We use direct speech when we want to reproduce exactly the words of a person. We keep their words, their tone and often their visible intention: anger, surprise, hesitation, humor. In a conversation, this allows a precise voice to be heard rather than reformulated. It is often used in narratives, interviews, reports and dialogues. The reader then understands that this is not a summary, but a reported speech as it was spoken. For the difference with the Indirect Speech, the choice is simple: direct speech shows the words, indirect speech transforms them into reported content.

The sentence that introduces a quote often starts with a speech verb. Dire is used for neutral speech: Il dit: « I’m coming ». Demander introduces a question: Elle demande: « Are you ready? ». Répondre shows a reaction to previous words: Il répond: « I don’t know ». Ajouter signals that another idea is added to what has just been said: Elle ajoute: « And I’m leaving tomorrow ». Annoncer is appropriate when presenting new information, often officially or clearly: Le maire annonce: « The bridge will close on Monday ». The introductory verb fixes the relationship between the voice speaking and the quotation that follows.

ajouterrépondreexpliquers exclamerannoncercrierdemandermurmurerconfierdire

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Indique que quelqu un réagit à une paroleSert à montrer que quelqu un rend une idée claireMarque que la parole est dite avec forte intensitéIndique qu on dit quelque chose de personnel ou discretExprime de façon neutre que quelqu un prononce des motsSert à montrer que quelqu un pose une questionMontre que la parole est dite avec très peu de voixExprime que quelqu un parle avec surprise ou émotionSignale que quelqu un fait connaître une nouvelleMontre que quelqu un ajoute une idée après avoir parlé

Verbs of speech to directly quote

Word	Definition
dire	Expresses in a neutral way that someone pronounces words.
demander	Used to show that someone asks a question.
répondre	Indicates that someone responds to a spoken remark.
ajouter	Shows that someone adds an idea after speaking.
annoncer	Signals that someone makes news known.
crier	Marks that the speech is spoken with strong intensity.
murmurer	Shows that the speech is spoken with very little voice.
s exclamer	Expresses that someone speaks with surprise or emotion.
expliquer	Used to show that someone makes an idea clear.
confier	Indicates that one says something personal or discreet.

Scramble

In writing, direct speech is generally announced by a colon, then enclosed in quotation marks. We write: Il murmure: « I am tired ». The colon prepares the quotation, and the quotation marks signal that the words belong to someone else. When the quotation is long or dialogued, dashes may replace quotation marks in certain texts, especially in narratives and plays: — I’m back. — Already? Punctuation belongs to the quotation itself, so the period, comma, question mark or exclamation mark are placed inside the marks that enclose the spoken words. For general punctuation in French, see also Punctuation.

Written marks for direct speech

Idea
Two points are often used before the quoted speech when a sentence introduces it.
Guillemots are often placed around quoted words in writing.
A dash can be used in dialogue to show a change of speaker.
The introductory sentence precedes the quotation when it presents the speech.
The quotation preserves its form in writing when taken word for word.

A quoted question retains its interrogative form. We therefore keep the order and the question mark: Elle demande: « Tu viens ? ». A quoted exclamation also keeps its energy and exclamation point: Il crie: « Attention ! ». The introductory word helps to understand the type of utterance, but the quotation retains its own punctuation. If the quoted sentence begins with an interrogative word, such as où, quand, pourquoi, that word remains at the beginning of the question: Il demande: « Pourquoi tu pars ? ». For an exclamation, we keep the expressive momentum of the original speech: Elle s’écrie: « Quelle surprise ! ». Direct speech thus allows showing the exact form of a question or an emotion.

Punctuation of quoted speech

Usage	Explanation
Direct quoted question	The question mark is kept inside the quotation when the posed sentence is a question.
Direct quoted exclamation	The exclamation point is kept when the quoted speech expresses a strong emotion.
Question with introductory verb	The introductory verb indicates that a question is reported without changing its interrogative form.
Exclamation with introductory verb	The introductory verb shows the emotion, and the quotation keeps its lively tone.
Surprised tone quoted	A quotation can be reported with a very noticeable tone of surprise.

In speech, direct speech is recognized without quotation marks thanks to voice, pauses and context. A person may say: Il m’a dit il faut partir maintenant, and the intonation or situation may be enough to imply that the words are reported. In writing, this same speech must be marked more clearly, especially in a careful text: quotation marks, colon and dashes avoid any ambiguity. In a narrative style, we often encounter a more literary presentation, with short lines of dialogue and shifts in line. In a report, direct quotation may appear in a simpler, more sober manner, especially when one wants to preserve an exact formula. The choice depends on the medium, not the meaning of the reported speech. In a more formal text, direct speech can also be used to give a precise statement, useful to later compare with the Indirect Speech.

style de dialogue écritintonation de reprisecitation intégrée au récitsans guillemets à l oral

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À l oral, le discours direct est souvent compris sans marques typographiques grâce à la voix et au contexteLe discours direct peut être glissé dans le récit avec une transition très soupleDans certains textes, le dialogue peut être présenté avec des marques d échange très visibles pour suivre les voixÀ l oral, on comprend souvent qui parle grâce à l intonation et au contexte partagé

Presence of direct discourse depending on context

Region	Variant	Definition	Example
France	sans guillemets à l oral	In speech, direct discourse is often understood without typographic marks thanks to voice and context.	Il a dit Je prends la fusée en riant.He said I take the rocket while laughing.
Belgium	style de dialogue écrit	In some texts, dialogue may be presented with very visible exchange marks to follow the voices.	Je viens avec le canard a répondu Zoé.I come with the duck answered Zoé.
Switzerland	citation intégrée au récit	Direct discourse can be slipped into the narrative with a very smooth transition.	Marc a soufflé Le gâteau bouge puis il a reculé.Marc whispered The cake moves then stepped back.
Morocco	intonation de reprise	In speech, one often understands who is speaking thanks to intonation and shared context.	Elle a lancé Encore une chaise en chocolat devant tout le monde.She launched Another chocolate chair in front of everyone.

Scramble

A word-for-word quotation takes the words as they were spoken. A summary only keeps the general idea. The quotation respects the vocabulary, the order and sometimes even hesitations: Elle a dit: « Je ne peux pas venir ce soir ». The summary simplifies: Elle a dit qu’elle ne pouvait pas venir. The quotation is longer and more vivid; the summary is shorter and more synthetic. The choice also changes the relationship to the text: the quotation puts the speaker’s voice at the forefront, while the summary lets the narrator reformulate. In an article, a testimony or a scene from a novel, quoting exactly can give weight to a precise formulation, while a summary serves to go faster and condense information.

Difference between quoting and summarizing

Idea
An exact quotation repeats the words as they were said.
A summary keeps only the general idea.
The exact quotation preserves the original tone of the speech.
The summary may change words without changing the main meaning.
The exact quotation is often longer than a summary.