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Ouvi dizer que o restaurante fechou.

Ouvi dizer que o restaurante fechou.
I heard that the restaurant closed.
From Lesson 349:Gerir a conversa (quer dizer, tanto faz)·Portuguese (Portugal)

Questions & Answers about Ouvi dizer que o restaurante fechou.

Why is it ouvi dizer que instead of just ouvi que?
In Portuguese, ouvir dizer que literally translates to "to hear say that," but it is the standard idiom for "I heard that..." when referring to rumors, news, or information passed along by others. If you just said ouvi que, it sounds like you physically heard the sound of the restaurant closing, rather than finding out the information.
Why is fechou in the indicative mood rather than the subjunctive?
The phrase ouvi dizer que introduces a statement of fact or a report about the past. Because it declares what you learned as a piece of information, it triggers the indicative mood (fechou) rather than the subjunctive, which is reserved for expressions of doubt, emotion, or uncertainty.
What is the difference between ouvi dizer que and ouvi falar de?
Ouvi dizer que is followed by a full clause with a conjugated verb, meaning "I heard that...". On the other hand, ouvi falar de is followed by a noun and means "I heard of" or "I heard about". If you wanted to say "I heard about the restaurant," you would say Ouvi falar do restaurante.
Does the verb dizer ever change its conjugation in this expression?
No, dizer remains in its uninflected infinitive form. The structure is always the conjugated form of ouvir followed by dizer. The verb ouvir changes to show who heard the news (in this case, ouvi for "I heard"), while dizer stays exactly as it is.

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