Learn Hardcore Italian: Dal palazzo si vede il tram che corre a grande velocità. - From the building you can see the tram running at great speed.

Dal is the contraction of da (“from”) + il (“the”), so Dal palazzo literally means “from the building.” Whenever da precedes il, they merge into dal (just as a + il becomes al).

What kind of si is in si vede?

This is the impersonal si (called si impersonale). It doesn’t refer to a specific subject; it turns “see” into “one sees” or “you can see,” making the observation general.

Is si vede a passive construction?

No. A true passive would use essere + past participle (e.g. è visto). Here si vede is impersonal, not passive—it means “it is seen” in the sense of “you/one can see.”

Why not say vedo instead of si vede?

You could say Dal palazzo vedo il tram… (“From the building I see the tram…”), which is a personal statement. Si vede makes it impersonal, as if stating a general fact anyone at that spot would notice.

Why is il tram masculine?

In Italian, nouns have grammatical gender. Tram happens to be masculine, so it takes the masculine singular article il.

What is the role of che in il tram che corre?

Che is a relative pronoun meaning “that.” It introduces the clause che corre a grande velocità, linking it to il tram and describing which tram we’re talking about.

Why use corre instead of a progressive form like “is running”?

Italian normally uses the simple present to indicate ongoing actions. Corre covers both “runs” and “is running.” The progressive (stare + gerund, e.g. sta correndo) exists but is less common than in English.

What does a grande velocità mean?

Literally “at great speed,” it means “very fast” or “at high speed.” It’s an adverbial phrase modifying corre.

Can I replace a grande velocità with ad alta velocità or velocemente?

Yes. Ad alta velocità is more technical (“at high speed,” often for trains), while velocemente is the regular adverb “quickly.” For example: – Il tram che corre ad alta velocità
– Il tram che corre velocemente