buongiorno
/ˌbwɔnˈd͡ʒor.no/
The Italian phrase for "hello politely" is buongiorno.
buongiorno is a formal greeting that means "Good morning" and is used during the day until noon. You can also use the formal greeting Salve to say "Hello" at any time of the day. For formal inquiries into someone's well-being, you may use Come sta? to ask "How are you?"
What does it mean word for word?
The word buongiorno is a compound of buon (good) and giorno (day).
Which one should you use?
While buongiorno is used during the day, buonasera is the appropriate polite greeting for the late afternoon and evening. Buongiorno is also more formal and polite than the casual ciao.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
buongiorno is a formal and polite greeting. It can be used to address people with respect, such as in the phrases Buongiorno, Signore for a gentleman or Buongiorno, Signora for a lady.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌbwɔnˈdʒor.no/. It has 3 syllables, with the stress on the 2nd of 3 syllables.
Did you know?
- The word giorno shares a distant linguistic root with the English word 'year', as both originally referred to a cycle of time.
- In many Italian cities, it is common practice to say buongiorno to almost every person you pass in a quiet elevator or a small hallway, even if you do not know them.
- The greeting salve is derived from the Latin word for 'be well' or 'be healthy'.
Examples in context
- Buongiorno, come sta?Good morning, how are you?
- Buongiorno a tutti.Good morning to everyone.
- Buongiorno, professore.Good morning, professor.
Example conversation
Chiara enters a small cafe and greets Francesco, the barista.
- ChiaraBuongiorno, Francesco.Good morning, Francesco.
- FrancescoBuongiorno! Come va?Good morning! How is it going?
- ChiaraBene, grazie. Un caffè, per favore.Fine, thank you. A coffee, please.
- FrancescoCertamente, subito.Certainly, coming right up.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry buongiorno, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
