decían

Decían is a Spanish word, the imperfect indicative form of the verb decir, which means "to say" or "to tell." In the third-person plural, "decían" translates to "they said," "they were saying," or "they used to say." This tense is often used to describe past actions or states that were ongoing, habitual, or incomplete, or to recount events in a narrative.

For example, "Los niños decían que vieron un fantasma" means "The children said they saw a ghost," implying a past statement or report. Alternatively, "Antes, la gente decía que la Tierra era plana" means "Before, people used to say that the Earth was flat," indicating a past habitual belief or statement. The imperfect tense in Spanish, of which "decían" is a part, is crucial for distinguishing between completed past actions and those that were in progress or repeated.

The usage of "decían" can also convey reported speech without direct quotation. It functions similarly to "it was said" or "they claimed" in English, often introducing a rumor or a generally held opinion from the past. The context of the sentence is key to understanding the precise nuance intended by the speaker or writer.