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

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?