Ciao
/ˈt͡ʃa.o/
The English phrase "hola" is translated into Italian as Ciao.
Ciao is a common way to say both "hello" and "goodbye" in Italian.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ˈtʃa.o/. It has 2 syllables, with the stress on the 1st syllable.
Did you know?
- The common greeting Ciao actually began as a way to say 'I am your slave'. It evolved from the Venetian term 's-ciao', which was a polite way of telling someone you were at their service.
- Using Ciao with a boss or a stranger in a professional setting can be seen as overly familiar or even disrespectful in Italy.
- In some regions of Italy, people use the double greeting ciao ciao specifically when leaving to emphasize the goodbye.
Examples in context
- Ciao, come va?Hi, how are you?
- Ciao, come stai?Hello, how are you?
- Ciao a tutti!Hello everyone!
- Ciao, piacere di conoscerti.Hello, nice to meet you.
Example conversation
Martina and Francesco meet at a cafe.
- MartinaCiao, Francesco!Hi, Francesco!
- FrancescoCiao, Martina! Come va?Hi, Martina! How is it going?
- MartinaTutto bene, grazie.Everything is fine, thanks.
- FrancescoSono contento di sentirlo.I am glad to hear it.
Sources
- Pronunciation from the Wiktionary entry ciao.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ciao, CC BY-SA 4.0.
