buongiorno, come stai oggi?
The English phrase "good morning, how are you today?" is translated into Italian as buongiorno, come stai oggi?
This phrase is a polite morning greeting used to ask someone about their current well-being. The component buongiorno is used from the morning until the early afternoon.
What does it mean word for word?
The word buongiorno is a compound of buon (good) and giorno (day), literally meaning "good day".
Which one should you use?
The form come stai is used for friends, family or people you know well, whereas come sta is used for strangers or superiors.
How does it change in a sentence?
When addressing someone formally, you should use the form come sta instead of come stai.
When do people say it?
A common way to respond to this greeting is Bene, grazie. E tu? (Fine, thanks. And you?).
Did you know?
- While buongiorno is a greeting, it is also used as a way to say 'goodbye' in the morning or early afternoon when leaving a shop or office.
- In some regions of Italy, people respond to come stai? with non c'è male, which literally means 'there is no bad'.
- In Italy, a greeting like buongiorno is often accompanied by a slight nod or a handshake, but a kiss on both cheeks is typically reserved for people you already know well.
Examples in context
- Buongiorno, come stai oggi?Good morning, how are you today?
