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Reporting Secondhand Information
Public
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October 20, 2026
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Hearsay and source phrases let you report secondhand news without presenting it as fact. One employee hears rumors about an office move from Maya and Ben. The cards move from everyday reports to stronger source claims and careful warnings.
Voca cards
1.
I've been told that
me han dicho que
I've been told that our office might move across town.
Me han dicho que quizá traslademos la oficina al otro lado de la ciudad.
Leaves the source unnamed. It does not mean the information has been checked.
2.
according to someone
según alguien
We're keeping our jobs, according to Maya.
Vamos a conservar nuestros empleos, según Maya.
'according to' names the source without showing whether you believe the information.
3.
from what I hear
por lo que he oído
The new office is smaller, from what I hear.
La nueva oficina es más pequeña, por lo que he oído.
Points to information received from others rather than something you witnessed yourself.
4.
as I understand it
según tengo entendido
Our rent is going up, as I understand it.
Nos van a subir la renta, según tengo entendido.
Presents your current understanding while leaving room for someone to correct it.
5.
from what I gather
por lo que tengo entendido, por lo que he podido averiguar
Maya hasn't seen the plans, from what I gather.
Maya no ha visto los planos, por lo que tengo entendido.
Suggests a conclusion drawn from bits of information, not necessarily one direct report.
6.
there's talk of something
se habla de algo
Ben says there's talk of a move before summer.
Ben dice que se habla de una mudanza antes del verano.
Signals discussion or speculation, not a settled plan.
7.
there's no word yet on something
todavía no hay noticias sobre algo
I told Ben there's no word yet on a moving date.
Le dije a Ben que todavía no hay noticias sobre la fecha de la mudanza.
8.
going by what someone said
por lo que dijo alguien
We're only considering a move, going by what Dana said.
Solo estamos considerando mudarnos, por lo que dijo Dana.
Bases your conclusion on someone's words, which may be incomplete or misunderstood.
9.
word has it
se dice que, se comenta que
At lunch, Maya said word has it we'll move in June.
Durante el almuerzo, Maya dijo que se comenta que nos mudaremos en junio.
Informal. Introduces circulating news without identifying a source.
10.
rumor has it
se rumora que, corre el rumor de que
Ben says rumor has it our current office will close.
Ben dice que corre el rumor de que van a cerrar nuestra oficina actual.
Explicitly marks the information as a rumor rather than an established fact.
11.
I heard it through the grapevine
me enteré por ahí, me llegó el rumor
I heard it through the grapevine, so I asked Dana about the move.
Me enteré por ahí, así que le pregunté a Dana sobre la mudanza.
Informal. The news came through a social network, not an official announcement.
12.
the word on the street is
lo que se comenta es que, se dice por ahí que
Maya says the word on the street is that we'll share space.
Maya dice que se comenta por ahí que vamos a compartir el espacio.
Informal. Refers to what people are saying generally, not necessarily literally outside.
13.
by all accounts
según todos los que han hablado del tema, por lo que dice todo el mundo
I've asked around; by all accounts, the new building needs repairs.
He preguntado por ahí y, por lo que dice todo el mundo, el edificio nuevo necesita reparaciones.
Suggests that several reports agree, not that you checked the facts yourself.
14.
it's my understanding that
tengo entendido que
I asked Dana because it's my understanding that no decision has been made.
Le pregunté a Dana porque tengo entendido que todavía no se ha tomado ninguna decisión.
Slightly more formal than 'as I understand it'; common in workplace discussions.
15.
someone is said to
se dice que alguien
Dana is said to prefer the smaller office, but she hasn't told me.
Se dice que Dana prefiere la oficina más pequeña, pero ella no me ha dicho nada.
Formal. Reports what others say without naming them or fully endorsing their claim.
16.
unconfirmed reports suggest that
según informes no confirmados
The paper says unconfirmed reports suggest that our building has been sold.
El periódico dice que, según informes no confirmados, nuestro edificio ha sido vendido.
Formal, especially in news reporting. Explicitly warns that the information has not been verified.
17.
I have it on good authority that
sé de buena fuente que
I have it on good authority that Dana is meeting the owner tomorrow.
Sé de buena fuente que Dana se va a reunir mañana con el dueño.
Claims a trustworthy source, often without naming them. It expresses confidence, not independent proof.
18.
don't quote me on this
no digas que yo te lo dije
Ben, don't quote me on this, but Dana might announce the move tomorrow.
Ben, no digas que yo te lo dije, pero puede que Dana anuncie la mudanza mañana.
Informal. Asks the listener not to name you as the source, often because the information is uncertain.
19.
if the reports are true
si los informes son ciertos
We'll need new parking passes if the reports are true, I told Maya.
Vamos a necesitar nuevos permisos de estacionamiento si los informes son ciertos, le dije a Maya.
Discusses a possible consequence without accepting the reports as fact.
20.
that's just hearsay
eso es solo un rumor, eso es de oídas
I told Ben that's just hearsay; nobody has actually spoken to the owner.
Le dije a Ben que eso es solo un rumor; en realidad, nadie ha hablado con el dueño.
Dismisses a claim as secondhand and unsupported. It does not prove the claim is false.
21.
I can't vouch for that
no puedo garantizar que sea cierto, no me consta
Maya says we'll get free parking, but I can't vouch for that.
Maya dice que tendremos estacionamiento gratis, pero no me consta.
'vouch for' means personally support the truth or reliability of something.
22.
I haven't been able to confirm that
no he podido confirmarlo
Ben thinks the move is canceled; I haven't been able to confirm that.
Ben cree que se canceló la mudanza; no he podido confirmarlo.
23.
take it with a grain of salt
tómalo con reservas, no te lo creas del todo
Maya heard we're moving Friday; I'd take it with a grain of salt.
Maya oyó que nos mudamos el viernes; yo lo tomaría con reservas.
Means to treat information with doubt, not necessarily reject it completely.