ils disaient

they were saying

→ il
phrase Rare #25,822
they were saying Imperfect tense of "dire". Can also mean "they used to say" depending on context.
FR: Ils disaient la même chose hier soir.
EN: They were saying the same thing last night.

Je ne comprenais pas ce qu'ils disaient.

I didn't understand what they were saying.

— Le Frère 2 (2000)

Ils disaient être des flics.

They claimed to be cops.

— Mystic River (2003)

Ils disaient qu'ils voulaient te rencontrer.

They said they wanted to meet you.

Mais ils disaient que c'était ça qu'on me demandait.

But they said that was what I was being asked for.

— Apocalypse Now (1979)

En tout cas, c'est ce qu'ils disaient.

In any case, that's what they said.

— La Famille Tenenbaum (2001)

Comme ils disaient.

As they said.

— Le Frère 2 (2000)

Ils disaient tout autre chose.

They were saying something completely different.

— L'Arche russe (2002)

Ils disaient qu'en cent ans, la jungle aurait tout recouvert.

They said that in a hundred years, the jungle would have covered everything.

— Une seconde mère (2015)

Qu'est-ce qu'ils disaient?

What were they saying?

C'est ce qu'ils disaient.

That's what they said.

Ils disaient ça?

They were saying that?

J'ai écouté mais je n'ai pas pu distinguer ce qu'ils disaient.

I listened, but I couldn't make out what they were saying.

Ils disaient qu'ils voulaient partir.

They said they wanted to leave.