Breakdown of In metropolitana si viaggia velocemente.
in
in
viaggiare
to travel
velocemente
quickly
si
one
la metropolitana
the subway
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Questions & Answers about In metropolitana si viaggia velocemente.
Why is there no article before metropolitana?
Because when talking about traveling by a means of transportation in a general sense, Italian uses in + vehicle without an article: in metropolitana, in treno, in macchina. If you refer to a specific vehicle, you would include an article (e.g., nel treno delle 8, nella metropolitana rossa).
Why do we use in here instead of con or per?
The preposition in is the standard way to indicate the mode of transport: “by subway.” Although con la metropolitana is also possible, in metropolitana is the most idiomatic for a general statement about using the subway.
What is the function of si in this sentence?
This si is the impersonal si, used to express general actions (equivalent to “one” or “people” in English). It turns the sentence into a statement about how people travel rather than about a specific person.
Why is viaggia in the third person singular?
With the impersonal si, the verb must always be in the third person singular (never plural). Hence si viaggia, not si viaggiano.
What part of speech is velocemente, and why can’t we use veloce instead?
velocemente is an adverb formed from the adjective veloce by adding -mente. Adjectives (like veloce) modify nouns, while adverbs (like velocemente) modify verbs.
Are there other ways to express velocemente?
Yes. You could use rapidamente, di fretta, or a phrase like a grande velocità to convey the same idea of moving quickly.
Can we move velocemente to a different position in the sentence?
Italian adverbs are flexible. The most neutral spot is after the verb (si viaggia velocemente), but you could emphasize speed by starting with the adverb: Velocemente si viaggia in metropolitana.
Could we say In metropolitana si va velocemente instead?
Absolutely. In metropolitana si va velocemente uses andare (“to go”) instead of viaggiare (“to travel”) and communicates essentially the same idea.