French Phrase
Des fois, c'est plus rapide d'y aller à pied.
Meaning
The sentence means “Sometimes, it’s faster to go there on foot.” It compares walking with other possible ways of getting to a place, emphasizing speed in an informal tone.
When to use
Use this phrase in casual conversation when you’re discussing how to get somewhere—especially when you want to suggest walking as the quickest option, like when the bus is late or the distance is short.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Desfois,c'estplusrapided'yalleràpied.
Des fois
An informal way to say “sometimes”. It’s more colloquial than “parfois”.
c'est
Contraction of “cela est”. Used to introduce a statement about something previously mentioned.
plus rapide
Comparative adjective meaning “faster”. After “c’est”, the adjective must agree in gender and number with the implied subject.
d'y
Contraction of the preposition “de” + pronoun “y”, referring to a place already mentioned.
aller à pied
Literal expression for “to go on foot”. It’s the standard way to talk about walking as a mode of transport.
🗨In Conversation
Des fois, c'est plus rapide d'y aller à pied.
Sometimes, it's faster to go there on foot.
Oui, surtout quand le métro est bondé.
Yes, especially when the metro is crowded.
✕Common Mistakes
Des fois, c'est plus vite d'y aller à pied.
After “c’est”, you need an adjective (rapide), not the adverb “vite”.
Des fois, c'est plus rapide d'y aller à pied.
In formal contexts, replace with “Parfois”.
Des fois, c'est plus rapide de y aller à pied.
The preposition and pronoun must be contracted to “d’y”.
↔Alternatives
Parfois, il est plus rapide d'y aller à pied.
Sometimes, it is faster to go there on foot.
Il arrive plus vite d'y aller à pied parfois.
It turns out faster to go there on foot sometimes.
Des fois, marcher est plus rapide.
Sometimes, walking is faster.
Cultural Tip
In French, “à pied” is the go‑to expression for walking, and it’s perfectly natural to pair it with a comparative like “plus rapide”. The pronoun “y” replaces a previously mentioned location, so make sure the place has already been introduced in the conversation. “Des fois” is colloquial; in formal writing you’d prefer “parfois”.