Italian Greetings: Ciao, Buongiorno, Buonasera (Formal and Informal)
A0 · Lesson 01 · Greetings
Four words, one simple test, and you will never greet the wrong person again.
Quick answer
The main Italian greetings are ciao (hi, informal), buongiorno (good morning / good day, polite), buonasera (good evening, polite) and salve (hello, neutral). Use ciao with friends and family, buongiorno or buonasera with everyone else.
The 4 Italian greetings
Learn them as ready-made blocks. No grammar needed.
Ciao!
CHOW
Hi!
InformalAny timeBuongiorno!
bwohn-JOR-noh
Good morning! / Good day!
PoliteMorningBuonasera!
bwoh-nah-SEH-rah
Good evening!
PoliteAfternoon / eveningSalve!
SAHL-veh
Hello! Polite but relaxed: handy when you are not sure.
NeutralAny time
I sat up on my hind legs to greet you. Four words: ciao, buongiorno, buonasera, salve. I picked salve, just to be safe.
Ciao or buongiorno? The hug test
💡 In simple words
Would you hug this person? → Ciao!
Would you shake hands? → Buongiorno! or Buonasera!
Make it extra polite
Buongiorno, signora!
bwohn-JOR-noh, see-NYOH-rah · Good morning, madam!
Swap the words: Buonasera, signore! (bwoh-nah-SEH-rah, see-NYOH-reh · Good evening, sir!)
Buongiorno or buonasera? Look at the clock
There is no fixed hour. It depends on where you are in Italy.
☀️ Morning, until lunch
Buongiorno
Everywhere in Italy.
🍝 After lunch, until ~5 pm
Buongiorno or Buonasera
Many regions: still buongiorno.
Sicily: already buonasera.
🌇 From ~5 pm
Buonasera
Everywhere in Italy.
Not sure? Copy what the other person says.
“Good afternoon”? Buon pomeriggio (bwohn poh-meh-REEJ-joh) exists, but Italians rarely use it to say hello.
“Good night”? Buonanotte is not a greeting: you say it when you go to sleep. It comes with the goodbyes in the next lesson.
In real life: one bar, two greetings
Marco
barista
Buongiorno!
Good morning!
you
Buongiorno!
Good morning!
Giulia
your friend
Ciao!
Hi!
you
Ciao, Giulia!
Hi, Giulia!
Same bar, same minute: buongiorno for the barista, ciao for your friend.
Common mistakes English speakers make
To an older shopkeeper: Ciao! → Buongiorno!
Ciao to a stranger sounds too familiar, like calling your bank manager “buddy”.
Walking into a shop at 7 pm: Buongiorno! → Buonasera!
By evening, everyone in Italy has switched to buonasera.
Walking into a shop: (silence) → Buongiorno!
In Italy you greet the room when you walk in. Silence feels cold.
North vs South: Milan says buongiorno, Naples says ciao
⬆️ The north
More formal. In Milan you will hear Buongiorno much more, even in a casual shop.
⬇️ The south
More informal and friendly. From Rome down, waiters, shopkeepers and strangers often greet you with Ciao!
Tip: start with Buongiorno or Buonasera, then copy what they say back.
We’re from Napoli. We said ciao to the mayor yesterday. He said ciao back.
Step 6 · Practice
🍕 Your turn
Start with a quick warm-up, then press Check. Want more? Open the extra exercises below. Mistakes are part of it. No pressure.
Warm-up · 5 questions
Choose the right greeting.
1. Your best friend at 9 pm
2. A waiter you don’t know, at 8 pm
3. The bus driver at 8 am
4. Your grandma
5. A hotel receptionist at 10 am
See more exercises · 36 questions ▾Hide the extra exercises ▴
1 · Hug or handshake?
It is daytime. Choose the greeting for each person.
1. Your best friend at the beach
2. A police officer at 11 am
3. Your mom on the phone
4. The hotel receptionist at 9 am
5. Your new boss on your first day
6. Your little cousin
7. An elderly lady at the bus stop
8. Your roommate in the kitchen
9. The pharmacist at noon
10. A classmate your age in your Italian course
2 · What time is it?
You don’t know these people. Look at the time and choose.
1. Walking into a bakery at 8 am
2. Walking into a restaurant at 8 pm
3. Arriving at a dinner party at 9 pm
4. The museum ticket desk at 10 am
5. Checking in at a hotel at 7 pm
6. A shopkeeper at 11 am
7. The theater usher at 9 pm
8. A newsstand at 9:30 am
9. The taxi driver at 7 am
10. The waiter at a wine bar at 7:30 pm
3 · Right or wrong?
Is the greeting right for the situation?
1. “Buonasera!” to the barista at 8 am
2. “Ciao!” to your sister
3. “Buongiorno!” to the barista at 8 am
4. “Ciao!” to a judge in court
5. “Buonasera!” at a restaurant at 8 pm
6. “Buongiorno!” walking into a shop at 9 pm
7. “Salve!” to a shop assistant your age
8. “Buongiorno, signora!” to an older lady in a shop
4 · Write it in Italian
Type the greeting. Capital letters and punctuation don’t matter.
1. Hi!
2. Good morning!
3. Good evening!
4. Good evening, madam!
5. Hello! (neutral, polite but relaxed)
6. Good morning, madam!
7. Good evening, sir!
8. Hi, Giulia!
New here? Try a 25-minute lesson for $25: book a trial. Not sure about your level? Take the free level test.
Ci vediamo la prossima settimana! – Sì, alla prossima lezione! Ciao!
See you next week! – Yes, see you at the next lesson! Bye!
Next lesson: A0 · 02 Goodbyes and wishes →
Written by Luciana
Native Italian teacher, CEDILS certified, 10,000+ lessons since 2020.
