The everyday hello in Italian is Ciao (chow), used with friends, family and anyone you speak to as tu. With strangers, or people you address formally as Lei, say Buongiorno (good day) until the afternoon and Buonasera (good evening) after it. Salve (SAHL-veh) sits in between and suits almost anyone.
- Informal hello
- Ciao!
- Polite, daytime
- Buongiorno!
- Polite, evening
- Buonasera!
- Neutral
- Salve!
- On the phone
- Pronto?
- Level
- A1
Ciao, salve or buongiorno: which hello should you use?
Italian sorts greetings by relationship more than by time of day. The first question is whether you would call the person tu (friends, family, children, other young people) or Lei (strangers, shop staff, older people, anyone in an official role). Ciao belongs to the tu side.
| Italian | Sounds like | Register | When to use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ciao! | chow | Informal | Friends, family, children, colleagues you call tu |
| Ehi! | ay | Very informal | Close friends, catching someone's eye |
| Salve! | SAHL-veh | Neutral | When you are not sure whether to use tu or Lei |
| Buongiorno! | bwon-JOR-noh | Polite | Shops, offices, neighbours, strangers, from morning to early afternoon |
| Buonasera! | bwoh-nah-SEH-rah | Polite | The same people, from late afternoon on |
| Ciao a tutti! | chow ah TOOT-tee | Informal | Hello, everyone: arriving at a group of friends |
| Pronto? | PRON-toh | Any | Answering the phone only |
In the opening chapter of a Contos A1 family comedy, a new household robot is switched on in front of the whole family and introduces itself the way any friendly Italian would:
RINA dice: "Ciao! Sono RINA. Sono qui per aiutare."How do you greet someone you address as Lei?
Ciao to a bank clerk or an elderly neighbour is not an insult, but it sounds too familiar. Use Buongiorno or Buonasera, and add a title if you know one: signora for a woman, signore (shortened to signor before a surname) for a man, dottore or dottoressa for a doctor or graduate.
Buongiorno, signora Bianchi.
Good morning, Mrs Bianchi.
Buonasera, dottore.
Good evening, doctor.
Salve, avrei una domanda.
Hello, I have a question.
Neutral and polite: good at a ticket office or an information desk.
Buongiorno a tutti!
Hello, everyone!
Walking into a meeting, a class or a waiting room.
Signore is the full word; before a name it drops the final e, so you write signor Rossi but say Buongiorno, signore to a man whose name you don't know.
How do you answer the phone in Italian?
Italians pick up with Pronto?, literally "ready?". It is only used on the phone. Once you know who is calling, switch to an ordinary greeting.
Pronto? Chi parla?
Hello? Who's speaking?
Pronto, sono Marco.
Hello, it's Marco.
Ah, ciao Giulia! Dimmi.
Oh, hi Giulia! Go ahead.
Dimmi (tell me) invites the caller to say why they rang.
How do you reply when someone says ciao?
Mirror the greeting: ciao gets ciao back, buongiorno gets buongiorno. A question often follows straight away. In chapter 2 of a Contos A1 romance, a man is sketching the old houses of a quiet Venetian neighbourhood when Giulia walks past:
Dice: "Ciao Giulia. Cerchi qualcosa?"The most common follow-up is a version of how are you, covered on how to say "How are you?" in Italian. Ciao also works when you leave, which is explained on how to say goodbye in Italian. To give your name after the greeting, see how to say "my name is" in Italian.
Read A1 Italian stories where every ciao and buongiorno is one tap from its meaning.
Read free in your browserFrequently asked questions
Is it rude to say ciao to a stranger?
Not rude, but often too familiar. With older strangers, shop staff and officials, buongiorno or buonasera is the safer choice. Among young people, and in relaxed places like a beach bar, ciao between strangers is normal.
Where does the word ciao come from?
From Venetian. It goes back to a greeting meaning "(I am) your servant", the same idea as the old English "your servant, sir". Over time it shrank to ciao and spread across Italy and beyond.
Is salve formal?
Salve is neutral. It is polite enough for a stranger and relaxed enough for a shop or an office, which makes it handy when you can't decide between tu and Lei. Some Italians find it a little impersonal, so with people you know, ciao or buongiorno feels warmer.
How do you say hello in an email in Italian?
To a friend, Ciao Luca, is fine. In a formal email, open with Gentile signora Rossi, or Gentile signor Rossi, (Dear Mrs/Mr Rossi). Buongiorno, on its own line is also common in work emails.