ciao, buongiorno
/ˈt͡ʃa.o ˌbwɔnˈd͡ʒor.no/word by word
ciao, buongiorno is the Italian way to say "hello, good morning".
This phrase is used as a friendly greeting when meeting someone during the morning hours, typically until the early afternoon. While buongiorno is the most common way to say "good morning", combining it with ciao creates a greeting that blends casual and standard politeness.
What does it mean word for word?
The word buongiorno is a compound of buon (good) and giorno (day).
Which one should you use?
The specific combination ciao, buongiorno is a mix of casual and standard politeness. In contrast, using only buongiorno without ciao is more formal and better suited for professional settings or when speaking to strangers.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ˈtʃa.o ˌbwɔnˈdʒor.no/. The first of five syllables is stressed.
Did you know?
- The casual greeting ciao has surprisingly humble origins, as it evolved from the Venetian word for 'slave'. It originally functioned as a way to say 'I am your humble servant' to show respect.
- While buongiorno means 'good morning', it is often used as a way to say 'goodbye' when leaving a shop or office in the morning.
- While buongiorno covers the morning, Italians often switch to buon pomeriggio after lunch. Using buongiorno late in the afternoon is less common than an English speaker might expect.
Examples in context
- Buongiorno, piacere di conoscerlaGood morning, nice to meet you.
- Ciao, buongiorno a tutti!Hello, good morning to everyone!
- Ciao, buongiorno, come stai?Hello, good morning, how are you?
- Ciao, buongiorno, che bel caffè!Hello, good morning, what a nice coffee!
Example conversation
Sofia meets Francesco at a local cafe in the morning.
- SofiaCiao, buongiorno, Francesco!Hello, good morning, Francesco!
- FrancescoCiao, buongiorno, Sofia!Hello, good morning, Sofia!
- SofiaVuoi un caffè?Do you want a coffee?
- FrancescoSì, grazie mille.Yes, thank you very much.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (ciao, buongiorno) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries buongiorno, ciao, CC BY-SA 4.0.
