A sentence in oratio obliqua can be rendered by the participial constructions above described, or by a sentence beginning with ettÄ, that. In this latter case the sentence is constructed exactly as in English.

HÄn sanoi ettei se ole varma, mutta ettÄ koettaisi tiedustaa tarkemmin, he said it was not certain, but that he would endeavour to obtain more accurate information. MinÄ kysyin hÄneltÄ oliko hÄn kuullut ettÄ ystÄvÄni oli kuollut ja pyysin ettÄ hÄn kirjoittaisi, I asked him if he had heard that my friend was dead, and begged him to write.

The word muka is often used to denote that a statement rests not on the authority of the speaker but of some one else.

HÄn ei tahtonut viipyÄ: oli muka kovin vÄsyksissÄ, he did not want to wait, saying he was very tired. Luulevat hÄnen veljensÄ tulevan: hÄn oli muka kirjoittanut jollekulle, people think his brother is coming: it is said he has written to some one. HÄn eroitti palvelijansa se kun oli muka varas, he dismissed his servant because he was a thief (according to his master’s statement).