What is the correct way of saying/writing "Even though they say that …":
Aunque dicen que …
Aunque digan que …
If the second option is the only correct translation, please explain why.
My question is based on lyrics from http://www.musica.com/letras.asp?letra=835102. I know, they use a lot of slang and the text may not be grammatically correct.
Por ejemplo, one of verses is:
Aunque digan que soy
I really don't know why they wrote this in that way.
In the lyrics the people might or might not be saying that he is a gangster. Using subjunctive keeps the uncertainty.
If they had chosen the indicative, they would be stating that the people are actually saying that already.
And, in both cases, although people say so, "I thank God for being where I am".
I agree completely with guillem.
You can think of this in the same way as when we say in English, "even though they may/might say I'm a bandit wherever I go". Just stating in generally that he realizes that people possibly think of him in this way.
This just allows for the uncertainty that guillem referred to. Just furthering his point even more, if you used "dicen", it would mean that wherever he goes, everyone actually explicitly says that he is a bandit.
Hope this helps and wasn't too redundant.
The general way to understand it is the following:
Such that aunque digan means that they may say something, they may not, but in any case (insert the rest of the sentence).
Aunque dicen says that they are indeed saying something, and even so (insert the rest of the sentence).
Aunque digan que soy un bandolero - Even if they said it [that I am bandit]...
Aunque dicen que soy un bandolero- Although they say it [that I am a bandit]...
