disque
They Say: Disque
Disque means they say or supposedly. It passes on what other people are saying: Disque o alcalde dimitiu (they say the mayor has resigned).
How It Works
What disque does
Disque is a one-word adverb. The speaker passes on something that other people are saying, without fully vouching for it. English uses they say, supposedly or reportedly.
- Disque o alcalde dimitiu (they say the mayor has resigned).
- Disque este inverno vai ser moi frío (they say this winter is going to be very cold).
A note of doubt
Disque often shows that the speaker is not sure the report is true: Disque é o mellor restaurante da cidade, pero eu nunca comín alí.
Indicative, not subjunctive
Disque reports a statement, so the verb stays in the indicative: Disque hai un tesouro.
As a short answer
Disque can stand alone with si or non: —Vén a Sara á festa? —Disque non.
Disque and din que
You can also report with the verb dicir in the third person plural: Din que o alcalde dimitiu. See impersonal they. Disque is shorter and sounds more distant. Do not confuse it with dis que, written as two words, which means you say that.
Disque and seica
The two are close synonyms. Seica can also mark your own inference; disque points to what people are saying.
Examples (5)
- Disque o alcalde dimitiu.
They say the mayor has resigned.
- Disque este inverno vai ser moi frío.
They say this winter is going to be very cold.
- Disque é o mellor restaurante da cidade, pero eu nunca comín alí.
It is supposedly the best restaurant in the city, but I have never eaten there.
The speaker keeps some distance from the claim.
- —Vén a Sara á festa? —Disque non.
—Is Sara coming to the party? —Supposedly not.
Disque can form a short answer with non or si.
- Disque hai un tesouro enterrado baixo o castelo.
They say there is treasure buried under the castle.
Common Mistakes
Writing dis que as two words when you mean they say.
Dis que o alcalde dimitiu.Disque o alcalde dimitiu.Dis que means you say that. Disque, written as one word, means they say or supposedly.
Using the Spanish verb form dicen.
Dicen que o alcalde dimitiu.Din que o alcalde dimitiu.The Galician form is din. Disque is another way to report the same thing.
Using the subjunctive after disque.
Disque haxa un tesouro baixo o castelo.Disque hai un tesouro baixo o castelo.Disque reports a statement, so the verb stays in the indicative.
Related Patterns
- seicaApparently: Seica
A close synonym that can also mark your own inference.
Level 5 - polo vistoApparently: Polo Visto
Another way to say apparently, based on what you have seen or heard.
Level 4 - Impersonal They
Din que (they say that) reports the same kind of information with a verb.
Level 3 - dicir queReported Statements
Reports what a specific person said.
Level 3 - a xente / unImpersonal a Xente and Un
Other impersonal ways to talk about what people in general say or do.
Level 4
Words in This Pattern
Practice disque in Bubblegum
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