Oggi vado in città in monopattino.

Today I go to the city by scooter.

Breakdown of Oggi vado in città in monopattino.

• io: I
• oggi: today
• andare: to go
• la città: the city
• in: to
• in: by
• il monopattino: the scooter

Questions & Answers about Oggi vado in città in monopattino.

Where is the subject “I”? Why isn’t it “Io vado in città in monopattino”?

Italian usually drops subject pronouns because the verb ending shows the person. Vado already means “I go/I’m going.” You can add io for emphasis or contrast: Io vado in città, tu resta a casa.

Why is the present tense vado used to mean “I’m going (today)”? Should it be andrò or sto andando?

• vado: present used for near-future plans or arrangements (very common).
• andrò: simple future, for a future plan/decision or more formal/neutral future.
• sto andando: “I’m going right now,” i.e., in progress at this moment. Examples: Oggi vado in città. / Domani andrò in città. / Sto andando in città (adesso).

Why is it in città and not a città?

Use a with city names: vado a Roma. Use in with the common noun “city/town” (città) and with countries/regions: vado in città, vado in Italia. A città is incorrect.

Do I need an article with “città”? Can I say nella città?

For the generic idea “(into) town,” say in città (no article). Use nella città when specifying a particular city or a previously mentioned one: nella città di Torino, nella città dove vivo.

Why does the sentence have in twice (in città in monopattino)? Is it the same meaning?

Same preposition, different functions:

• in città: destination (“into town”).
• in monopattino: means of transport (“by scooter”). You can also say col/with the scooter: in città col monopattino.

Is in monopattino the normal way to say “by scooter”? What about sul monopattino or a monopattino?

Yes, in monopattino is the standard transport phrase, like in macchina, in treno.

• sul monopattino = “on the scooter” (physical position), not the usual choice with andare.
• a monopattino is heard informally but is less standard than in monopattino.
  Note the exceptions: a piedi, a cavallo.

Does monopattino mean the same as “scooter” in English?

Not exactly. In Italian, scooter usually means a motor scooter/moped. Monopattino is a kick scooter or e-scooter (say monopattino elettrico to be clear). In scooter = by motor scooter; in monopattino = by (kick/electric) scooter.

Can the time word oggi move? Do I need a comma after it?

Yes, you can place it at the start or end: Oggi vado… / Vado… oggi. A comma after Oggi is usually unnecessary; you might use one only for special emphasis.

How do I pronounce the tricky parts?

• oggi: like “OH-jjee” (double “g” sound; longer/stronger).
• città: “chee-TAH,” stress on the last syllable (the accent mark shows this).
• monopattino: “mo-no-PAHT-tee-no,” with a clear double tt.

Do I always need the accent on città? How do I make it plural?

Yes, always write the accent: città (even in capitals: CITTÀ). It’s invariable: singular and plural are both città (e.g., la città, le città). Monopattino plural is monopattini.

Is col monopattino okay instead of in monopattino?

Yes. Col = con il. In monopattino is the standard transport phrasing; col monopattino can sound a bit more concrete or colloquial, but the meaning is effectively “by scooter.”

What’s the difference between in città and in centro?

• in città: into town/the city area (often said by someone outside or on the outskirts).
• in centro: to the city center/downtown.
  So you might say Vado in città for errands generally, or Vado in centro if you mean downtown specifically.

How is andare conjugated in the present? I see vado—what are the others?

Present of andare (irregular): io vado, tu vai, lui/lei va, noi andiamo, voi andate, loro vanno.