Greetings and politeness in Italian
Hello, please, thank you, sorry: the ten openers everything else builds on. Play the ten Italian words against the clock, with a note on how locals really use each one after every answer. All ten are written out below.
All 11 Italian phrases in this lesson
- SalveSAHL-veh
- Hello
- Buongiornobwon-JOR-noh
- Good morning
- Buonaserabwoh-nah-SEH-rah
- Good evening
- Arrivederciah-ree-veh-DEHR-chee
- Goodbye
- Ci vediamochee veh-DYAH-moh
- See you
- Per favorepehr fah-VOH-reh
- Please
- GrazieGRAH-tsyeh
- Thank you
- PregoPREH-goh
- You're welcome
- Mi dispiacemee dee-SPYAH-cheh
- Sorry
- ScusiSKOO-zee
- Excuse me
- Piacerepyah-CHEH-reh
- Nice to meet you
The neutral greeting, safe with strangers, shopkeepers and anyone whose formality you cannot read. It sidesteps the choice between the familiar ciao and the formal buongiorno, which is exactly why a visitor wants it.
Used until early afternoon. It also works as a polite hello to shopkeepers, hotel staff, and anyone you meet during the day.
Takes over from buongiorno in the afternoon, on arrival as well as parting.
The standard farewell in formal or semi-formal contexts. Between close friends, "ciao" is more common for both hello and goodbye.
Literally "we see each other". Ciao also works as a goodbye between friends. Arrivederci is the polite one.
Add this to any request to sound polite. "Per piacere" means the same thing and is equally common in different regions.
The everyday thank you. Works in virtually every situation from accepting a coffee to thanking a waiter.
Also means "please go ahead" and is used when holding a door or offering something. Italians say it reflexively after grazie.
Literally "it displeases me", the real apology.
The formal form, used to get attention or apologize to a stranger. In casual settings with friends, use "scusa" instead.
Literally "pleasure", said with a handshake.