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?