Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ciao | /ˈt͡ʃa.o/ | |
| salve | /ˈsal.ve/ | |
| buongiorno | /ˌbwɔnˈd͡ʒor.no/ /bwonˈd͡ʒor.no/ |
|
| saluti | masculine, plural |
The most common way to say hello is ciao. You can also use buongiorno to say good morning or good day, and buonasera to say good evening. For a greeting meaning greetings or regards, saluti is used, though it is primarily found in written correspondence rather than spoken conversation.
Which one should you use?
While ciao is used for both 'hello' and 'goodbye' in informal settings, salve is a neutral greeting that is more formal than ciao but less formal than buongiorno. Buongiorno is specifically used during the morning and daytime.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Sicily, you may hear Bongiornu used as a variation of buongiorno. In Rome, the Roman dialect greeting Ciao er core means hello, my dear.
How do you pronounce it?
ciao is pronounced /ˈtʃa.o/ and has 2 syllables, with the stress on the 1st syllable.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use ciao with superiors or strangers, which can be perceived as overly familiar or impolite.
Did you know?
- The common greeting ciao actually has its roots in the word for 'slave'. It evolved from the Venetian expression s-ciao vostro, meaning 'I am your slave' or 'I am at your service'.
Examples in context
- Ciao, tu sei Ana?Hello, are you Ana?This sentence shows how to use ciao when asking if someone is Ana.Tatoeba #7796553 by Guybrush88, translation #7795992 by sharris123
- Ciao, tu sei Jose?Hello, are you Jose?This sentence shows how to use ciao when asking if someone is 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 John and ask how he is doing.Tatoeba #564013 by Guybrush88, translation #30307 by CN
- Buongiorno! Mi chiamo Marco. Piacere di conoscerti.Good morning! My name is Marco. Nice to meet you.
- Buongiorno! Anch'io sono molto contento di conoscerti.Good morning! I'm also very pleased to meet you.
- 183 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofia and Alessandro meet at a coffee shop.
- SofiaCiao, Alessandro!Hello, Alessandro!
- AlessandroCiao, Sofia! Come stai?Hello, Sofia! How are you?
- SofiaBene, grazie.Fine, thanks.
- AlessandroAnche io sto bene.I am doing well too.
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.
