definitive articles: los, las, el , and la . 

Again, these artículos change depending on the noun that they precede.

• Masculine singular: el
• Masculine plural: los
• Feminine singular: la
• Feminine plural: las

Let’s look at some examples.

La maestra pone el lápiz en la mesa. The teacher puts the pencil on the table.

El perro corre en el patio. The dog runs in the yard.

Indefinite Articles

Indefinite articles are a nonspecific way to refer to a noun. “A” and “an” are the only two English indefinite articles that exist. However, in Spanish, there are four.

Again, these artículos change depending on the noun that they proceed.

• Masculine singular: un 
• Masculine plural: unos
• Feminine singular: una 
• Feminine plural: unas

Look how the sentences change with indefinite articles.

Una maestra pone un lápiz en una mesa. A teacher puts a pencil on a table.

Un perro corre en un patio. A dog runs in a yard.

2. Nouns ( Los sustantivos )

You’ve probably heard that nouns in English are people, places, and things. Luckily, the same holds true in Spanish!

Nouns, or sustantivos , can be objects, feelings, and even concepts. They help you talk about the physical and imaginary world. Nouns are essentially names that identify objects. 

Many Spanish words have a specific ending that tells you that the word is a noun. 

Spanish Noun Endings

– ción/-ión

• canción – song
• transición – transition
• aprobación – approval
• unidad – unity
• profundidad – depth
• hermandad – brother/sisterhood
• sencillez – simplicity
• fluidez – fluidity
• diez – ten

Nouns can occur anywhere in a sentence, but they usually appear as the subject at the beginning of the sentence or as an object at the end. 

El perro corre en el jardín. The dog runs in the yard.

Los niños juegan con el gato en la sala. The children play with the cat in the living room.

3. Adjectives (Los adjetivos)

Adjectives describe nouns. You use adjectives all the time! They add creativity, detail, and personality to your sentences. Adjectives help describe people, places, and the things around you. 

Common Adjectives

• grande – big/large
• hermoso –  beautiful
• azul – blue
• rápido – fast

Be careful with your adjective placement! In English, adjectives come before the noun that they describe. However, in Spanish, they come after the noun. 

Example Sentences

La maestra nueva pone el lápiz amarillo en la mesa sucia. The new teacher puts the yellow pencil on the dirty table.

El perro feo corre en el patio grande. The ugly dog runs in the big yard.

Los niños traviesos juegan con el gato gris en la sala desorganizada. The mischievous children play with the gray cat in the messy living room.

4.  Verbs ( Los verbos )

Los verbos describe an action or a state of being. Verbs make up an important part of Spanish grammar for beginners. Every sentence has a verb! 

Common Verbs

• pensar – to think
• vivir – to live
• ser – to be

The above verbs are in their neutral state, which is called the infinitive form. You can tell when a verb is in its infinitive form because it will end in -ar, -er, or -ir . 

However, most sentences won’t use verbs in their infinitive form. Instead, verbs are usually conjugated in the present, past, future, or other tenses. Spanish verbs require a lot of conjugating! Learn more about Spanish verb conjugation with this guide .

See if you can identify the verbs in each of the following sentences. 

La maestra pone el lápiz en la mesa. (poner) The teacher puts the pencil on the table.

El perro corre en el patio. (correr) The dog runs in the yard.

5.  Adverbs ( Los adverbios )

Just like how adjectives describe nouns, adverbs add a description to verbs. Adverb even has the word “verb” inside of it!

For example, instead of saying “he runs,” you can say “he runs fast.” “Fast” describes how the action is done. 

Common Spanish Adverbs

Los adverbios in Spanish have many different forms, but the most common ending is – mente . In English, they end in -ly. 

• lentamente – slowly
• felizmente – happily
• cuidadosamente – carefully

Take a look at how adverbs affect these sentences.

La maestra pone el lápiz cuidadosamente en la mesa. The teacher carefully puts the pencil on the table.

El perro corre rápidamente en el patio. The dog runs quickly in the yard.

Los niños juegan silenciosamente con el gato en la sala. The children play quietly with the cat in the living room.

6. Pronouns ( Los pronombres )

A pronoun is essentially a word that substitutes a noun. You don’t want to keep using the same noun over and over again when telling a story. This repetition would sound boring and cluttered. Instead, you use a pronoun to replace the noun that you are talking about. 

Take a look at this paragraph without pronouns:

The teacher walked into class. Then the teacher told us that the teacher had a surprise. The teacher brought cupcakes to class!

Now take a look at the same paragraph using pronouns:

The teacher walked into class. Then she told us that she had a surprise. She brought cupcakes to class!

See how important pronouns are? They make the paragraph much more clear and concise!

Spanish Subject Pronouns

Spanish subject pronouns are the most common type of pronoun. They are broken down by the gender and number of the noun they replace. 

Try to identify the subject pronouns in these sentences. 

Ella pone el lápiz en la mesa. She puts the pencil on the table.

Él corre en el patio. He runs in the yard.

7. Prepositions ( Las preposiciones )

Prepositions explain the relationships between nouns. They tell you how two nouns are related, often referring to a location. 

Common Spanish Prepositions

• en – in, on
• por – by, because of
• debajo – below
• adentro – inside

These words are normally sandwiched by two nouns, as you can see in the following examples.

El perro corre alrededor del patio. The dog runs around the yard.

8. Conjunctions ( Las conjunciones )

Conjunctions are words that connect nouns, verbs, phrases, and sentences. They help you piece together different ideas. 

There are two main types of conjunctions: simple and complex. The simple conjunctions are the ones that you use all the time. In English, they are “and”, “but”, and “or”. Complex conjunctions, on the other hand, have a little more depth. 

Simple Spanish Conjunctions

• y – and
• o – or
• pero – but

Complex Spanish Conjunctions

• sin embargo – however 
• por lo tanto – therefore 
• así que – so
• aunque – even though

Take a look at how these conjunctions act in a sentence. 

La maestra pone el lápiz en la mesa pero se cae. The teacher puts the pencil on the table but it falls off.

Aunque el perro y el niño corrieron en el patio, todavía tienen energía. Even though the dog and the boy ran in the yard, they still have energy.

Los niños juegan con el gato en la sala. Así que, no nos van a molestar. The children play with the cat in the living room. So, they will not bother us.

9. Interjections ( Las interjecciones )

Interjections are abrupt remarks that help you to express different emotions. They also help to improve your Spanish by making it sound more natural! 

Interjections are a fun part of Spanish grammar for beginners. They are short words or phrases so they are easy to remember. Plus, native speakers will love hearing you use these natural Spanish sounds. 

Common Interjections in English

Common interjections in spanish.

Interjections can vary in their meaning. Context is extremely important to help decode them. Volume, pitch, and speed can also help show meaning. Interjections can also be filler words. They are a way to fill in a space or pause while the speaker thinks of the next thing they want to say. In this way, they are a means of not giving up airtime or preventing someone from interrupting.

Take a look at how interjections add emotion and feeling to these sentences. 

¡Venga! La maestra ya ha empezado la clase. Come on! The teacher already started class.

¡Ay! El perro está fuera del patio. Hey! The dog is outside of the yard.

Spanish Grammar Books

Here are some of the best Spanish grammar for beginners books. Whether you’re looking for grammar books for preschoolers , kids , or adults , there is a book for everyone!

Spanish Grammar for Beginners Quiz

Grammar exercises are a great way to reinforce what you’ve learned. This Spanish grammar test for beginners is an easy way to practice. Try to see if you can get all 10 questions right!

1. Gato is a…

2. ella is a…, 3. alto is an…, 5. en is a...., 6. las is an…, 7. ah is an…, 8. lentamente is an…, 9. correr is a…, 10. ciudad is a…, learn even more spanish grammar for beginners with a free class.

Now that you’ve explored Spanish grammar for beginners, it’s time to impress your language teacher! If you’re still searching for the perfect Spanish teacher, consider trying a free class with Homeschool Spanish Academy. We offer programs for students of all ages at competitive pricing . Sign up today and our certified teachers from Guatemala will have you speaking Spanish after just one class!

Ready to learn more Spanish grammar and vocabulary? Check these out!

• 25 Common Subjunctive Phrases in Spanish Conversation
• What Is an Infinitive in Spanish?
• A Complete Guide to Imperfect Conjugation for Beginners
• How to Talk About the Temperature in Spanish: Fahrenheit, Celcius, and Descriptions
• A Complete Guide to Preterite Conjugation for Beginners
• Spanish Words with Multiple Meanings in Latin America
• How Many Words Are in the Spanish Language? Really?
• Avoiding Common Errors in Spanish Grammar
• Recent Posts
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Give in the oxford spanish dictionary, give in the pons dictionary, give examples from the pons dictionary (editorially verified), monolingual examples (not verified by pons editors), translations for give in the english » spanish dictionary, i. give < pt gave, pp given> [ am ɡɪv, brit ɡɪv] vb trans.

•  Show synonyms for give.
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1.1. give (to hand) :

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1.2. give (to make a gift of) :

1.3. give (to donate) :, 1.4. give (to devote) :, 1.5. give (to sacrifice) :, 1.6. give (to administer, to serve) :, 1.7. give (to offer) :, 2.1. give (to grant) :, 2.2. give (to allow, to concede) :, 3. give (to pay, to exchange) :, 4.1. give (to cause) :, 4.2. give (to yield) :, 5.1. give (when introducing somebody) :, 5.2. give (when making a toast) :, 6.1. give (to award) :, 6.2. give sports (to adjudge) :, 6.3. give (to entrust) :, 7. give (to make a sound, a movement) :, 8.1. give (to convey) :, 8.2. give (to state) :, 9.1. give (to hold) :, 9.2. give (to stage, to perform) :, 10. give (to show, to indicate) :, 11. give (to care) inf :, ii. give < pt gave, pp given> [ am ɡɪv, brit ɡɪv] vb intr, 1.1. give (to yield under pressure) :, 1.2. give (to break, to give way) :, 2. give (to be going on) :, 3.1. give am (to surrender) :, 3.2. give am (to divulge information) :, 4. give (to make a gift) :, iii. give [ am ɡɪv, brit ɡɪv] n u, give away vb [ am ɡɪv -, brit ɡɪv -] (v + o + adv, v + adv + o).

•  Show synonyms for give away.

1.1. give away (free of charge) :

1.2. give away (present) :, 1.3. give away (as handicap) sports usu in -ing forms :, 2.1. give away (disclose) :, 2.2. give away (betray) :, 3. give away bride :, i. give in vb [ am ɡɪv -, brit ɡɪv -] (v + adv) (surrender, succumb).

•  Show synonyms for give in.

II. give in VB [ Am ɡɪv -, Brit ɡɪv -]

Give in (hand in) esp brit :, give off vb [ am ɡɪv -, brit ɡɪv -] (v + adv + o) (emit, produce).

•  Show synonyms for give off.

I. give up VB [ Am ɡɪv -, Brit ɡɪv -] give over (v + o + adv, v + adv + o)

•  Show synonyms for give up.

1. give up (renounce, cease from) :

2. give up (relinquish, hand over) :, 3. give up (surrender) :, 4. give up (disclose) :, 5. give up (devote, sacrifice) :, ii. give up vb [ am ɡɪv -, brit ɡɪv -] give over (v + adv), 1. give up (cease fighting, trying) :, 2. give up (stop doing sth ) :, iii. give up vb [ am ɡɪv -, brit ɡɪv -] give over (v + o + adv) (abandon hope for), see also give over, i. give over vb [ am ɡɪv -, brit ɡɪv -] (v + o + adv).

•  Show synonyms for give over.

1. give over (devote) :

2. give over (surrender) liter :, ii. give over vb [ am ɡɪv -, brit ɡɪv -] (v + adv), give over (desist, refrain) brit region :, i. give out vb [ am ɡɪv -, brit ɡɪv -] (v + o + adv, v + adv + o).

•  Show synonyms for give out.

1. give out (distribute) :

2. give out (make known) :, ii. give out vb [ am ɡɪv -, brit ɡɪv -] (v + adv + o), 1. give out (let out) :, 2. give out (emit) :, iii. give out vb [ am ɡɪv -, brit ɡɪv -] (v + adv), 1. give out (become exhausted) :, 2. give out (cease functioning) inf :, give back vb [ am ɡɪv -, brit ɡɪv -] (v + o + adv, v + adv + o).

•  Show synonyms for give back.

give back object/property/health/freedom :

Give onto vb [ am ɡɪv -, brit ɡɪv -] (v + prep + o).

•  Show synonyms for give onto.

give onto (overlook, give access to) esp Brit :

Give-and-take [ˌɡɪvənˈteɪk] n u.

•  Show synonyms for give-and-take.

I. give [gɪv] gave, given gave, given VB trans

1. give (offer) :, 2. give (lecture, performance) :, 3. give (organize) :, 4. give (pass on) :, ii. give [gɪv] gave, given gave, given vb intr, 2. give (stretch) :, iii. give [gɪv] gave, given gave, given n, i. give up vb trans, 1. give up (resign) :, 2. give up (quit) :, 3. give up (lose hope) :, 4. give up (stop being friendly towards) :, 5. give up (hand over) :, ii. give up vb intr, 1. give up (quit) :, 2. give up (cease trying to guess) :, give over vb intr brit inf, 1. give over (cease criticizing) :, i. give-away [ˈgɪvəweɪ] n.

•  Show synonyms for give-away.

1. give-away no pl inf (exposure) :

2. give-away (free gift) :, ii. give-away [ˈgɪvəweɪ] adj, 1. give-away (very low) :, 2. give-away (free) :, i. give in vb intr, ii. give in vb trans, 1. give in (hand in) :, 2. give in sports :, i. give out vb intr, 1. give out (run out) :, 2. give out:, ii. give out vb trans, 2. give out (announce) :, 3. give out (produce) :, 4. give out sports (disallow) :, give back vb trans, give off vb trans, give away vb trans, 1. give away (reveal) :, 2. give away (offer for free) :, 3. give away form (bride) :, give-and-take [ˌgɪvənˈteɪk] n (compromise).

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Reported Speech Spanish Guide: Examples + Verb Changes 

Reported speech is an overlooked yet crucial feature in everyday conversations. In short, it allows you to convey what someone else said adequately. Since mastering this topic can boost your fluency, in this reported speech Spanish guide, you’ll learn: 

• How to form reported speech
• Verb Changes in Indirect Speech
• Downloadable PDF

In addition to this, I’ve also included different examples of how to apply this concept in real-life situations. Let’s do this! 

What Is the Reported Speech in Spanish?

Reported speech in Spanish, also known as indirect speech, conveys what someone else said without quoting their exact words. 

Simply put, Spanish indirect speech allows you to rephrase and report what someone said. On the contrary, direct speech involves quoting the exact words a person used. For instance: 

In Spanish, decir is the most common verb to form the reported speech. However, you can also use the following verbs: 

• Aclarar : Clarify / Explain
• Afirmar : Affirm / Clair
• Anunciar : Announce
• Contar : Tell
• Explicar : Explain
• Pedir : Ask 
• Preguntar : Ask
• Prometer : Promise
• Recordar : Remember 
• Recomendar : Recommend 
• Sugerir : Suggest

Spanish indirect speech allows you to share information and someone’s thoughts or opinions with different people. As a result, it’s commonly used in news and writing environments, but also in daily conversations. 

How to form indirect speech 

To report what someone said, we use one of the previous verbs followed by que: 

[Verb] + que + [statement]

When using reported speech in Spanish you’re repeating what another person said, we must do some modifications to preserve the meaning of the original sentence. These changes include: 

• Adjust the pronouns and adjectives
• Change the verb tense (if applicable)

Take this graphic as an example: 

Spanish Reported Speech: Verb Backshifting 

When it comes to reported speech, verb conjugations are one of the major adjustments you must make. In simple words, we must change the tense of the original verb to maintain a logical sequence. In Spanish grammar , this is known as backshifting . 

To help you understand and apply backshifting in reported speech, I’ve prepared this table that compares the original tenses with their backshifted equivalents: 

We only change the tense of a verb when the original action already took place . Let me break this down for you. 

Let’s say you’re traveling and you call me today to tell me when you arrive. You’ll say: 

Llegaré a las dos.  I will arrive at two. 

But the time comes, and you’re not here. Everybody is asking me what time you’re supposed to arrive and I repeat what you said: 

Me dijo que llegaría a las 2.  He said he would arrive at 2. 

In this case, I backshifted the verb because the original action (arrival time) had already passed. The same happens with other tenses. 

However, the tense of the original statement doesn’t change when talking about facts or when the action is still relevant (it just happened). 

Take this sentence as an example: 

This example implies that I’m immediately telling you what our friend said. 

Reported Speech: Additional Spanish Resources

Transforming from direct and indirect speech requires knowledge of diverse grammatical elements. For starters, you must have a good command of Spanish pronouns so you know which pronoun to use for your sentence. 

On that same note, you should also get familiar with possessive adjectives in case you need to mention someone’s belongings. And, of course, you must be comfortable conjugating verbs in different Spanish tenses . 

Make sure you know how to form the:

• Present indicative
• Present perfect
• Present subjunctive
• Preterite tense
• Imperfect subjunctive
• Past perfect
• Imperative  
• Future simple
• Conditional tense

Download the Spanish Reported Speech PDF

Download a free PDF made for this guide including the graphics for reported speech as well as the backshifting verbs table so you can learn how to convert direct into indirect speech.

Daniela Sanchez

¡Hola! Soy Daniela Sanchez, I've been studying Spanish professionally as well as teaching it in Mexico and online for over 10 years. I’ve taught Spanish to a wide array of foreigners from many backgrounds. Over the years, I've made it my mission to work hard on refining many challenging to understand grammar topics to make my students' learning experiences easier, faster and more enjoyable. Read More About Me

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Translation of give – English-Spanish dictionary

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• Can you give any evidence to support your claim ?
• I'm never going to guess the answer if you don't give me a clue .
• The letters that people wrote after his death gave me a lot of comfort .
• A loving family environment gives children that sense of stability and permanence which they need.
• I'm a bit wary of/about giving people my address when I don't know them very well.
• The photocopier is giving me all sorts of problems .
• The noise and heat of the office was giving him a headache .
• The success of the team gave the manager great satisfaction .
• The teacher's comments gave her confidence .
• The red carpet gave the ceremony a real sense of occasion .
• To celebrate his birthday , Tony gave a party .
• The producer gave a party to thank all the people who had helped in the making of the film .
• She gave a sigh of relief as the car came to a stop .
• Just give the ends a trim , please .
• If you don't give it a go, you'll never know what you could have achieved .

Phrasal verbs

(Translation of give from the Cambridge English-Spanish Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Translation of give | GLOBAL English–Spanish Dictionary

(Translation of give from the GLOBAL English-Spanish Dictionary © 2020 K Dictionaries Ltd)

Examples of give

Translations of give.

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Word of the Day

peanut butter (= a soft food made from crushed peanuts) and jam (= a soft sweet food made from fruit and sugar), or a sandwich with these inside. PB&J is short for peanut butter and jelly.

Sitting on the fence (Newspaper idioms)

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• give (PROVIDE)
• give of your money, time, etc.
• give (something) your all
• give (CAUSE)
• give or take (sth)
• give and take
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2 Translation results for give in Spanish

Example sentences of give verb

• • Please give me your phone number.
• • Are you giving this to me or only lending it?
• • She has given money to many worthy causes.
• • They're asking people to give money for a new hospital.
• • Please give to our charity.
• • We already gave at the office.
• • It is better to give than to receive.
• • He gave me the letter.
• • He gave her his coat to hold.
• • He gave me a head start.
• • She gave him a camera for Christmas.

Synonyms of give verb

• Tenga en cuenta que la forma en el pasado es gave .
• Give up significa parar de hacer algo o renunciar. I gave up eating hamburgers when I started the diet. Give up también significa parar de intentar algo. After trying for weeks to reach an agreement, the lawyers eventually gave up.

Detailed synonyms for give verb

• Give , el término general, se puede aplicar a toda instancia de transferir algo por cualquier medio < giving money to the beggar> <gave the girl a ride on a pony> < give my love to your mother> .
• Donate connota a menudo un acto público de dar, por ejemplo, a una organización benéfica < donated a piano to the nursing home> .
• Deliver connota simplemente llevar algo a una persona o a un lugar <she delivers the mail on my street> .
• Hand over sugiere ceder control de algo <the rebels agreed to hand over their weapons> .
• Transfer connota mover algo o alguien, frecuentemente en una manera formal, de un lugar o de una persona a otra <they transferred the patient by helicopter to a different hospital> .

Synonyms of give noun

Phrasal verbs for give.

• give away - regalar (una posesión), revelar (un secreto)
• give back - devolver
• give in - rendirse,entregarse
• give off - despedir, largar
• give out - agotarse,acabarse
• give up - dejar,renunciar a, abandonar
• give up on - dar por perdido

Related phrases for give

• give someone the ax - (informal) despedir a alguien
• give it your all - (España) dar do de pecho, dar lo mejor de tí, (deporte) sudar la camiseta
• give it your best - (España) dar do de pecho, dar lo mejor de tí, (deporte) sudar la camiseta
• give (something) a shot - (figurado) intentar, probar, tratar
• give someone hell - (argot) darle caña a alguien, regañar
• give-and-take - dar y recibir, toma y daca
• give it a go - (informal) probar (algo), intentar (algo)
• give (someone) a piece of one's mind - (figurado) cantar las cuarenta (a alguien)
• give and take - (informal) dar y recibir, toma y daca
• give (someone) a hard time - (informal) hacer pasar mal (a alguien), tratar mal (a alguien), tratar duramente (a alguien)
• give someone the cold shoulder - (figurado, informal) ignorar a alguien
• give (something) a whirl - intentar hacer (algo), probar (algo)
• give (someone) a lift - llevar en coche (a alguien)
• give (someone) the once-over - echarle un vistazo (a alguien)
• I don't give a hoot - (informal) me vale un comino, me importa un pito
• give it your best shot - (informal) hacer todo lo que uno pueda, hacer todo lo que pueda

Reverse translation for give

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Spanish Grammar Lesson: Direct vs Indirect Speech

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March 25, 2017

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The difference between direct and indirect speech (also called reported speech) is pretty easy to understand.  

But it's not very easy to apply when speaking in a foreign language. It is a very important part of communicating, however, and plays an major role in most conversations.

Read on for a quick introduction and guide to direct vs indirect speech in Spanish.

So, what’s the difference?

That’s a very good question! Before we get too far ahead of ourselves with all the little technicalities, let’s make sure that we understand what we’re dealing with here.

In order to do this, take the following conversation:

Pedro: Where are you going?

Jose: To the store.

1: Will you get milk?

2: Sure, no problem.

Now, let’s say Pedro later goes on to have a conversation with someone else, about the above mentioned interaction. There are some options for how they could go about doing this. Let’s just say it looked something like this:

• Pedro: I asked Jose where he was going. He said, “to the store.” So, I asked if he would get some milk, and he said “sure, no problem.”

The above recounting of a previous event or exchange with another person is what we’re going to look at. You have two options when doing this.

The first, is by using quotation marks. This is direct speech. This means that the words are being repeated exactly like they were said.

• He said, “to the store.”
• ...and he said, “sure, no problem.”

The second way of recounting a conversation is through indirect speech. In the example above, this is done through changing the verb tense, although that isn’t always required (we will look at that more later).  

• Reported: I asked him where he was going.
• Reported: I asked if he would get some milk.

Basically, there are 3 important rules to keep in mind when using indirect (reported) speech. They are:

• You will not use quotation marks
• Since you’re not quoting, you don’t need to say word-for-word what the person said
• When reporting what someone said, you generally change the verb tense.

Reporting Verbs

There are still a few things we need to talk about before getting into everyone’s favorite part about grammar--the technicalities.

In order to identify that something is being “reported” or to communicate that you are repeating something that someone said previously, you’ll use a reporting verb. We have them in English as well. The most common are:

*Most common of the most common

“Que”--your new best friend

You’ll notice that (almost) all of the examples above in the chart using reported speech include the little word “que.” This is not a coincidence.

When speaking in reported speech you will always use the “que” (meaning “that”). Even if in English we can and would omit the “that” you still need it in Spanish.”  

“She said that she was tired.”- Here, in English the “that” is optional. This is not the case in Spanish.

“He asked that I go to the store.” (He asked me to go to the store.) - this is one of the examples where the “that” wouldn’t be use in English, but it would in Spanish.

But wait… the questions…

If you’re reporting a question, you have a few options available as they don’t always need the “que”.

Yes and No Questions.

If the answer to the question being reported can be “yes” or “no” you don’t need the “que.” In these situation we would use the “si” like in English (if).

“He asked me if I could go to the store.”- Me preguntó si iba a la tienda .

Questions with question words

If you are reporting a question that contained the question words  (where, who, when, etc.) you will not need the “que” but stick with the question word used in the original context.

• María: Where is Sara? ( ¿Dónde está Sara? )

Reported speech: Maria wanted to know where Sara was. ( María quería saber donde estaba Sara. )

Let’s get a little more technical.

We’ll try to ease you into all of this grammatical stuff. It seems like a lot to remember. But, a lot of it is very common in English as well, so try to not to get too overwhelmed!

Personal pronouns and Possessive pronouns.

Again, let’s start with an example:

• María: Can you tell my brother that I need to talk to him? ¿Puedes decirle a mi hermano que le tengo que hablar?

Here, obviously a few things need to change if you want to report this statement. For one, he’s not your brother and for another you’re not the one that needs to speak to him.

In this situation, the personal pronouns (you, I) need to change, as well as the possessive (my). Here’s how this statement would sound when repeating it later on to someone else:

• The pronouns remain the same.
• Here, you can see that the pronouns did change.

So far so good, right? It’s pretty basic stuff up to this point. Just like in English, we need to change the subject and the pronouns.

Time phrases

Obviously, more often than not, if you’re reporting something that happened it’s because the person you’re recounting the event to wasn’t there when it took place--i.e. it was in the past.

So, here’s how you would change around your time phrases so they line up with what you’re saying:

As you’ll notice above, all of the examples are written in the past. This is also something important to pay attention to, and probably one of the most important grammatical points of reported speech. So, let’s go ahead and dive right into that!

Verb tenses in indirect (reported) speech.

The tense the reporting verb is in (present, past, future) will have a big impact on the rest of the sentence. Not only will you need to pay attention to the tense, but also to what is being said.

Command/Request vs information

Depending on the context of the conversation being reported, you’ll need to use different ways of repeating it.

This is where things can start to get a little tricky. We do have similar rules in English as they do in Spanish, but in English they are a little more flexible, and followed less frequently.

Here are some good rules to keep in mind when using indirect speech in Spanish:

• If the reporting verb is in the present or present perfect tense you do not need to change the verb tense--unless it’s a command (we’ll talk more about this in a minute).
• If the reporting verb is in the preterite, imperfect, or the past perfect tense you do need to change the  verb tense.

Let’s look at a quick scenario and see what we have:

Scenario: Let’s say you’re texting with someone, and your friend (who you’re with physically) wants to know what the person texting you is saying.

Person 1: What did he say?

Person 2: He asked if we are free tonight. ( reporting information )

1: Why? What does he want?

2: He wants us to help him move. ( reporting a request )

Here, we can see that in the first part, Person 2 is simply repeating the information . He asked a question, and this is what it is. The reporting verb “want to know” is in the present, so the second verb is in the present as well.

In the second part of the exchange, the reporting verb is in the present, so in English, we keep the it in the present as well. In Spanish, however, if we are reporting a request or command , we need to use the subjunctive. In this case it will be the present subjunctive because the reporting verb is in present.

In Spanish the conversation would go like this:

Person 1: ¿Qué dijo?”

Person 2: Quiere saber si estamos libres esta noche. (present-present)

1: ¿Por qué? ¿Qué quiere?

2: Quiere que le ayudemos a hacer la mudanza. (present-present subjunctive)

Note: This change to the subjunctive only happens with certain verbs: Decir, Pedir, Querer. An easy way to remember this is if they verb will be followed by “si” or “que.”

• Quiere saber si podemos salir esta noche. (He wants to know if I can go out tonight.)
• Me pregunta si quiero quedar mañana. (He’s asking if I can meet up tomorrow.)
• Again, in this situation you’re not necessarily relaying the request or the command, but merely the information contained in the request itself.
• Me dice que tenga cuidado. (He tells me to be careful.)
• Frenando me pide que le ayude con los deberes. (Franks asks me to help with the homework.)
• Fernando me dice que tengo que ir a clase mañana.

Verb Tense Changes

So, if you feel like all of that has settled into your mind and it’s not going to explode just yet, let’s keep chugging along!

As mentioned above, if the reporting verb is in present, it will only change (to present subjunctive) if the thing being reported is a command/ request. When the reporting verb is in the past, however, the rest of the information being reported will need to change tense. Here’s how that is going to work:

Present Simple--Imperfect

• Direct speech: Angela dijo, “No puedo ir.” (Angela said, “I can’t go.”)
• Indirect/ Reported speech: Angela dijo que no podía ir. (Angela said that she couldn’t go.)

Preterite--Pluscuamperfecto (past perfect)

• Direct speech: Sergio dijo, “Ayer compré un movil nuevo.”  (Sergio said, “Yesterday I bought a new cell phone.)
• Indirect/ Reported speech: Sergio dijo que el día anterior había comprado un movil nuevo. (Sergio said that the day before he had bought a new phone.)

Future simple (will)--Conditional simple (would)

• Direct speech : Candela dijo, “Llegaré tarde.” - (Candela said, “I’ll arrive late.”)
• Indirect/ Reported speech: Candela dijo que llegaría tarde. - (Candela said that she would arrive late.)

Imperfect/Conditional/Past Perfect

With these, you will not change second verb tense. Yay!

• Direct speech: Juan dijo, “la playa era muy bonita.” (Juan said, “the beach was very pretty.”)
• Indirect/ Reported speech: Juan dijo que la playa era muy bonita . (Juan said that beach was very pretty.)

Conditional:  

• Direct speech: María dijo, “Me gustaría vivir en Nueva York.” (Maria said, “I would like to live in New York.”
• Indirect/ Reported speech: María dijo que le gustaría vivir en Nueva York. (Maria said she would like to live in New York.
• Past Perfect
• Direct speech: Mi padre me dijo, “a las 5 ya había llegado. ” (My dad told me, “at 5 I had already arrived.”)
• Indirect/ Reported speech: Mi padre me dijo que a las 5 ya había llegado . (My dad told me that a 5 he had already arrived.)

Just one more thing… I promise!

One last thing to remember, like we saw with the present tense, if the verb in the past is a reporting verb, and what is being reported is a command or request, you will use the subjunctive--past subjunctive this time!

• Direct speech: Mis padres me dijeron, “vuelve a casa a las 23.00. ” (My parents told me, “be home at 11:00pm.)
• Indirect/ Reported speech: Mis padres me dijeron que volviera a casa a las 23.00 . (My parents told me to be home by 11:00 pm.)

¡Madre Mía! That was a lot of information!

Let’s see if we can condense it down just a little bit.

Important rules to remember. If you are using reporting speech:

If you do need to change the verb tense, this is why and when:

• Commands or requests with a present tense reporting verb will take the present subjunctive conjugation in the following verb.
• Again, commands or requests with a past tense reporting verb will need to take the past subjunctive conjugation in the following verb.

If the reporting verb is in the past, these are the changes you’ll make:

• Present simple--imperfect
• Preterite-Past Perfect (Pluscuamperfecto)
• Will future--simple continual (would)

Verbs that will not change the tense of the others verbs:

• Conditional

Things to keep in mind:

• Remember your reporting verbs
• Remember to change the personal and possessive pronouns
• Remember your time phrases

In reality, it’s not as complicated as it looks. It may take a little practice to get used to, but after a while, you’ll find that is relatively similar to what we do in English. Do you have any shortcuts you use to remember the rules mentioned above? Is reported (indirect) speech something you struggle with? Let us know in the comments!

About the author 

Anastasia is a Chicago, Illinois native. She began studying Spanish over 10 years ago, and hasn’t stopped since. Living in Spain since 2012, she loves Spanish tortilla, vino tinto, and anything that contains jamón ibérico.

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Statement from President Joe   Biden on   Easter

Jill and I send our warmest wishes to Christians around the world celebrating Easter Sunday. Easter reminds us of the power of hope and the promise of Christ’s Resurrection.

As we gather with loved ones, we remember Jesus’ sacrifice. We pray for one another and cherish the blessing of the dawn of new possibilities. And with wars and conflict taking a toll on innocent lives around the world, we renew our commitment to work for peace, security, and dignity for all people.

From our family to yours, happy Easter and may God bless you.

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Here’s how voice assisted ai technology can give people a voice again.

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Dutch Whispp app user, Ruud, uses the app to speak clearly with friends.

Johns Hopkins defines stuttering as a voice speech disorder. Stuttering affects more than 80 million people worldwide, and in the United States, more than one million Americans stutter.

A voice disorder is a problem with pitch, volume, tone, and other qualities of your voice that occurs when vocal cords don't vibrate normally. There are several types of voice disorders classified as organic, which include structural and neurological (caused by a neurological disorder like Parkinson's or Alzheimer's), functional (muscle dysfunction), and psychogenic disorders.

A Dutch start-up has created an app designed to give a voice to people with voice disorders or speech disorders, such as stuttering.

Using artificial intelligence (AI), the Whispp app enables them to make understandable and relaxed phone and video calls.

"The app has a real-time assistive voice technology that converts voiceless/vocal cord-impaired speech or whispered speech (speech that does not have a clear pitch) into natural and voiced speech," said Joris Castermans, CEO of Whispp. "People who stutter severely, for example, can reduce their stuttering frequency by an average of 85% while whispering. Additionally, people who suffer from spasmodic dysphonia or recurrent respiratory papillomatosis speak much more relaxed and fluently when they whisper."

In an email interview, Castermans said the Whispp enables users to express themselves better and easier, enhancing their quality of life and allowing them to participate more fully in society.

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"Communication is a fundamental aspect of human existence that presents a daily challenge for people who suffer from a voice disability or stutter severely," said Castermans. "The inability to communicate can lead to social isolation and, in many cases, feelings of inadequacy and depression."

With their own AI models for Whispp, the AI is audio-to-audio based with no textual intermediate, so the company doesn't use language models.

"With this, Whisper converts non-voiced speech with a very low latency," said Castermans. "Whispp's AI converts every 20 milliseconds of audio into a real-time stream.

Whispp uses real-time, audio-to-audio-based assistive voice AI to create real-time speech conversion and accommodates a range of voice types — from whispers to rough esophageal speech. This allows the app to create a tailored solution for several voice conditions.

For example, Castermans says people who stutter severely speak fluently and are relaxed when they whisper. "This is because of a neurological change that occurs while they are speaking; aside from this, people who stutter severely didn't 'learn' to be anxious while whispering."

Castermans says that big tech and assistive speech tech companies predominantly focus on Automatic Speech Recognition, known as speech-to-text (STT), for non-standard speech. "This is very helpful for patients with reduced articulation (ALS, MS, stroke and Parkinson's Disease) who can use text-to-speech to synthesize their speech."

"The disadvantage of this approach, however, is the high latency of two to three seconds, which creates barriers to natural conversation," said Castermans. "As a result, current AI speech technology solutions do not provide an adequate solution for people with voice disorders who have lost their voice but still have good articulation."

The Whispp app is available on Android and IoS.

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Here’s what Trump and Biden said in their Easter messages

President Biden and former President Trump shared starkly different Easter messages Sunday.

Biden marked the holy day with a solemn message, while Trump lashed out at political opponents in an all-caps post on Truth Social.

Trump went after the prosecutors organizing criminal cases against him, reiterating claims that federal special counsel Jack Smith is “deranged,” calling Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg “lazy” and lashing out against Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.

The former president also hurled insults at the Department of Justice and “crooked Joe,” in reference to the president.

Biden, a devout Catholic, marked Easter with reminders of the story of Jesus’s sacrifice and with blessings.

“Jill and I send our warmest wishes to Christians around the world celebrating Easter Sunday. Easter reminds us of the power of hope and the promise of Christ’s Resurrection,” the president said . 

“As we gather with loved ones, we remember Jesus’s sacrifice. We pray for one another and cherish the blessing of the dawn of new possibilities,” he continued. “And with wars and conflict taking a toll on innocent lives around the world, we renew our commitment to work for peace, security, and dignity for all people.”

Trump’s political message comes after conservatives lashed out against Biden for acknowledging Transgender Day of Visibility on Sunday. Transgender Day of Visibility is marked on March 31 every year, with Biden making a proclamation to recognize the date every year. This year, out of coincidence, it aligns with Easter.

Biden’s acknowledgement of the day caused a backlash , with the Trump campaign, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and other conservatives implying that it as in some way a slight to Easter itself. 

The White House also pushed back on the criticism Saturday, noting that Biden himself is quite religious.

“As a Christian who celebrates Easter with Family, President Biden stands for bringing people together and upholding the dignity and freedoms of every American,” spokesperson Andrew Bates said in a statement to multiple outlets. 

“Sadly, it’s unsurprising politicians are seeking to divide and weaken our country with cruel, hateful, and dishonest rhetoric. President Biden will never abuse his faith for political purposes or for profit.”

The Transgender Day of Visibility was first recognized 15 years ago to celebrate transgender people and bring awareness to the discrimination they face. Easter lands on a different date each year.

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Ocasio-Cortez, in House Speech, Accuses Israel of ‘Genocide’

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez had called for a permanent cease-fire in the war between Israel and Hamas, but had resisted labeling the conflict a genocide.

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By Nicholas Fandos

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez warned on Friday that Israel’s blockade of Gaza had put the territory on the brink of severe famine, saying publicly for the first time that the nation’s wartime actions amounted to an “unfolding genocide.”

In a speech on the House floor, Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, a New York Democrat, forcefully called on President Biden to cut off U.S. military aid to Israel unless and until it begins to allow the free flow of humanitarian assistance into the Gaza Strip.

“If you want to know what an unfolding genocide looks like, open your eyes,” she said. “It looks like the forced famine of 1.1 million innocents. It looks like thousands of children eating grass as their bodies consume themselves, while trucks of food are slowed and halted just miles away.”

The comments were a sharp rhetorical escalation by Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, the de facto leader of the Democratic Party’s left wing, and they illustrated the intense pressure buffeting party officials as they grapple with how to respond to Israel’s war tactics and the deepening humanitarian crisis.

Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, defying party leaders, has been a proponent of a permanent cease-fire since Hamas’s deadly attack on Israel on Oct. 7, and has called for putting conditions on American military aid to Israel. But she had resisted describing the ensuing war, which has killed 30,000 Gazans and left the territory in ruins, as a genocide.

Israel has firmly denied that the term applies, and Ms. Ocasio-Cortez indicated in January that she was waiting for the International Court of Justice to render an opinion on a legal designation. Privately, she has expressed concerns to some allies that the highly contentious term would alienate potential supporters of a cease-fire.

Her position put Ms. Ocasio-Cortez at odds with several members of the progressive bloc she leads in the House, including Representative Cori Bush of Missouri. It also made her an unlikely target of some left-leaning activists: This month, a video went viral of protesters confronting her at a movie theater in New York City and demanding that she use the term.

Allies attributed her embrace of the term on Friday to the worsening humanitarian reality on the ground. The United Nations has warned that much of the Gaza Strip and its 2.2 million residents are now at risk of famine and has pressured Israel to let more food cross in via land.

“Honoring our alliances does not mean facilitating mass killing,” Ms. Ocasio-Cortez said on Friday. “We cannot hide from our responsibility any longer. Blocking assistance from one’s closest allies to starve a million people is not unintentional.”

The immediate reaction to her comments was muted, especially considering the gravity of her charge and how the congresswoman often inspires opposition on the right. The White House, which had been alerted beforehand about her speech, declined to comment, as did several staunch Democratic allies of Israel.

Mr. Biden and top Democratic leaders have insisted on Israel’s right to defend itself and have shown little appetite for curtailing military aid to the country. On the contrary, the administration is pushing for billions of dollars more in military assistance.

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a pro-Israel lobby that has clashed with Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, said that accusing Israel of committing genocide was an “obscene perversion of the truth.”

“It is Hamas that has a genocidal goal of destroying the Jewish people, and it is Hamas that is responsible for massive casualties by using Palestinian civilians as human shields,” Marshall Wittmann, the group’s spokesman, said in a statement that did not mention Ms. Ocasio-Cortez by name.

Some antiwar activists praised the speech, but others argued that Ms. Ocasio-Cortez was moving too belatedly.

“AOC is 30,000+ deaths too late to this,” Hafsa Halawa, a nonresident scholar at the Middle East Institute in Washington, wrote on X . “You want congressional heroes, Cori Bush is where you should look.”

The speech came at a precarious moment in the war. Officials fear the situation in Gaza could grow more dire if Israel follows through with an attack on the southern Gazan city of Rafah, where more than a million civilians have sought refuge.

The Biden administration has pushed Israel to forgo the attack. And after months of steadfast support for Israel, the president himself has become increasingly outspoken about the humanitarian crisis, introducing a U.N. Security Council resolution this week calling for “an immediate and sustained cease-fire” in Gaza.

The resolution failed, but progressives aligned with Ms. Ocasio-Cortez have taken Mr. Biden’s firmer stance as evidence that their tactics are working.

She sought to increase that pressure on Friday, speaking not through social media or a news interview but a traditional four-minute speech on the House floor.

The remarks came just after the House voted on a $1.2 trillion government funding bill that would temporarily cut off aid to the main U.N. agency that provides assistance to Palestinians. Ms. Ocasio-Cortez was among 22 Democrats to vote against the spending plan.

She began her remarks by invoking Mr. Biden’s own words from a 2011 speech when he was vice president, calling him “a decent man.” Mr. Biden said then that stopping genocides was “an achievable goal” while lamenting that too often real action came “too late, after the best and least costly opportunities to prevent them have been missed.”

Echoing those words, Ms. Ocasio-Cortez said the United States risked repeating past mistakes. She said relatively little about Israel’s bombing campaign or ground invasions, but referred specifically to a Biden administration plan to put a temporary floating pier off Gaza’s coastline to ease the transit of goods, warning it would be “too late” to stave off the worst.

“The time is now to force compliance with U.S. law and the standards of humanity,” she said, calling for the administration to “suspend the transfer of U.S. weapons to the Israeli government in order to stop and prevent further atrocity.”

“This is not just about Israel or Gaza,” Ms. Ocasio-Cortez added. “This is about us.”

Michael D. Shear contributed reporting.

Nicholas Fandos is a Times reporter covering New York politics and government. More about Nicholas Fandos

Our Coverage of the Israel-Hamas War

News and Analysis

Thousands of Israelis have taken to the streets to call for early elections to oust Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu . Many of them believe he has put his political survival  ahead of the broader interests of the Israeli people.

Israeli soldiers withdrew from Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City  after a two-week raid in which they killed around 200 Palestinians and arrested hundreds of others, the Israeli military said.

Netanyahu’s cabinet is divided about whether ultra-Orthodox Jews should retain their longstanding exemption from military service .

Internal Roil at TikTok: TikTok has been dogged for months by accusations that its app has shown a disproportionate amount of pro-Palestinian and antisemitic content to users. Some of the same tensions  have also played out inside the company.

Palestinian Detainees: Israel has imprisoned more than 9,000 Palestinians suspected of militant activity . Rights groups say that some have been abused or held without charges.

A Hostage’s Account: Amit Soussana, an Israeli lawyer, is the first former hostage to speak publicly about being sexually assaulted  during captivity in Gaza.

A Power Vacuum: Since the start of the war, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel has done little to address the power vacuum that would appear after Israeli forces leave Gaza. The risks of inaction are already apparent in Gaza City .

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