How to say hello and goodbye in Italian

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To get started and have your first basic conversations in Italian, you will need to learn your first words.

Greetings – How to say hello and goodbye in Italian
Ciao
You probably already know the word “ciao” – this greeting, “ciao”, can be used not only as “hello”, but also as “goodbye”. “Ciao” is a very informal form of greeting, but if you are in a more formal situation, it is always better to use other types of greetings, like the ones below.

Buongiorno “good morning”.
Buongiorno principessa! a well-renouned reply from the movie La vita è bella

Salve
“Salve” is a slightly more formal greeting than “ciao” but not as formal as “buongiorno”. When you meet someone for the first time, and he or she is a little older than you or you are not sure how old he or she is, it is more respectful to say “salve” than a simple “ciao”.

“Salve” is the ideal word to use when you don’t quite know what kind of formality to have with a person.

Buonasera
Don’t be surprised if you hear Italians say “buonasera” as early as 3 o’clock in the afternoon. This can also refer to afternoon/evening, although “la sera” is literally the part of the day between sunset and complete darkness.

The period between 12 noon and sunset is called “pomeriggio”. In fact, another greeting, but less used, is “buon pomeriggio”.

Arrivederci
When you want to say “goodbye” in a more formal way than “ciao”, you can use the word “arrivederci”. Of course, you don’t say “arrivederci” to a friend, but you do say “arrivederci” to a taxi driver or a shop assistant.

Una buona giornata
If you really want to make a good impression when you leave a place, such as a restaurant, you can say “una buona giornata”, i.e. “have a nice day”. You can also use the expression “una buona serata!” if it is late in the evening.

A presto
When you are talking to someone you know (or expect) you will see very soon, you can say “a presto”, i.e. “see you soon”.

A dopo
If you are sure you will see or talk to someone later in the day, the best way to say goodbye is to say “a dopo” which means “see you/talk to you later”.

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