Nice to meet you in Italian is Piacere! (pyah-CHEH-reh), usually said with a handshake and your own name: Piacere, Marco. One word covers every situation. The full forms are Piacere di conoscerti with tu and Piacere di conoscerLa with Lei. Reply with Piacere! back or Piacere mio, the pleasure is mine.
- Nice to meet you
- Piacere!
- Informal, full
- Piacere di conoscerti
- Formal, full
- Piacere di conoscerLa
- Reply
- Piacere mio
- Level
- A1
Which nice to meet you fits the situation?
Piacere means pleasure, and on its own it is neither curt nor casual: it is what Italians actually say, from a dinner party to a job interview. The longer versions are for when you want a little more warmth or formality.
| Italian | Literally | Register |
|---|---|---|
| Piacere! | Pleasure! | Any; the usual one |
| Piacere, Emma. | Pleasure, Emma. | Any; said while shaking hands |
| Molto piacere. | Great pleasure. | Polite, a little warmer |
| Piacere di conoscerti. | Pleasure to know you. | Informal, tu |
| Piacere di conoscerLa. | Pleasure to know you. | Formal, Lei |
| Piacere di conoscervi. | Pleasure to know you all. | A group |
| Molto lieto. / Molto lieta. | Very glad. | Formal; lieto if you are a man, lieta if you are a woman |
| Piacere mio. | The pleasure is mine. | The reply |
The capital L in conoscerLa is a written courtesy for the formal you. It is optional in modern writing and sounds exactly the same.
Why does Italian say conoscere, not incontrare?
Conoscere means to know, and in the past tense it means to meet someone for the first time. Incontrare is for bumping into or meeting up with someone you already know. So the first meeting is always conoscere.
Ho conosciuto Giulia a una festa.
I met Giulia at a party.
The first time.
Ho incontrato Giulia al mercato.
I ran into Giulia at the market.
Ti presento mia sorella.
This is my sister.
Introducing someone, tu
Le presento mio marito.
May I introduce my husband?
Introducing someone, Lei
Vi conoscete?
Do you two know each other?
In a Contos A1 romcom, a text sent to the wrong number turns into an engagement party, and the groom's mother finally meets the "bride" she has never seen:
Finalmente conosco la futura sposa!What do you say when you leave someone you have just met?
Switch to the past: it was a pleasure. Then add a hope of seeing them again.
È stato un piacere.
It was a pleasure.
È stato un piacere conoscerti.
It was nice meeting you.
tu
È stato un piacere conoscerLa.
It was nice meeting you.
Lei
Spero di rivederti presto.
I hope to see you again soon.
Alla prossima!
Until next time!
Avoid a word-for-word bello incontrarti. Che bello vederti! (lovely to see you) is for people you already know, which makes it a good greeting the second time round. For more ways to part, see how to say see you later in Italian.
Read A Promise by Mistake, an A1 Italian romcom about a proposal sent to the wrong Marco.
Read free in your browserFrequently asked questions
How do you pronounce piacere?
Say "pyah-CHEH-reh". The c before e is the ch of "cheese", the stress falls on the second-last syllable, and the final e is short and clear.
Is piacere the same word as mi piace?
Yes. Piacere is the verb to please, as in mi piace (I like it, literally it pleases me), and also the noun pleasure. When you meet someone, you are using the noun.
Should a woman say lieto or lieta?
Lieta. The adjective describes the speaker, so a woman says molto lieta and a man says molto lieto, whoever they are talking to.
Do Italians still say incantato?
Rarely. Incantato or incantata (charmed) sounds old-fashioned or theatrical today. Piacere or molto lieto is the safe choice.