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Dicen que la trama de esta película es magistral.

Dicen que la trama de esta película es magistral.
They say that the plot of this movie is masterful.
From Lesson 418:The fact that (el hecho de que)·Spanish (Spain)

Questions & Answers about Dicen que la trama de esta película es magistral.

Why does this sentence use the indicative (es) when the current lesson is about the subjunctive?
The current lesson focuses on evaluative clauses like el hecho de que, which trigger the subjunctive because they express a subjective reaction. In contrast, dicen que (they say that) simply declares or reports information. Affirmative verbs of speech and communication (like decir) are followed by the indicative because they introduce a statement of fact or belief.
What does la trama mean beyond just "plot"?
While la trama frequently means the "plot" or "storyline" of a film or book, it is a versatile word. It can also refer to a "conspiracy" or "scheme" in a political or criminal context, or literally the "weave" or "weft" of a fabric.
Why do we use es instead of está for the word "masterful"?
We use es (from the verb ser) because being magistral (masterful) is an inherent, defining quality of the movie's plot. You use ser to describe what something fundamentally is, whereas estar is used for temporary states or results of an action.
Who exactly is "they" in dicen que?
This is the impersonal "they" in Spanish. Using the third-person plural (dicen) without a specific subject is the standard way to express "people say," "it is said," or "word on the street is."

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