Avoir (conditional) dire- to look like

Question

"on aurait dit un savage" translates to it looked like a savage, but I'm unsure of the rule for that. Is there a lesson on this?

Accepted Answer

On aurait dit un savage -- one would have said a savage.
That's the literal translation. Usually, this is used as a fixed phrase and means "it looked/seemed/appeared/ like"
more.
https://french.kwiziq.com/revision/glossary/verb-tense-mood/the-french-past-conditional-le-conditionnel-passe

Answer

"On aurait dit" is a fixed expression - it seemed like/sounded like/looked like, or more directly able to be translated in some cases as 'one would have said'. The expression infers doubt - was he really a savage or not ?