Greetings
There are lots of situations where you could meet new Italian people. Of course, while traveling in Italy, but it is not that hard to bump onto Italians even here in the United States: on the street, on the subway, in the student lounge, or at a party.
What do you usually say when you meet someone new? First of all, you must say “hello.”
In Italy, it is important to use the correct greeting depending on who you are greeting. So, you would use a different word for greeting your friend (informal) than you would for greeting your professor, boss, or an elderly person.
Click “play” to listen to these words pronounced
| Ciao | Hi, Goodbye |
| Arrivederci | Goodbye |
| Buongiorno | Hello, Good morning, Good afternoon |
| Buonasera | Hello, Good evening |
| Buonanotte | Goodnight |
Repeat, copy and write down the words, translate, record yourself pronouncing these words. Then verify your pronunciation by clicking the microphone 
- Ciao is the most informal way to greet someone. It is appropriate for friends, family, and when you meet young people. It can be used to say both “hi” and “goodbye”
- A formal way to say “goodbye” is arrivederci
- Buongiorno and buonasera are more formal greetings and they work only when meeting someone and not when leaving someone. Both expressions combine an adjective (buono/buona) and a noun (giorno/sera). The shift from one-word to two-word are common, so the pattern buon giorno and buona sera are likewise acceptable
- Buongiorno is the equivalent of the English “good morning” and “good afternoon”
- Buonanotte translates exactly “goodnight” and it is used in both formal and informal contexts
Click “play” to listen to access Quizzes and Activities 
| Curiosity |
| 1) When greeting friends, cheek kisses are common in Italy, while handshakes are expected in more formal situations. 2) Do Italian have a specific greeting for the morning and one for the afternoon? Not really, they use the form buongiorno for both of them. 3) When do Italians start saying buonasera? Generally speaking, buonasera is used after 5:00 PM/ 6:00 PM, but the time can vary from region to region, season to season and even depending on the personal feeling of time. For example, in the Nord of Italy people, even after lunch, can start saying buonasera while in Naples or Sicily (South of Italy) people go on saying buogiorno until there is light outside. |
Extra Vocabulary
Click “play” to listen to these words pronounced.
- A più tardi and A dopo are similar to ‘See you later’; A presto means ‘See you soon’; A domani means ‘See you tomorrow’. All these expressions can be used in both formal and informal situations.
- A fra poco (See you in a bit) and Alla prossima (Until next time) can only be used in informal situations.
- Salve is a subtle form of greeting without being either too informal or too formal. To put it in the perspective of a native English speaker if ciao is like ‘hi’, salve is closer to ‘hello’. For example, when you are out walking on the street and you meet somebody you don’t know salve is a very good alternative to buongiorno and buonasera. Like ciao, salve can be used at any time of the day, but salve cannot be used when parting.
- Buona giornata (Have a nice day) and Buona serata (Have a nice evening) are used as a wish, rather than a greeting, so are mostly used as you leave.
