Ciao! — Greetings & hellos

Benvenuti a Spoken — the Italian podcast for absolute beginners. I'm Marco, and I am so glad you're here. Today is your very first step into Italian, and I promise — by the end of this episode you'll already be able to greet someone in Italian. Isn't that exciting? Andiamo! let's go

The very first word every Italian learner falls in love with is this one: Ciao.

Ciao — hello or goodbye (informal, any time of day)

It is one of the most recognised words in the world, and the beautiful thing is — you can use it to say both hello AND goodbye. Just like that, you already know your first Italian word. Perfetto! perfect

Now, Ciao is informal — it's what you say to a friend, a classmate, someone your own age. But Italian also has more formal greetings depending on the time of day. Listen carefully:

Buongiorno — Good morning / Good day

Buonasera — Good evening

Buonanotte — Good night (when going to sleep)

Marco, can I ask — when do I use buongiorno versus buonasera?

Ottima domanda! great question Generally, buongiorno is the morning greeting until around midday or early afternoon. After that, you switch to buonasera. Don't stress about the exact moment — Italians won't mind if you're a little off. What matters is that you tried, and they will love you for it.

Next — how do you ask someone how they are? There are two ways, and the difference is all about formality.

Come stai? — How are you? (informal — friends, family)

Come sta? — How are you? (formal — a doctor, your boss, someone older)

The difference is just one letter — stai vs sta — but it makes a big impression.

And what do I say back?

Perfetto timing, Sofia! The most natural reply is: Bene, grazie — I'm well, thank you. You can also say molto bene — very well — or così così — so-so. And always — always — add e tu? — and you? It shows warmth. Italians love that.

Bene, grazie — e tu? — Well, thanks — and you?

Now — the two most important little words in Italian courtesy: grazie and prego.

Grazie — thank you

Prego — you're welcome (also: please, go ahead, after you)

And finally — how to say goodbye. You already know ciao, but here are two more:

Arrivederci — goodbye (formal — "until we see each other again")

A presto — see you soon

Bravissimi! You have just learned 8 essential Italian greetings. That is genuinely impressive for your very first episode. Head over to the Phrasebook to mark each one as learned, then take the Quiz to earn your XP. Forza! you've got this