Phrase · 🪶 Hedging and softening
Por lo visto, nadie sabía nada del cambio.
Apparently, nobody knew anything about the change.
C1reporting hearsayAudio · coming soon
Why every word is where it is
Porprepositionfor, by, through, because oflodeterminerthe (neuter)el · definitevisto1verbseen; (por lo visto) apparentlyver · participle · masc. · sing.,nadiepronounnobodysabía2verbknewsaber · imperfect · 3rd sing.nada3pronounnothingdelprepositionof the, from thedecambionounchangemasc. · sing..
- sabía → nadie: subject
- nadie → nada: double negation
Why it's built this way
The notes match the numbers above.
- 1Por lo visto = apparently: you pass on what you heard without vouching for it.
- 2Imperfect: the background state of not knowing. Imperfect: forms and uses →
- 3After nadie, Spanish keeps nada: double negation is normal. Indefinites and double negation →