È tardi, dunque prendo il tram.

It’s late, so I’ll take the tram.

Breakdown of È tardi, dunque prendo il tram.

• io: I
• essere: to be
• prendere: to take
• tardi: late
• il tram: the tram
• dunque: so

Questions & Answers about È tardi, dunque prendo il tram.

What does the connector dunque do here, and how is it different from quindi, perciò, and allora?

• dunque means therefore/so, drawing a logical conclusion from what precedes. It can sound a bit formal or “reasoned.”
• Close alternatives:
  • quindi: the most neutral, everyday “so/therefore.” In this sentence it’s probably the default choice.
  • perciò: also “therefore/for this reason,” slightly more formal than quindi.
  • allora: conversational and flexible; also used as a filler “well/so.” In writing, it can feel less logical than dunque/quindi.
• In this sentence, swapping dunque with quindi or perciò barely changes the meaning; with allora it becomes more casual: È tardi, allora prendo il tram.

Is the comma before dunque required?

• Not required, but common and natural: È tardi, dunque prendo il tram.
• Without a comma is fine in informal writing: È tardi dunque prendo il tram.
• A semicolon emphasizes the logical link between two full clauses: È tardi; dunque prendo il tram.

Why is the present prendo used instead of the future prenderò?

• Italian often uses the present for near-future plans/decisions: Prendo il tram = “I’m going to take the tram (now/soon).”
• Prenderò il tram is also correct; it can feel more future-oriented, planned, or detached.
• Nuances:
  • Immediate decision: Allora prendo il tram.
  • Scheduled/arranged: Domani prendo il tram.
  • Intention about to happen: Sto per prendere il tram.

Do I need to say the subject pronoun io?

• No. Italian normally drops subject pronouns because the verb ending shows the subject: Prendo already means “I take.”
• Add io only for emphasis/contrast: Io prendo il tram (tu prendi la bici).

Why il tram and not lo tram? What’s the gender and plural of tram?

• tram is masculine: il tram.
• Use il before most consonants; lo is for words starting with s+consonant, z, ps, gn, x, y, etc. Since it’s tr-, it’s il.
• Plural: invariable loanword → i tram (not “trams,” not “trami”).

Is prendere il tram the only natural way? What about andare in tram or salire sul tram?

• prendere il tram = to take/use the tram (choosing that means of transport).
• andare in tram = to go by tram (focus on the mode of travel).
• salire sul tram = to get on the tram (the physical act of boarding).
• con il tram is understood, but for transport mode Italian prefers in: better andare in tram than andare con il tram.

How do you pronounce the sentence?

• È: [ɛ]
• tardi: [ˈtar.di]
• pause
• dunque: [ˈduŋ.kwe] (the n assimilates to a velar [ŋ] before “qu”)
• prendo: [ˈprɛn.do] (open “e”)
• il: [il]
• tram: [tram]
• Whole flow: [ɛ ˈtar.di | ˈduŋ.kwe ˈprɛn.do il tram]

What’s the difference between è and e, and which accent is correct in È?

• è (with a grave accent) = “is.” Uppercase È keeps the grave accent.
• e (no accent) = “and.”
• Don’t use é (acute) for è; acute is used in words like perché.
• Typing tips (common): on phones, long-press “e”; on Mac, Option+` then e (Shift for uppercase); on Windows, use your keyboard’s Italian layout or character map.

Can I say Sono tardi or È tardo?

• The idiomatic form is the impersonal adverbial: È tardi = “It’s late.” Don’t say Sono tardi.
• tardo is an adjective meaning “late” in contexts like tardo pomeriggio (“late afternoon”), not as a standalone predicate.
• Related expressions:
  • Faccio tardi = “I’m running late/I’ll be late.”
  • È troppo tardi = “It’s too late.”
  • Si sta facendo tardi = “It’s getting late.”

Can dunque move around? For example, Prendo dunque il tram or Dunque prendo il tram?

• Yes. All are possible with slight stylistic shifts:
  • È tardi, dunque prendo il tram. neutral/logical connector.
  • Dunque prendo il tram. draws attention to the conclusion (“So, I’ll take the tram.”).
  • Prendo dunque il tram. places the connector inside the clause; a bit more formal/rhetorical.

Could I express the cause first with siccome/poiché?

• Yes; those introduce the cause at the start:
  • Siccome è tardi, prendo il tram. (very common)
  • Poiché è tardi, prendo il tram. (more formal)
• Using perché clause-first is possible but less common in neutral prose; prefer siccome/poiché/dato che when the cause comes first.

Does the future tense ever mean something else, like probability, in sentences like this?

• Yes. In Italian the future can signal probability/guesswork:
  • Sarà tardi ≈ “It’s probably late / It must be late.”
• So be careful: Sarà tardi, prendo il tram would mean “It’s probably late, so I’ll take the tram,” not “It will be late.”