Which one should you use?
While salutare can refer to performing a military salute, it is much more commonly used in everyday conversation to mean a general greeting or a way of saying hello or goodbye.
How does it change in a sentence?
As a transitive verb, salutare is followed directly by the person being greeted without a preposition. For example, you would say saluto Maria rather than using a preposition before her name.
How do you pronounce it?
The word salutare has 4 syllables and is pronounced /sa.luˈta.re/. The stress is on the third syllable.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not assume that salutare only refers to a formal military salute. In Italian, it is the standard verb used for any form of greeting.
When do people say it?
In informal situations with friends and family, a popular way to perform the act of greeting or parting is to use Ciao to mean both hello and goodbye.
Did you know?
- While salutare means to greet someone, the noun salute means 'health'. This creates a linguistic link between wishing someone well and the act of greeting them.
- In Italy, the act of salutare often involves the 'air kiss', where you touch cheeks without actually kissing. This is a standard social gesture for both hello and goodbye.
- When someone sneezes, Italians say salute! to mean 'bless you'. It literally translates to wishing the person 'health'.
Examples in context
- Buongiorno, Signor Rossi! Come sta oggi?Good morning, Mr. Rossi! How are you today?
- Devo salutare i miei amici.I have to say goodbye to my friends.
- Puoi salutare la nonna al telefono?Can you say hello to grandma on the phone?
Example conversation
Giulia and Matteo are leaving a small party.
- GiuliaÈ tardi, devo salutare tutti.It's late, I have to say goodbye to everyone.
- MatteoVuoi che io saluti anche i tuoi amici?Do you want me to say hello to your friends too?
- GiuliaSì, per favore, saluta anche Marco.Yes, please, say hello to Marco too.
- MatteoVa bene, lo farò subito.Okay, I will do it right away.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry salutare, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
