buon pomeriggio, come stai?
The English phrase "good afternoon, how are you" is translated into Italian as buon pomeriggio, come stai?
buon pomeriggio, come stai? is used as a polite greeting during the afternoon to inquire about someone's well-being.
Which one should you use?
You can use buon pomeriggio, come va? for a more informal version meaning "good afternoon, how's it going?"
How does it change in a sentence?
When using a formal greeting, you must change the second part of the phrase from come stai? to come sta? to correctly match the formal second-person singular form.
Did you know?
- While buon pomeriggio is correct, many Italians simply use buongiorno until they sit down for lunch, and then switch to buonasera starting as early as 4 PM.
- The word pomeriggio shares an ancient DNA with the English 'PM'. Both words trace their lineage back to the Latin post merīdiem, meaning 'after noon'.
- The phrase come stai? is often accompanied by a light touch on the arm or a double cheek kiss, depending on the level of intimacy between the speakers.
Examples in context
- Ciao, buon pomeriggio, come stai?Hi, good afternoon, how are you?
Example conversation
Francesco and Giulia meet at a cafe in the afternoon.
- FrancescoCiao Giulia, buon pomeriggio, come stai?Hi Giulia, good afternoon, how are you?
- GiuliaTutto bene, grazie! E tu?Everything is good, thanks! And you?
- FrancescoSto bene, grazie mille.I am doing well, thanks a lot.
- GiuliaSono felice di sentirti.I am happy to hear that.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries come, pomeriggio, CC BY-SA 4.0.
