Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ciao | /ˈt͡ʃa.o/ | |
| salve | /ˈsal.ve/ | |
| buongiorno | /ˌbwɔnˈd͡ʒor.no/ /bwonˈd͡ʒor.no/ |
|
| saluti | masculine, plural |
These terms are used to greet people, though their specific meanings and applications vary based on the time of day and your relationship with the person.
Which one should you use?
ciao is highly versatile and can mean both 'hello' and 'goodbye' in informal settings. salve acts as a neutral greeting that is more formal than ciao but less formal than buongiorno. buongiorno is a formal greeting specifically used during the morning or daytime hours.
How does it change in a sentence?
saluti is a masculine plural noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈtʃa.o/ (2 syllables, stress on the 1st syllable)
When do people say it?
While ciao is the most common casual greeting, you can also use the trendy and informal Hey among peers in younger generations. For a formal evening greeting, use buona sera to mean 'good evening'.
Did you know?
- The common casual greeting ciao actually has a much darker origin, as it is derived from the word for 'slave'.
- In Italy, the greeting buona sera is often used as early as 4 PM or 5 PM, regardless of whether the sun has actually set.
- While saluti is a form of 'hello' or 'greetings', it is most commonly used as a closing in letters or emails rather than a spoken greeting upon meeting someone.
Examples in context
- Ciao, tu sei Ana?Hello, are you Ana?This sentence shows how to use ciao to greet someone by name.Tatoeba #7796553 by Guybrush88, translation #7795992 by sharris123
- Ciao, tu sei Jose?Hello, are you Jose?Tatoeba #7909230 by Guybrush88, translation #7773695 by sharris123
- Ciao, John! Come va?Hello, John! How are you?This sentence shows how to use ciao to greet a person and ask how they are.Tatoeba #564013 by Guybrush88, translation #30307 by CN
- Buon giorno, signora RossiGood day, Mrs. Rossi
- Buona sera, dottor BianchiGood evening, Dr. Bianchi
- 183 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alessandro and Chiara meet at a cafe in the morning.
- AlessandroCiao, Chiara!Hello, Chiara!
- ChiaraCiao, Alessandro. Come stai?Hello, Alessandro. How are you?
- AlessandroBene, grazie. E tu?Fine, thanks. And you?
- ChiaraTutto bene, grazie.Everything is fine, thanks.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hello” translations and entries ciao, salve, buongiorno, saluti, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries buongiorno, ciao, salve, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
