Breakdown of El perito dijo que era una falsificación.
ser
to be
una
a, an (feminine)
que
that / than
decir
to say, to tell
el perito
the expert appraiser
la falsificación
the forgery
Questions & Answers about El perito dijo que era una falsificación.
I usually use experto for "expert". Is perito different?
Yes! While they are similar, a perito is specifically a certified expert, appraiser, or specialist who provides technical or professional assessments, often in legal, financial, or insurance contexts. An experto is a more general term for anyone highly skilled or knowledgeable in a field.
Why is era (imperfect) used here instead of fue (preterite)?
This is standard reported speech. If the appraiser originally said, "It is a forgery" (Es una falsificación), the present tense es shifts back to the imperfect era when reported in the past (dijo que). Using fue would imply the object used to be a forgery but isn't anymore, which doesn't make logical sense.
Does dijo que ever trigger the subjunctive? Why is it indicative here?
Decir que only triggers the subjunctive when it is used to give an order or command, such as El perito dijo que saliéramos (The appraiser said that we should leave). In this sentence, the appraiser is simply stating a fact or sharing information, so we use the indicative.
How could I add a phrase like que yo sepa to this sentence to show I'm only reporting what I've heard?
You can comfortably place it at the beginning or the end to limit your claim. For example, you could say Que yo sepa, el perito dijo que era una falsificación (As far as I know, the appraiser said it was a forgery). This uses the subjunctive phrase to show you are sharing this information to the best of your current knowledge.
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