Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| buongiorno | /ˌbwɔnˈd͡ʒor.no/ /bwonˈd͡ʒor.no/ |
|
| buon giorno | /ˈbwɔn ˈd͡ʒor.no/ | alternative form |
buongiorno is the standard and most commonly used way to say good morning in Italian. It is used when seeing someone for the first time in the morning. Although it literally translates to "good day", it is the standard greeting used from sunrise until the early afternoon. You can say Buongiorno a tutti to mean "good morning, everyone" or Buongiorno a te to say "good morning to you". If you need a general greeting that works at any time of the day, including the morning, you can use Salve.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is a compound of buon (good) and giorno (day).
Which one should you use?
buongiorno is the standard spelling, while buon giorno is an alternative spelling of the same phrase.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
buongiorno is a safe default greeting as it is appropriate for both formal and informal situations. To increase formality when addressing someone, you can add signor for a man or signora for a woman after the greeting.
How does it change in a sentence?
buongiorno is a noun phrase used as an interjection and it does not change based on the gender of the person being addressed.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌbwɔnˈdʒor.no/ (3 syllables, second syllable is stressed)
Did you know?
- The word giorno shares a common ancestor with the English word 'journal', which originally referred to a daily record.
- In some formal Italian contexts, buongiorno is not just a greeting but can also be used as a polite way to say 'goodbye' when leaving a shop or office in the morning.
- If you are entering a small shop in the morning, saying Buongiorno is not just a greeting but often seen as a necessary social ritual to show respect to the shopkeeper.
Examples in context
- Buongiorno, mio dolce cane.Good morning, my sweet dog.This sentence shows how to use buongiorno when addressing a pet.Tatoeba #1802120 by Guybrush88, translation #64916 by fanty
- Tom mi diede il buongiorno.Tom said good morning to me.This sentence demonstrates using buongiorno as something that was given or said to someone.Tatoeba #2771642 by Guybrush88, translation #2643541 by CK
- Buongiorno, si accomodi pure qui.Good morning, please have a seat here.This sentence shows a polite use of buongiorno when inviting someone to sit.Tatoeba #13866073 by Nuel, translation #13866071 by Nuel
- buongiorno nonnaGood morning grandma
- buongiorno nonnoGood morning grandpa
- 23 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alessandro and Chiara meet at a coffee shop in the morning.
- AlessandroBuongiorno, Chiara!Good morning, Chiara!
- ChiaraBuongiorno, Alessandro.Good morning, Alessandro.
- AlessandroCome stai oggi?How are you today?
- ChiaraSto molto bene, grazie.I am very well, thanks.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good morning” translations and entries buongiorno, buon giorno, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries buongiorno, giorno, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
