Question 1

Why do we use the indicative era after se supo que? Doesn't the impersonal se sometimes trigger the subjunctive?

Accepted Answer

While some impersonal expressions do trigger the subjunctive (like se recomienda que...), se supo que declares a fact or a certainty. It means "it became known that" or "it was discovered that," which introduces a reality rather than doubt, emotion, or influence. Therefore, the indicative mood (era) is required.

Question 2

Why is supo translated as "became known" rather than "was known"?

Accepted Answer

The verb saber shifts its meaning depending on the past tense you use. In the preterite (supo), it refers to the exact moment of discovery, meaning "found out" or "learned." Combined with the impersonal se, se supo translates to "it was found out" or "it became known." To say "it was known" as an ongoing state, you would use the imperfect: se sabía.

Question 3

Why use the imperfect era instead of the preterite fue for "was not loyal"?

Accepted Answer

We use the imperfect era here to describe a background state or an ongoing characteristic in the past. The sentence emphasizes that the informant's general nature was disloyal. If you used fue, it would imply a specific, isolated act of disloyalty that had a clear beginning and end.

Question 4

If the informant were a woman, would the word change to informanta?

Accepted Answer

No, nouns ending in -ante are usually invariable, meaning the ending itself doesn't change for gender. To indicate that the informant is female, you simply change the article: la informante.

Se supo que el informante no era leal.

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