Italian Greetings
Ciao
The most basic Italian greeting is ciao (/ˈtʃao/, "chow"). It's used both to greet someone and to say goodbye.
When greeting someone:
Ciao! (Hello!)
Ciao a tutti. (Hello, everyone.)
Ciao, Licia! (Hello, Licia!)
When saying goodbye:
Ciao. (Bye.)
However, ciao is quite informal and is best avoided in formal settings or when entering a shop (although many, especially younger people, use it.) You'll generally be given some leeway as a foreign speaker if you use it in formal contexts.
Salve
A more formal greeting that’s suitable for addressing strangers or store clerks is salve (/ˈsalve/, SAHL-veh). Unlike ciao, it’s used only for greetings and not for farewells.
Salve! (Hello!)
Salve! Come posso aiutarla? (Hello! How can I help you?)
Arrivederci
A versatile goodbye suitable for both formal and informal situations is arrivederci (/arːiveˈdɛrtʃi/, ah-ree-veh-DER-chee). It comes from "a rivederci," which expresses a wish to see each other again.
Arrivederci! (Goodbye!)
Arrivederci ragazzi. (Goodbye, guys.)
This phrase can be used to bid farewell to both individuals and groups. For a strictly formal goodbye when addressing a single person, you could use arrivederla (/arːiveˈdɛrla/, ah-ree-veh-DER-lah), though this is less common.
Arrivederla, dottore. (Goodbye, doctor.)
Buongiorno
Buongiorno (/bwɔnˈdʒorno/, bwon-JOR-noh) or buon giorno is a formal, time-specific greeting. It’s typically used from early morning until around noon, though some people extend it into the early afternoon.
It's formal, so it’s perfectly suitable when entering a store, greeting a stranger, or addressing a teacher.
Buongiorno! (Good morning!)
Buongiorno, professore. (Good morning, professor.)
Buongiorno a tutti. (Good morning, everyone.)
When saying goodbye, you can use buona giornata (/ˈbwɔna dʒorˈnaːta/, BWOH-nah jor-NAH-tah) to wish someone a pleasant day.
Buon pomeriggio
Buon pomeriggio (/bwɔn pomeˈriddʒo/, bwon poh-meh-REED-joh) is a formal greeting generally used between noon and 5 PM. It’s the Italian equivalent of "good afternoon," but it’s far less common than buongiorno (good morning) and buonasera (good evening).
In practice, many people continue to use buongiorno until early afternoon and then switch to buonasera, often skipping buon pomeriggio altogether.
Buonasera
Buonasera (/bwɔnaˈseːra/, bwon-ah-SEH-rah) is a formal greeting used from late afternoon (around 4-5 PM) until late in the evening.
It can be used both as a greeting and as a way to say goodbye. However, if you’re saying goodbye and want to wish someone a pleasant rest of their evening, you’d prefer buona serata (/ˈbwɔna seˈraːta/, BWOH-nah seh-RAH-tah).
Buona notte
Buona notte (/ˈbwɔna ˈnɔtte/, BWOH-nah NOT-teh) is a farewell used in both formal and informal contexts. It’s commonly used among friends as well.
You’d typically use buona notte later in the evening (around 10 PM onwards), after buona serata no longer feels appropriate.
A presto
A presto (/a ˈprɛsto/, ah PREH-stoh) is an informal farewell meaning “see you soon.” It’s commonly used when parting ways with the expectation of meeting again, though the exact time is unspecified.
Alla prossima
Alla prossima (/ˈalla ˈprɔssima/, AHL-lah PROS-see-mah) is another informal goodbye, translating to “till next time.”
A domani
A domani (/a doˈmaːni/, ah doh-MAH-nee) translates to “see you tomorrow.” It’s a neutral farewell that you can use in both formal and informal contexts, though it’s slightly more informal sounding.
Ci vediamo
Ci vediamo (/tʃi veˈdjaːmo/, chee veh-DYAH-moh) is an informal way of saying goodbye that translates literally to “we’ll see each other.” The English equivalent would be “See you.”
Pronto
Pronto (/ˈpronto/, PRON-toh) means “ready,” but as a greeting, it’s used exclusively when answering the phone.
Pronto? (Hello?)
Pronto. Parlo con Antonio? (Hello. Am I speaking with Antonio?)
Conclusion
In Italian, greetings and farewells reflect the level of formality, context, and time of the day. While ciao is friendly and widely used, more formal settings require expressions like salve. Time-specific greetings such as buongiorno and buonasera convey politeness and respect, while pronto serves a unique function over the phone. Master these as you’ll be using them all the time. Italians are, after all, a very social bunch.
Exercises
Fill in the blanks with the correct greeting or farewell:
You enter a shop at 9 AM: ________
Saying goodbye to a friend you'll see tomorrow: ________
Answering the phone: ________
Bidding farewell to your professor: ________
Match the Italian expression to their English meanings:
A presto
Buona serata
Alla prossima
Arrivederci
Buonasera
Pronto
a) Till next time
b) See you soon
c) Good evening (farewell)
d) Goodbye
e) Hello (on the phone)
f) Good evening (greeting)True or False:
"Salve" can be used to say goodbye.
Nobody uses "Buongiorno" after noon.
"Pronto" is a greeting used only on the phone.
Answer Key
Exercise 1
a) You enter a shop at 9 AM: Salve or Buongiorno.
b) Saying goodbye to a friend you'll see tomorrow: A domani.
c) Answering the phone: Pronto.
d) Bidding farewell to your professor: Arrivederla or Arrivederci.
Exercise 2
A presto — b) See you soon
Buona serata — c) Good evening (farewell)
Alla prossima — a) Till next time
Arrivederci — d) Goodbye
Buonasera — f) Good evening (greeting)
Pronto — e) Hello (on the phone)
Exercise 3
a) "Salve" can be used to say goodbye. — False.
b) Nobody uses "Buongiorno" after noon. — False.
c) "Pronto" is a greeting used only on the phone. — True.