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همسایه‌ها می‌گویند او مثل یک شبح در حیاط قدم می‌زده است.

همسایه‌ها می‌گویند او مثل یک شبح در حیاط قدم می‌زده است.hamsâye-hâ miguyand u mesle yek shabah dar hayât qadam mizade ast.
The neighbors say he reportedly used to walk in the yard like a ghost.
From Lesson 381:Evidential past continuous (mi-rafte ast)·Farsi

Questions & Answers about همسایه‌ها می‌گویند او مثل یک شبح در حیاط قدم می‌زده است.

Why do we use قدم می‌زده است here instead of the standard past continuous قدم می‌زد?
Because the sentence starts with همسایه‌ها می‌گویند (The neighbors say), which tells us this is reported information or hearsay. The evidential past continuous (می‌زده است) is used to describe a continuous or habitual past action that the speaker didn't directly witness or is passing on as a report.
For compound verbs like قدم زدن (to walk), how do we form this evidential past continuous tense?
You apply the tense changes only to the verbal part of the compound. The non-verbal part (قدم) stays exactly the same. For the verbal part (زدن), you add the continuous prefix می, then the past participle زده, and finally the short copula است, resulting in قدم می‌زده است.
Is قدم می‌زده است common in everyday spoken Farsi, or does it sound formal?
In conversational Farsi, the final است (ast) is almost always dropped. A native speaker would pronounce this as قدم می‌زده (ghadam mi-zade). Seeing the full است is typical of written Farsi or formal speech, but it helps you see the underlying grammar of the evidential tense.
Does the word شبح (shabah) only mean a literal ghost, or does it have other nuances?
While شبح does mean phantom or ghost, using it in the phrase مثل یک شبح (like a ghost) is a common way to describe someone moving silently, mysteriously, or unnoticed in the shadows, perfectly fitting the eerie vibe of the neighbors' report.

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