Breakdown of Siamo fermi in un ingorgo e il traffico non si muove.
essere
to be
in
in
e
and
non
not
noi
we
il traffico
the traffic
muoversi
to move
fermo
stuck
l'ingorgo
the traffic jam
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Questions & Answers about Siamo fermi in un ingorgo e il traffico non si muove.
What does siamo fermi mean, and why don’t we use ci fermiamo here?
siamo is the first-person plural of essere (“to be”) and fermi is an adjective meaning “stopped” or “motionless.” Together siamo fermi means “we are stuck” or “we’re not moving.” We don’t say ci fermiamo (“we stop ourselves”) because that implies a deliberate action, whereas siamo fermi simply describes a state we’re in (being stuck).
What is ingorgo, and why does it take un?
ingorgo means “traffic jam.” It’s a masculine noun and here it’s countable—referring to one specific jam—so we use the indefinite article un (“a traffic jam”). If it were a known or previously mentioned jam, you’d say l’ingorgo or il ingorgo (though elision makes it l’ingorgo).
Why do we say in un ingorgo instead of just un ingorgo?
Italian needs a preposition to show “being in” a place or situation. in indicates location or condition (“in a traffic jam”). Without in, the phrase would sound incomplete or incorrect: siamo fermi un ingorgo is ungrammatical.
Why is muovere used reflexively in il traffico non si muove?
In Italian the intransitive sense of “to move” is expressed by the pronominal verb muoversi. Plain muovere is transitive (“to move something”). So traffic “moves itself” (il traffico si muove) to mean “the traffic moves.” To negate, add non.
Where does non go in non si muove, and why before si?
Italian negation non normally precedes the conjugated verb (or its pronoun). With a reflexive verb like si muove, the order is non → si → muove, giving non si muove (“doesn’t move”).
How does Italian express an ongoing action like “isn’t moving” without a continuous tense?
Italian doesn’t have a separate present-continuous form. The simple present (non si muove) covers both “doesn’t move” and “isn’t moving.” Context tells you it’s happening right now.