Evidential Adverbs: por lo visto
When discussing unconfirmed information, rumors, or deductions—like scientific mysteries—you can use evidential adverbs to distance yourself from the claim. Por lo visto translates to "apparently" or "by the looks of it". It shows that you are basing your statement on hearsay or visual evidence rather than absolute fact.
| Apparently, inexplicable noises are heard in the forest. | Por lo visto, se oyen ruidos inexplicables en el bosque. |
| Apparently, ghost sightings are common there. | Por lo visto, los avistamientos de fantasmas son habituales allí. |
Hearsay and Deduction: al parecer
Another common evidential phrase is al parecer ("apparently" or "seemingly"). You use it just like por lo visto to report unverified information or theories, such as paranormal activity or unexplained discoveries.
| Apparently, the UFO sighting is true. | Al parecer, el avistamiento del ovni es cierto. |
| Apparently, they have hidden the discovery of the fossil. | Al parecer, han ocultado el hallazgo del fósil. |
Placement in the Sentence
These phrases are highly flexible. While they are most often placed at the beginning of a sentence and followed by a comma, you can also place them at the very end of the sentence to frame your deduction as a concluding thought.
| The mystery of the pyramid is not resolved, apparently. | El misterio de la pirámide no está resuelto, por lo visto. |
| Aliens communicate by telepathy, apparently. | Los extraterrestres se comunican por telepatía, al parecer. |
