“Hello” is one of the most important words to learn in any language and often the first word used in any situation, from informal to formal encounters.<\/p>\n
However, like in English, there are many different ways to say “hello” in Italian<\/strong>, depending on factors such as the time of day and levels of formality.<\/p>\n In this post, we’ll share 60+ Italian greetings<\/strong>, so you’ll know how to say “hello” and “how are you?” in any situation!<\/p>\n [fluentu-toc]<\/p>\n <\/p>\n This one doubles as both “hello” and “goodbye,” and you\u2019re probably already familiar with it.<\/p>\n The origins of ciao<\/em> are found in the Venetian dialect<\/a>, deriving from s-ciao <\/em>or s-ciavo<\/em>\u00a0(I am your slave). It directly references the Italian word for slave, schiavo<\/em>. When used in v\u00e8neto<\/em>, this turn of phrase typically has the connotation of \u201cI\u2019m here if you need me!\u201d<\/p>\n Ciao<\/em> is primarily considered highly informal. <\/strong>In everyday conversation, it\u2019s often used among people who are already close. So if you\u2019re in Italy and conversing with a native speaker, don\u2019t consider it the go-to greeting. Due to the level of informality, you won\u2019t want to use this in situations that require any kind of formality.<\/p>\n Italian, like many languages, has strong notions of “formal” and “informal”\u00a0that go back to cultural standards<\/a>. Salve<\/em>, however, is interesting in that it can be considered both polite and informal,<\/strong> depending on the context of the conversation in which it\u2019s being used.<\/p>\n Salve<\/em> is a good choice for when you’re not sure what level of formality to use. It does lean toward more formal, so don\u2019t be surprised if someone you\u2019ve known for years doesn\u2019t use it with you.<\/p>\n This slang phrase<\/a> is a\u00a0casual greeting <\/strong>that doesn’t quite have a direct translation in English. It’s used in a similar way to “Hey there” in English, and you’ll mostly hear it among younger people as a greeting for friends they know very well.<\/p>\n While\u00a0ciao\u00a0<\/em>might be one of the most popular ways of saying “hello” in Italian in many situations, you may also hear an Italian say ehi<\/em>,\u00a0ehil\u00e0\u00a0<\/em>or even see\u00a0ehi <\/em>in a text. These are all used to say “hey” and their meaning may vary depending on the tone used by the speaker.<\/p>\n As well as sometimes being used as an informal “hey,” these words are commonly used in Italian to attract someone’s attention<\/strong>, like in English.<\/p>\n For example, you might bump into someone you know in an unexpected place:\u00a0<\/p>\n Ehi, Antonio! Cosa stai fai qui?<\/em> This phrase, which literally means “ready,” is used for answering the phone in Italian.<\/p>\n It supposedly dates back to when phone calls were placed through human operators. Once the operator connected the caller to the recipient, the recipient would say Pronto<\/em> (and likely their name as well), to indicate that they were on the line and “ready” to talk.<\/p>\n Now pronto<\/em> is commonly used as a greeting when answering the phone:<\/p>\n Pronto, chi parla?<\/em> It can also be combined with another greeting when you answer the phone to say something like, “Hello, good morning!”<\/p>\n Pronto, buongiorno!<\/em> Want even more? Here’s a list of ways to say hi in Italian:<\/p>\n Literally translated, this means \u201cgood day,” but this is also a pretty standard way of saying \u201cgood morning.\u201d It can be used for greeting people until the early hours of the afternoon. It also doubles as a catch-all way of saying \u201chello,” but only in the morning and early afternoon.<\/p>\n It tends to run a bit on the formal side,<\/strong> but it’s generally accepted in all social circles.<\/p>\n As you may have guessed, this is the abbreviated form of the typical “good morning” phrase above.<\/p>\nHow to Say “Hello” in Italian<\/h2>\n
Ciao<\/em><\/h3>\n
Salve<\/em><\/h3>\n
Weil\u00e0<\/em><\/h3>\n
Ehi<\/em> \/ Ehil\u00e0<\/em><\/h3>\n
\n(Hey, Antonio! What are you doing here?)<\/p>\nPronto<\/em><\/h3>\n
\n(Hello, who’s speaking?)<\/p>\n
\n(Hello, good morning!)<\/p>\nMore Ways to Say Hello in Italian<\/h3>\n
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Time-specific Italian Greetings<\/h2>\n
Buongiorno<\/em> \u2014 Good Day<\/h3>\n
‘Giorno <\/em>\u2014 Mornin’<\/h3>\n