ciao bella
/ˈt͡ʃa.o ˈbɛl.la/word by word
The Italian phrase for "hello beautiful" is ciao bella.
ciao bella is an informal greeting used when speaking to a woman.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of ciao (hello/bye) and bella (beautiful/lovely).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
ciao bella is informal and should be used with friends, romantic partners or people you know well.
How does it change in a sentence?
To use this phrase when greeting a man, change the feminine adjective bella to the masculine bello.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ˈtʃa.o ˈbɛl.la/. It has 4 syllables, and the stress is on the 1st syllable.
Did you know?
- The word ciao actually stems from an old Venetian expression meaning 'I am your slave', a way of saying 'I am your humble servant'.
- In many Italian cities, calling a stranger bella is considered much more flirtatious or even catcalling than it might be in English.
- If you were to use the masculine version, ciao bello, you might sound more like a street vendor or a local calling out to a buddy than a lover.
Examples in context
- Ciao bella, come stai?Hello beautiful, how are you?
- Ciao bella, benvenuta!Hello beautiful, welcome!
- Ciao bella, che sorpresa!Hello beautiful, what a surprise!
Example conversation
Alessandro meets Sofia for a date at a cafe.
- SofiaCiao bella! Sei splendida.Hello beautiful! You look splendid.
- AlessandroGrazie mille, Alessandro!Thank you so much, Alessandro!
- SofiaVuoi sederti qui?Do you want to sit here?
- AlessandroSì, volentieri.Yes, I would love to.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (ciao, bella) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bella, ciao, CC BY-SA 4.0.
