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I pedoni camminano sul marciapiede.

I pedoni camminano sul marciapiede.
Pedestrians walk on the sidewalk.
From Lesson 141:Impersonal necessity (bisogna)·Italian

Questions & Answers about I pedoni camminano sul marciapiede.

Why do we use sul here instead of just su?
In Italian, prepositions like su (on) combine with the definite article that follows them. Because "sidewalk" is masculine (il marciapiede), you combine su and il to make the combined word sul (on the).
Marciapiede ends in -e. How do I know it is a masculine noun?
Nouns ending in -e can be masculine or feminine. However, marciapiede is a compound word made from marcia (march) and piede (foot). Because piede is masculine (il piede), the whole combined word is masculine.
What is the singular form of i pedoni?
The singular is il pedone (the pedestrian). It is a masculine noun that ends in -e in the singular and predictably changes to -i in the plural, just like marciapiede would become i marciapiedi.
How would I use the new lesson word bisogna to say "One must walk on the sidewalk"?
You would drop the specific subject and say Bisogna camminare sul marciapiede. Remember that bisogna (it is necessary / one must) is an impersonal expression, so it doesn't take a specific subject like "pedestrians" and is always followed by an infinitive verb like camminare (to walk).

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