Italian Greetings: 10+ Ways to Say 'Hi'…

Italian Greetings: 10+ Ways to Say 'Hi' in Italy

Italians are respectful of seniors and polite in their greetings. Still, they enjoy their language and have various lovely expressions to greet people warmly.

With its melody, poetic features, and rich cultural legacy, Italian has long been regarded as one of the most beautiful languages in the world.

When in Italy, you have to pick the appropriate greeting for certain situations. If you are too casual, you risk offending the person you are chatting to. If you sound too official, people might find you unfriendly.

Here are a few ways to say ‘hi’ in Italy:

Italian Greeting	English Translation	Use
Ciao	Hi or Bye	Informal social gatherings
Salve	Hello or Greetings	Formal or Informal
Buongiorno	Good day / Good morning	Formal greeting
Buondì	Good day / Good morning	Less used formal greeting
Buon pomeriggio	Good afternoon	Less used formal greeting
Pronto	Hello	Answering the phone
Piacere di conoscerla	Nice to meet you	Formal
Lieto di conoscerti	Nice to meet you	Informal
Felice di vederti	Nice to see you	Greeting someone you’ve already met
Benvenuto	Welcome	Welcoming a guest
Mi scusi	Excuse me	A formal way to get someone’s attention
Mi chiamo …	My name is …	Introducing yourself when meeting someone new
Egregio …	Dear …	Greeting for a letter or email
Come va?	How’s it going?	Informal
Come stai?	How are you?	Informal
Ehi	Hey	Informal
Come sta?	How are you?	Formal
Ciao bella/bello	Hello beautiful	Platonic greeting
Ciao cara/caro	Hello dear	Platonic or romantic greeting
Arrivederci	Goodbye	Formal
Stammi bene	Take care	Informal
Buonanotte	Good night	Formal or informal
A presto	See you soon	Formal or informal
Bona raga	Bye guys	Informal
Addio	Farewell	Formal

Ciao

Similar to English, there are various informal greetings in Italian. The most common Italian greeting is ciao, pronounced "Chow."

Italian has a short, simple greeting and farewell known as "Ciao." Ciao is frequently used together with other words to form complete greetings. A more informal way to say "Hello, how's it going?" to someone you know is to say "Ciao, come va?" Another informal way to say "Hi, how are you?" is "Ciao, come stai."

Buongiorno

Although it is often used to say "Good day" as a formal replacement for ciao throughout the day, Buongiorno is the Italian equivalent of "good morning" in English. It can be used as a formal greeting while entering public spaces or to introduce yourself.

Buon Pomeriggio

We can change our greeting to “Buon Pomeriggio” when it's time for the afternoon. We might also keep saying “Buongiorno”, which is generally favored because it requires less work and has fewer syllables.

Salve

Salve is a courteous and friendly alternative with the benefit of being both formal and informal if you're a little bored of saying Ciao or Buongiorno all day. It’s also a good choice for situations where you are unsure of where you stand in a conversation.

The word Salve derives from the Latin verb Salvere, which also means to be in good health or to be in salutation. Actually, the verb Salutare is derived from the Italian word Salute meaning health.

Pronto

In Italian, you answer the phone by saying Pronto, which means “Ready.” It is said to have originated when calls were made via human operators.

The recipient would say Pronto and their name as well, to signify that they were on the line and "Ready" to chat once the operator connected the caller and the recipient.

Ehi

Ehi is a common informal greeting Italians use to express joyful surprise while addressing friends and relatives.

Come va?

You can say “Come va?” meaning “How’s it going” when you run into a friend, but be ready. It frequently requires a thorough response in Italian and potentially several extended minutes of storytelling over an espresso at the bar.

A Presto

It's typical to say this simple Italian goodbye that translates to "See you soon" when leaving someone. Additionally, you'll see it as a casual salutation at the end of emails. However, much like in English, it could also mean that you will soon see someone.

Stammi Bene

"Take care” has both a singular and a plural form in Italian. Therefore, you will either say "Stammi bene" to one person or "Statemi bene" to several others.

Arrivederci

Among the more difficult-to-say words on this list, but useful practice for rolling the “r.” Although the Italian phrase Arrivederci is translated as "Goodbye," it actually means "Until we see each other again." It can be used as a formal greeting when leaving.

On the other hand, you should be a little more formal than Arrivederci if you wish to bid someone farewell, let's say, an elderly person. It is advised to say Arrivederla.

Bona Raga

Bona raga is slang for "Bye, guys" (Ciao, ragazzi) in Florentine. You can use it before leaving your friends.

Addio

In movies, this one has a dramatic effect. Meaning “Farewell” in English is used as a parting greeting when you won't see someone again.

Other Italian Phrases

If you decide to visit Italy, you should know that the people are among the nicest, most conversational, and kindest in all of Europe. Here are some other phrases you can use: