Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ciao | /ˈt͡ʃa.o/ | |
| salve | /ˈsal.ve/ | |
| buongiorno | /ˌbwɔnˈd͡ʒor.no/ /bwonˈd͡ʒor.no/ |
|
| saluti | masculine, plural |
Italian offers several ways to greet others depending on the setting. Ciao is a common, informal greeting used for both hello and goodbye. Salve is a versatile greeting that can mean hello or goodbye at any time of the day. Buongiorno literally means "good day" and serves as a standard greeting during the morning and daytime. While saluti means greetings or regards, it is rarely used as a spoken hello and is instead used in written correspondence.
Which one should you use?
Ciao is used for both hello and goodbye in informal settings. Salve is more formal than ciao but less formal than buongiorno, making it a safe neutral greeting. Buongiorno is a formal greeting used specifically during the morning and daytime.
How does it change in a sentence?
Saluti is the masculine plural form of the noun saluto.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of ciao is /ˈtʃa.o/. It has two syllables and the stress is on the first syllable.
Did you know?
- The popular informal greeting ciao has a surprisingly dark origin, as it evolved from the Venetian word for 'slave'.
- While ciao is ubiquitous, using it with a stranger or a superior can be seen as overly familiar or even disrespectful.
- While buongiorno is used for 'hello' in the morning, it can also be used as a polite 'goodbye' when leaving a shop or office during the day.
Examples in context
- Ciao, tu sei Ana?Hello, are you Ana?This sentence uses ciao to confirm someone's identity.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 uses ciao to greet someone and ask how they are.Tatoeba #564013 by Guybrush88, translation #30307 by CN
- Buongiorno, sono Marco Rossi. Posso parlare con il signor Bianchi, per favore?Hello, this is Marco Rossi. May I speak with Mr. Bianchi, please?
- Ciao, sono Sara. Cosa fai stasera?Hi, this is Sara. What are you doing tonight?
- 183 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Francesco and Martina meet in a street.
- FrancescoCiao, Martina!Hello, Martina!
- MartinaCiao, Francesco! Come stai?Hello, Francesco! How are you?
- FrancescoSto bene, grazie.I am well, thanks.
- MartinaAnche io, grazie.Me too, 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.
