Spanish · C1 · Family moment
What They Say About Your Care in Spanish
At a C1 level, expressing indirect speech requires precision. When reporting what caregivers do for your child, Spanish uses the 'subjunctive of reporting' or the 'passive voice' to distance the speaker from the original statement. This guide focuses on reporting ongoing care processes (passive) versus intended future actions, ensuring you can relay information from others without presenting it as your own observation.
What you'll learn
- Master reported speech using the passive voice (ser + participle) in the subjunctive mood.
- Differentiate between reported ongoing processes and reported future intentions.
- Maintain a gentle, informative tone when relaying care details from third parties.
- Use 'dice que' structures effectively to report routines versus one-time actions.
Spanish phrases for what they say about your care
Tu cuidador dice que tu leche sea calentada suavemente, pequeño.
Your carer says your milk is warmed gently, little one.
Uses 'sea calentada' to report a passive process in indirect speech.
Papá dice que tu pañal sea revisado antes de cada siesta.
Daddy says your nappy is checked before every nap.
Reports a routine process using the passive subjunctive to indicate reported information.
Abuela dice que tu manta sea lavada con un detergente suave.
Grandma says your blanket is washed with a mild detergent.
Standard passive reported speech for a specific care procedure.
Tu cuidador dice que seas mecido suavemente cuando necesites consuelo.
Your carer says you are rocked gently when you need comfort.
Note the use of 'seas mecido' applying the passive voice directly to the subject 'you'.
Abuelo dice que tu cuchara sea enjuagada después de cada comida.
Grandpa says your spoon is rinsed after every meal.
Reports a hygienic routine.
Papá dice que calentará tu leche en un momento.
Daddy says he will warm your milk in a moment.
Contrast: This is an active future intention, not a passive process.
Abuela dice que lavará tu manta hoy.
Grandma says she will wash your blanket today.
Focuses on the future action of the caregiver.
Tu cuidador dice que seas abrazado cada vez que lo necesites; también dice que te cantará más tarde.
Your carer says you are cuddled whenever you need it; she also says she will sing to you later.
Combines a reported passive process ('seas abrazado') with a reported future action ('cantará').
Hear these phrases and practise them
Tildi plays every phrase out loud, tests you in five-minute lessons and builds them into bedtime stories from your own picture books.
Try it free for 7 daysKey words
Cuidador/a
Carer / Caregiver
A neutral term for anyone looking after the child.
Enjuagar
To rinse
Commonly used for cleaning utensils or bottles quickly.
Detergente suave
Mild detergent
Essential for baby-safe laundry contexts.
Mecer
To rock
Specifically used for the gentle swaying motion to soothe a baby.
Reported Passive Processes (Present Subjunctive)
To report that an action is being performed on the baby or their belongings by someone else (Indirect Speech), Spanish often uses 'dice que' followed by the Subjunctive Passive (ser + past participle). This signals that you are relaying someone else's statement about a process.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Process | sea + participio | La leche sea calentada. |
| Direct Address | seas + participio | Seas mecido con cuidado. |
Passive Process vs. Future Action
It is vital to distinguish between a reported ongoing routine (passive) and a reported future promise (active).
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Reported Process | Dice que + Subjunctive Passive | Dice que la ropa sea lavada (He says the clothes are [routinely] washed). |
| Reported Future | Dice que + Future Indicative | Dice que lavará la ropa (He says he will wash the clothes [later]). |
More examples
El informe dice que el bebé sea alimentado a demanda.
The report says the baby is fed on demand.
Reporting a policy or routine care instruction.
Dice que sepas que el biberón sea esterilizado siempre.
He says [for you] to know the bottle is always sterilized.
C1 level layering of reporting verbs.