ciao
/ˈt͡ʃa.o/
The Italian phrase for "hi and bye" is ciao.
ciao is a versatile, informal greeting used both when arriving and when leaving.
Which one should you use?
While ciao is used for both arriving and departing in casual settings, you can use salve as a more neutral greeting for semi-formal situations. For strictly formal contexts or when addressing strangers, it is better to use buongiorno (good morning) or buonasera (good evening) instead of ciao.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
ciao is an informal greeting intended for use with friends, family and people you know well. In formal situations, use buongiorno to say hi or good morning or buonasera to say good evening after the sun has set.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈtʃa.o/
Did you know?
- The word ciao is derived from the Venetian phrase s-ciao vostro, which literally means 'I am your slave'.
- The word ciao is often paired with a kiss on both cheeks when greeting friends in Italy.
- Ciao is part of a rare group of European greetings that share a similar history of 'servitude' roots, similar to the German 'servus' or the Swedish 'tjena'.
Examples in context
- Ciao, ragazzi! Come va?Hi, guys! How's it going?
- Ciao, come stai?Hi, how are you?
- Ciao a tutti!Hi everyone!
- Devo andare, ciao!I have to go, bye!
Example conversation
Alessandro and Martina meet briefly on a street.
- AlessandroCiao, Martina!Hi, Martina!
- MartinaCiao, Alessandro. Come va?Hi, Alessandro. How is it going?
- AlessandroTutto bene, ma sono di fretta.Everything is fine, but I am in a hurry.
- MartinaVa bene, ciao!Alright, bye!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ciao, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ciao, CC BY-SA 4.0.
