Saying Hello and Goodbye

Italiano A1A11. Unit 1: First Meetings

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Saying Hello and Goodbye in Italian

Welcome to your first Italian lesson! In Italy, how you greet someone depends on the time of day and how well you know them.

1. Informal Greetings

Ciao is the most famous Italian word. It means both hello and goodbye, but you should only use it with friends, family, and young people.

2. Formal Greetings

When meeting someone new, an older person, or in professional situations, use time-based greetings:

• Buongiorno: Good morning / Good day (used until the afternoon).
• Buonasera: Good evening (used from late afternoon onwards).

3. Saying Goodbye

• Arrivederci: Goodbye (formal).
• ArrivederLa: Goodbye (very formal, using the polite ‘La’).
• Buonanotte: Good night (used only when going to sleep).

Common Mistakes

Don’t use ciao with your boss or a police officer—stick to buongiorno!