Italian Phrase
Un po' di traffico, come sempre.
Meaning
Literally, "A little traffic, as always." The speaker is commenting that a small amount of traffic is a regular, expected part of the day, often with a hint of resignation or humor.
When to use
Use this phrase when you want to remark on the predictable presence of traffic, especially during rush hour, after a commute, or when describing a city’s typical congestion to a friend or colleague.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Unpo'ditraffico,comesempre.
Un (indefinite article)
Masculine singular indefinite article used before a vowel; it elides to "un" before "po'".
po' (abbreviation of poco)
Shortened form of "poco" meaning "a little"; the apostrophe replaces the omitted "co".
di (preposition of quantity)
Introduces the noun that follows to express amount or quantity.
traffico (masculine noun)
Means "traffic"; takes the article "il" in the singular, but after "un po' di" the article is omitted.
come (conjunction)
Used here to mean "as" or "like" when comparing a situation to a usual one.
sempre (adverb)
Means "always"; placed after the clause it modifies.
🗨In Conversation
Un po' di traffico, come sempre.
A bit of traffic, as always.
Sì, è tipico di questa ora.
Yes, it’s typical for this time.
✕Common Mistakes
Un poco di traffico, come sempre.
In Italian the correct colloquial form is "un po' di"; "poco" does not take an apostrophe.
Un po' di traffico, sempre.
Do not translate "as always" with "come sempre" when you mean "always" in a habitual sense; use "sempre" alone or "come al solito" for the idiomatic nuance.
Un po' del traffico, come sempre.
Avoid adding an article after "un po' di"; the article is omitted because the quantity phrase already quantifies the noun.
↔Alternatives
C'è un po' di traffico, come al solito.
There's a little traffic, as usual.
Un po' di traffico, come di consueto.
A bit of traffic, as is customary.
Come sempre, c'è un po' di traffico.
As always, there's a bit of traffic.
Cultural Tip
In many Italian cities, especially Rome, Milan and Naples, traffic jams are a daily reality, particularly between 7–9 am and 5–7 pm. Italians often comment on the traffic with a resigned smile, using phrases like this to acknowledge the inconvenience while keeping the conversation light. Remember that "po'" with an apostrophe is informal; in formal writing you would write "poco".