Greetings and Courtesy Expressions

Level 1

Italian greetings vary by time of day and the level of formality (informal 'tu' vs. formal 'Lei').

How It Works

Italian social interaction relies heavily on the formal vs. informal register.

1. Greetings (I Saluti):

Ciao: Used for both 'hello' and 'goodbye' among friends and family.
Buongiorno: 'Good morning' or 'Good day.' Used from dawn until early or mid-afternoon.
Buon pomeriggio: 'Good afternoon.' Used from after lunch until late afternoon (though many Italians simply transition from Buongiorno to Buonasera).
Buonasera: 'Good evening.' Used from the late afternoon onwards (typically after 4:00 PM or 5:00 PM).
Salve: A neutral 'hello'. It is safer than 'Ciao' if you are unsure of the register. While sometimes used as a goodbye, traditionalists consider it strictly a greeting upon arrival, making Arrivederci the universally safer choice for departures.
Come stai? / Come sta?: 'How are you?' Come stai? is informal, while Come sta? is formal. The standard polite response is Bene, grazie, e tu/Lei? (Fine, thank you, and you?).
Pronto: 'Hello,' used exclusively when answering the telephone.
Arrivederci: The standard 'goodbye' for groups and individuals. In strictly formal singular settings, you may use Arrivederla, but when addressing a formal group, you revert to the standard Arrivederci (or ArrivederVi).
Buonanotte: Only used when someone is going to sleep or leaving for the night.
Buona giornata / Buona serata: Used when leaving to wish someone a 'good day' or 'good evening.'
A presto / A dopo / Ci vediamo: 'See you soon' / 'See you later' / 'See you.' Common informal or semi-formal ways to say goodbye.

2. Courtesy Expressions (Espressioni di Cortesia):

Per favore / Per piacere / Per cortesia: All mean 'please.'
Grazie / Grazie mille: 'Thank you' / 'Thank you very much.' Pronounce the final 'e' clearly and use a voiceless 'ts' sound for the 'z' (roughly GRAHT-tsyeh, two syllables).
Prego: The standard response to Grazie ('you're welcome'). It also means 'please, go ahead' or 'here you go' (used when physically handing something to someone).
Di niente / Non c'è di che / Figurati (informal) / Si figuri (formal): Common alternatives to Prego, meaning 'it's nothing', 'don't mention it', or 'no worries.'
Scusa / Scusi / Scusate: 'Excuse me' or 'Sorry.' Used for minor practical apologies (like bumping into someone) or getting attention. Scusa is informal (tu), Scusi is formal (Lei), and Scusate is plural (voi).
Mi dispiace: 'I'm sorry.' Used to express genuine regret, sympathy, or inability to do something, rather than just getting attention.
Permesso: 'Excuse me,' used specifically when entering a space or passing through a crowd.
Piacere: 'Nice to meet you.' You can expand this to Piacere di conoscerti (informal) or Piacere di conoscerLa (formal).
Buon appetito: 'Enjoy your meal.' A very common expression used before starting to eat.

Buongiorno, un caffè per favore.
Good morning, a coffee please.
Word by Word: Good morning, a coffee for favor.
A standard, polite way to order at a bar using a time-appropriate greeting.
Piacere di conoscerti! — Piacere mio.
Nice to meet you! — My pleasure.
Word by Word: Pleasure of to know you! — Pleasure mine.
'Piacere' is the standard way to say 'nice to meet you' when being introduced to someone.
Mi dispiace, non parlo bene l'italiano.
I'm sorry, I don't speak Italian well.
Word by Word: To me it displeases, not [I] speak well the Italian.
'Mi dispiace' is used to express regret or to apologize for a situation.
Scusi, sa dov'è la stazione?
Excuse me, do you know where the station is?
Word by Word: Excuse [formal], know [you] where is the station?
Using the formal 'Scusi' to address a stranger politely.
Buona giornata e arrivederci!
Have a good day and goodbye!
Word by Word: Good day and to see each other again!
'Buona giornata' is a wish used when leaving someone during the day.
Permesso, posso passare?
Excuse me, may I pass through?
Word by Word: Permission, can [I] to pass?
'Permesso' is specifically used when asking for permission to enter a room or pass through a crowd.

Doubling the 'z' when writing 'grazie'.
Grazzie
Grazie
'Grazie' is written with a single 'z', even though the sound is long ('ts'). The final 'e' is always pronounced.
Using 'Per favore' to mean 'You're welcome'.
Grazie! — Per favore.
Grazie! — Prego.
English speakers often confuse 'please' and 'you're welcome.' In Italian, 'per favore' is only for requests; 'prego' is the response to thanks.
Confusing 'Scusa' and 'Mi dispiace'.
Mi dispiace, che ore sono?
Scusa, che ore sono?
Use 'Scusa' (or the formal 'Scusi') to get someone's attention or for minor practical apologies like bumping into someone. Use 'Mi dispiace' to express genuine emotional regret, sympathy, or inability to do something.

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Greetings and Courtesy ExpressionsLevel 1

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