Learn Hardcore Italian: Io evito l’orario di punta e vado in bicicletta in città. - I avoid rush hour and go to the city by bicycle.

In Italian, verbs are conjugated to show the subject, so you can drop Io and still know who’s acting. Saying
• Evito l’orario di punta e vado in bicicletta in città
is perfectly normal. Including Io adds emphasis or clarity, especially if you want to contrast with someone else.

Why does evitare take a direct object here (no preposition), as in evito l’orario?

The verb evitare is transitive, so it directly governs its object. You say evito l’orario (I avoid the time). If you want to avoid doing something, you switch to evitare di + infinitive, for example:
• Evito di viaggiare di notte (I avoid traveling at night).

What does orario di punta mean?

Literally, orario means schedule/time slot, and di punta means of peak. Together, orario di punta is the standard phrase for rush hour (the busiest time of day).

Why is there a definite article l’ before orario?

Italian generally uses definite articles before time-related nouns when referring to a specific period. Here you mean “the rush hour” as a known block of time, so you say l’orario di punta rather than just orario di punta.

What does di punta literally convey?

• Di = of
• Punta = point, tip, peak
So di punta conveys “at the peak,” describing the highest-intensity time. It’s an idiomatic way to mark something as happening at its busiest or most critical moment.

Why in bicicletta instead of a bicicletta or another preposition?

When talking about means of transportation or how you move, Italian uses:
• in for vehicles with wheels: in macchina, in treno, in bicicletta
• a for animals or when literally “on” something: a cavallo (on horseback), a piedi (on foot).

Why do we say in città for “in the city”?

To indicate location inside a place, Italian normally uses in + noun for cities, regions, countries:
• in città, in Italia, in montagna.
Articles can drop after in when the noun is generic, as with città here.

What is the function of e in this sentence?

E is the coordinating conjunction meaning and, used to link two independent clauses:
• evito l’orario di punta
e
• vado in bicicletta in città.

Why is the present tense used throughout?

Italian uses the simple present to express habitual or regular actions, not just actions happening right now. Here, it implies a routine: “I (regularly) avoid rush hour and (regularly) ride my bike in the city.”