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Dicen que una bruja vive cerca del cementerio viejo.

Dicen que una bruja vive cerca del cementerio viejo.
They say that a witch lives near the old cemetery.
From Lesson 245:Impersonal third-person plural (dicen que)·Spanish (Latin America)

Questions & Answers about Dicen que una bruja vive cerca del cementerio viejo.

Who exactly is "they" in Dicen que?
In Spanish, using the third-person plural verb without a subject pronoun (like ellos) is a common way to express an impersonal "they" or "people in general." Here, Dicen que translates to "It is said that" or "People say that." The specific people saying it aren't known or important.
Why do we use the indicative vive and not the subjunctive viva after Dicen que?
When verbs of communication like decir are used to report a fact, belief, or rumor, the following verb stays in the indicative mood (vive). You would only use the subjunctive if decir was used to give a command or influence behavior (like telling someone to live somewhere).
Why is it cerca del instead of cerca el?
The phrase for "near" or "close to" is cerca de. When the preposition de is immediately followed by the masculine singular article el (the), they must combine to form the mandatory contraction del.
Could I use cuentan instead of dicen here?
Yes! Cuentan que... (from contar, to tell or relate) is another very natural way to express "They say that..." or "The story goes that..." in Spanish, especially for local legends, myths, or rumors like this one.

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