Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| altrettanto | /al.tretˈtan.to/ | |
| a lei | /a ˈlɛj/ (word by word) | formal |
| a te | /a te/ (word by word) | informal |
These phrases are used to reciprocate a wish or greeting that has just been offered to you, such as 'have a nice day' or 'have a good trip'.
What does it mean word for word?
The word altrettanto is a combination of altro (other) and the suffix -tanto (so much), literally meaning 'just as much' or 'equally much'.
Which one should you use?
Altrettanto is a standalone adverb used to mean 'same to you'. In contrast, a te and a lei are prepositional phrases that require the context of a wish to be complete.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Altrettanto is the most versatile and common way to say 'same to you' because it works regardless of whether the relationship is formal or informal. A te is the informal way to say 'to you' when responding to a wish from a friend, family member or peer. A lei is the formal way to say 'to you' when responding to a wish from a stranger, an elder or in a professional setting.
How do you pronounce it?
/al.tretˈtan.to/. The word has 4 syllables, with the stress on the 3rd syllable.
Did you know?
- The formal lei used in a lei is grammatically a third-person feminine pronoun, as if the speaker is talking about the person rather than to them.
- The formal lei used in a lei was originally used to address high titles like Signoria (Lordship) or Santità (Holiness).
- In highly formal Italian settings, some people may still use Voi instead of Lei when responding with a formal 'same to you'.
Examples in context
- Buona giornata. – A lei.Have a nice day. – The same to you.This example shows how to use the formal a lei to respond to a greeting.
- "Buon viaggio!" / "Grazie, altrettanto""Have a good trip!" / "Thanks, same to you"This example demonstrates the use of the standalone adverb altrettanto to reciprocate a wish.
- Grazie, altrettanto!Thanks, same to you!
Example conversation
Giulia and Francesco are leaving a coffee shop.
- GiuliaBuon pomeriggio, Francesco!Have a good afternoon, Francesco!
- FrancescoGrazie, altrettanto a te, Giulia.Thanks, the same to you, Giulia.
- GiuliaA presto!See you soon!
- FrancescoCiao!Bye!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “same to you” translations and entries altrettanto, a lei, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (a, lei, te) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries a, altrettanto, lei, te, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
