ciao fratello
/ˈt͡ʃa.o fraˈtɛl.lo/word by word
In Italian, "hello brother" is translated as ciao fratello.
ciao fratello is an informal greeting used to address a male sibling or a close male friend.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of ciao (hello/bye) and fratello (brother).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The use of ciao makes this a highly informal greeting suitable only for friends or family.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ˈtʃa.o fraˈtɛl.lo/. It has 4 syllables, with the stress on the 1st syllable.
Did you know?
- The greeting ciao evolved from the Venetan phrase s-ciao vostro, which literally means 'I am your slave'.
- In certain Italian youth subcultures, fratello is often shortened to fratè in speech to sound more street-smart or urban.
- While ciao fratello is friendly, Italians may use fratello ironically or aggressively when confronting a stranger who has annoyed them.
Examples in context
- Ciao fratellino mio!Hello, my little brother!
- Ciao fratellino! Come stai?Hi little brother! How are you?
Example conversation
Matteo arrives at his sister's house.
- MatteoCiao fratello! Entra pure.Hello brother! Come on in.
- GiuliaGrazie, Giulia. Come va?Thanks, Giulia. How is it going?
- MatteoTutto bene, e tu?Everything is fine, and you?
- GiuliaTutto a posto, grazie.Everything is okay, thanks.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (ciao, fratello) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ciao, fratello, CC BY-SA 4.0.
