spero che tu stia bene
The Italian phrase for "I hope you are well" is spero che tu stia bene.
This is a polite expression used to wish someone good health and happiness, often at the start of a letter or message.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "I hope that you stay well", using the verb stare (to stay/be) rather than essere (to be).
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb stia is the subjunctive mood of stare, which is required because the verb sperare (to hope) expresses a wish or desire.
Did you know?
- The word stia shares a distant, surprising ancestor with the English word 'sty', a structure for pigs. It comes from a Proto-Germanic root meaning 'to stiffen', which evolved into the Lombardic word for a 'stall' or 'cage'.
- In formal Italian emails, the phrase is often replaced by Spero di trovarLa bene, which literally means 'I hope to find you well'.
- In very old-fashioned Italian letters, the sentiment of this phrase was often stretched into long, flowery paragraphs of courtesy known as formule di cortesia.
Examples in context
- Spero che tu stia bene.I hope you are well.This sentence is useful for practicing the phrase spero che tu stia bene.Tatoeba #670806 by Guybrush88, translation #436713 by lukaszpp
- Gentile signora Bianchi, mi auguro che si trovi bene.Dear Mrs. Bianchi, I hope you find yourself well.
- Hey Marco, mi auguro che ti trovi bene.Hey Marco, I hope you find yourself well.
- Spero che tu stia bene in vacanza.I hope you are well on your holiday.
- Spero che tu stia bene dopo il viaggio.I hope you are well after the trip.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chiara sends a message to Alessandro after a few months.
- ChiaraCiao Alessandro, spero che tu stia bene!Hi Alessandro, I hope you are well!
- AlessandroCiao Chiara! Sto molto bene, grazie.Hi Chiara! I am doing very well, thank you.
- ChiaraMi fa piacere. Come va il lavoro?I'm glad to hear that. How is work going?
- AlessandroTutto bene, e tu?Everything is fine, and you?
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bene, che, stia, tu, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
