ciao, benvenuto in Italia
/ˈt͡ʃa.o ben.veˈnu.to in iˈta.lja/word by word
The English phrase "hello welcome to italy" in Italian is ciao, benvenuto in Italia.
This phrase is used to greet and welcome someone who has just arrived in Italy. Note that Italian uses the preposition in rather than a when expressing being welcomed into a country.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The level of formality is determined by the greeting used at the beginning. ciao, benvenuto in Italia is an informal greeting suitable for friends or people your own age. For a more neutral or polite tone suitable for strangers or professional settings, you can use salve, benvenuto in Italia.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word for welcome must agree in gender and number with the people being welcomed. Use benvenuto for a single man, benvenuta for a single woman, benvenuti for a group of people or a mixed-gender group and benvenute for a group consisting only of females.
How do you pronounce it?
The stress is on the 1st syllable.
Did you know?
- The common greeting ciao actually began as a way to say 'I am your slave' or 'I am your humble servant' in the Venetian dialect. It evolved from the word s-ciao, a way to show complete devotion to the person being addressed.
- The informal greeting ciao is used for both arriving and departing, making it one of the few words in Italian that serves as both 'hello' and 'goodbye'.
Examples in context
- Buongiorno, benvenuto/a in Italia!Good morning, welcome to Italy!
- Ciao! Benvenuto/a in Italia! Come stai?Hello! Welcome to Italy! How are you?
- Ciao, benvenuto in Italia!Hello, welcome to Italy!
Example conversation
A friendly guide greets a traveler at the airport.
- ChiaraCiao, benvenuto in Italia, Matteo!Hello, welcome to Italy, Matteo!
- MatteoGrazie mille, Chiara.Thank you very much, Chiara.
- ChiaraSei pronto per il viaggio?Are you ready for the trip?
- MatteoSì, sono molto entusiasta.Yes, I am very excited.
