How to say hello and goodbye in Italian
Buongiorno
“Good morning”
When: Walking into any bar, shop or office before late afternoon
The moment
You step into a neighbourhood bar in Rome for a morning coffee and the barista looks up at you. You want to greet him properly, answer if he asks how you are, and say goodbye on your way out.
A1 · Unit 1 · First words
The lines
The greeting for strangers
In Italy you greet anyone behind a counter before you ask for anything, and with a stranger that greeting is "Buongiorno". It covers hello from breakfast until mid-afternoon.
Buongiorno
“Good morning”
When to use it: Walking into any bar, shop or office before late afternoon
What you’ll hear back: Buongiorno! Mi dica. (Good morning! Go ahead.)
Hi, how are you
With friends and people your own age you say "Ciao, come va?", which greets them and asks how they are in one breath. The answer stays short, never a life story.
Ciao, come va?
“Hi, how's it going?”
When to use it: With friends, classmates and anyone roughly your age
What you’ll hear back: Tutto bene, e tu? (All good, and you?)
Words for this scene
| Italian | Say it | English |
|---|---|---|
| Salve | SAHL-veh | Hi there |
Salve, cerco il museo. Hi there, I'm looking for the museum. Tip: Neutral when "ciao" feels too familiar and "buongiorno" too stiff. | ||
| Arrivederci | ar-ree-veh-DEHR-chee | Goodbye |
Grazie, arrivederci! Thanks, goodbye! Tip: Your goodbye to staff and strangers; keep "ciao" for friends. | ||
| Buonasera | bwoh-nah-SEH-rah | Good evening |
Buonasera, siamo in due. Good evening, there are two of us. Tip: Italians switch to it from about five in the afternoon. | ||
Your objective
Say hello, ask how they are, and say goodbye properly as you leave.
- a greeting
- asking how they are
- a goodbye
Lines that get it done
- Buongiorno
- Ciao, come va?
- Grazie, arrivederci! · Thanks, goodbye!
In the live scene the objective stays on screen, and the Replay afterwards says whether you got it done.
Check yourself
1. You walk into a bar in Rome at nine in the morning. What do you say to the barista?
- Buongiorno
- Buonasera
- Buonanotte
- Arrivederci
Show the answer
Buongiorno
"Buongiorno" is the greeting until mid-afternoon; "buonasera" starts around five.
2. A friend greets you with "Ciao, come va?" How do you answer?
- Tutto bene, e tu?
- Salve, come sta?
- Buonanotte.
- Arrivederci, grazie.
Show the answer
Tutto bene, e tu?
You answer in two words and bounce the question straight back with "e tu?"
3. You are walking out of a small shop where you don't know the owner. What do you say?
- Arrivederci
- Ciao ciao
- Buongiorno
- Come va?
Show the answer
Arrivederci
"Arrivederci" is the polite goodbye to strangers; "ciao" is only for people you know.