Gentile Signor Rossi
formal, to a man
A polite Italian email starts with Gentile Signor Rossi, or Gentile Signora Bianchi, both meaning "Dear Mr Rossi" or "Dear Ms Bianchi". For a friend write Caro Marco or Ciao Marco. It is also called Buongiorno.
Meaning: email greeting (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Italian | Note |
|---|---|
| Gentile Signor Rossi | formal, to a man |
| Buongiorno | formal, neutral |
| Ciao Marco | casual |
| Caro Marco | friendly |
A comma follows the greeting and the first word of the next line starts with a lowercase letter in most Italian emails.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For someone you do not know, use Gentile plus the title and surname, or just Buongiorno. Egregio is more formal and used in official letters.
How does it change in a sentence?
Caro changes with the person: Cara Giulia for a woman, Cari amici for several friends.
Did you know?
- Italian emails usually close with Cordiali saluti in formal cases and Un abbraccio among friends.
Examples in context
- Gentile Signora Bianchi, la ringrazio per la risposta.Dear Ms Bianchi, thank you for your reply.
- Buongiorno, vi scrivo per un'informazione.Hello, I am writing to ask for some information.
- Ciao Marco, come stai?Hi Marco, how are you?
Example conversation
Sara asks her colleague Franco in Rome how to start an email to a client.
- SaraCome comincio l'email al cliente?How do I start the email to the client?
- FrancoScrivi "Gentile Signor Rossi".Write "Dear Mr Rossi".
- SaraPerfetto, grazie.Perfect, thanks.
