How to Say Hello in Italian: Choosing Formal or Informal Greetings
Learn when to use buongiorno, buonasera, ciao and salve in Italian, with pronunciation, a dialogue and practice for beginners.
By LiamCulture & nuance · Yapr Learn
In Italian, the greeting you choose depends on who you are speaking to and the situation. Using an informal greeting with a stranger can sound too casual, while a formal greeting with a close friend can sound distant. This lesson teaches the main Italian greetings for meeting people, not for saying goodbye. You will learn which greeting fits which relationship, how to pronounce each one, and how to respond naturally.
By the end, you can…
- choose between formal and informal Italian greetings based on the person and situation.
- greet someone in Italian and respond appropriately at different times of day.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Buongiorno
Good morning / Good day
bwon-JOR-no
Formal or neutral. Use with strangers, shopkeepers, colleagues, teachers, and anyone older you do not know well. It works from early morning until roughly mid-afternoon.
Buonasera
Good evening
bwo-na-SEH-ra
Formal or neutral. Use from late afternoon onward, in shops, restaurants, offices, and with people you address politely.
Ciao
Hi / Hey (also bye)
CHOW
Informal only. Use with friends, family, classmates, children, and people your own age you already know. Avoid it with strangers, officials, or elderly people you do not know.
Salve
Hello (neutral, slightly formal)
SAL-veh
A middle option. It is polite but less formal than buongiorno and works at any time of day. Common in central and southern Italy and useful when you are unsure.
Buongiorno, come sta?
Good morning, how are you? (formal)
bwon-JOR-no, KOH-meh sta
The formal way to ask how someone is. Use sta with people you address formally, and stai with friends.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
Italian greetings often come in pairs: a greeting plus a short question. Formally, say Buongiorno, come sta? and expect a reply such as Bene, grazie. E Lei? Informally, say Ciao, come stai? and expect Bene, grazie. E tu? Notice that formal Italian uses sta and Lei, while informal Italian uses stai and tu. The greeting itself does not change with the question, but the verb form does.
When to use it
Choose buongiorno or buonasera when the person is a stranger, older, in a service role, or in a formal setting such as an office, hotel, or doctor's office. Choose ciao with friends, relatives, classmates, and children. If you are unsure, salve is a safe neutral choice that is polite without being stiff. For example, greet a hotel receptionist with Buongiorno, and greet your Italian classmate with Ciao. Time matters too: buongiorno in the morning and early afternoon, buonasera from late afternoon.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Buongiorno, signora. Come sta?
Good morning, ma'am. How are you?bwon-JOR-no, see-NYOH-ra. KOH-meh staBuongiorno. Bene, grazie. E Lei?
Good morning. Fine, thank you. And you?bwon-JOR-no. BEH-neh, GRAT-tsee-eh. eh LAYCiao, Marco! Come stai?
Hi, Marco! How are you?CHOW, MAR-koh. KOH-meh staiCiao! Tutto bene, grazie.
Hi! All good, thanks.CHOW. TOOT-toh BEH-neh, GRAT-tsee-ehA little context goes a long way
Italians often greet shopkeepers, neighbours and acquaintances with buongiorno even when they see them daily, while ciao is reserved for people on friendly terms. In many southern regions, salve is very common as a friendly but polite hello; in the north, buongiorno may dominate in the same situations. When in doubt, start formal and switch to ciao only if the other person does.
One thing to watch for
Using ciao with a stranger, a professor, or an older person you have just met.
Try this instead: Use Buongiorno or Buonasera instead. For example, say Buongiorno, professore to a teacher, not Ciao, professore. Save ciao for friends, family, classmates, and children.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1You walk into a small bakery in the morning and the owner, an older woman, looks up. What do you say?
Show a sample answer
Buongiorno.
Buongiorno is the standard polite morning greeting with a stranger in a service setting. Buonasera would be wrong in the morning, and ciao would be too informal.
2Your Italian friend Elena calls you in the afternoon. How do you greet her?
Show a sample answer
Ciao, Elena! Come stai?
Ciao is correct with a friend, and come stai uses the informal tu form. Buongiorno would sound distant between friends, though it is not impossible in some families.
3It is 7 p.m. and you meet your new landlord for the first time. Which greeting fits best?
Show a sample answer
Buonasera.
Buonasera is the polite evening greeting for someone you do not know well. Salve could also work as a neutral alternative, but ciao would be too casual for a first meeting with a landlord.
Start formal with buongiorno or buonasera, use ciao only with people you know well, and keep salve as your safe neutral hello.
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