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We are going to learn how to say hi in Italian. So you can greet someone in Italian in person and on the telephone. Several ways are available to say hi in Italian. It will depend on the relationship you have with them and perhaps the time of day and circumstances of the encounter as to how you greet them in Italian.
Hi in Italian: Ciao
In today’s article, we’ll explore the most popular ways to say hi in Italian and some of the greetings you might hear or use while in Italy. However, you can also learn hi in different languages on our website.
Italian Words Used to Greet Someone
Ciao is the standard way to say hi in Italian and is the way to say hi to your friends. In formal situations, you might use Ciao to greet someone you know, meet someone you know, or address a child or a teenager.
Regardless of how you address an adult, you don’t know, or where you greet your waiter, ‘ciao’ should never be used. In most cases, if you have a pleasant conversation with them at the end of the meal, you will return more often.
Formal Italian Way to Say Hi
In Italian, ‘Buongiorno’ is the most common word for hi, and it is more formal than ‘hello’. The literal translation of Buongiorno is ‘good day’. As long as it is not in the evening, it can be used almost any time of the day. Mornings are major pastimes. It is useful when addressing people whom you do not know.
If, however, you are not too close, but you see the person regularly, you should be careful. If you’re staying in a hotel for a week, there’s likely to be the same employee every day. The proper greeting should be ‘Buongiorno’, and not ‘ciao’ or anything else similarly informal (or in this instance, patronizing).
Arslan Hussain, founder of The Different Languages, is an experienced translator passionate about languages and cultures. Through his website, he shares his knowledge and love for different languages, making learning accessible and enjoyable.