In Italian, the most common translation of hello is ciao. Ciao is used informally to greet people when you see them or when you say goodbye. It’s very versatile and can mean both hello and goodbye, depending on the context.
Here are a couple of examples:
Ciao, come stai? – Hello, how are you?
Ciao, ci vediamo domani! – Bye, see you tomorrow!
However, in more formal situations or with people you don’t know well, it’s better to use more polite greetings. Instead of ciao, you can say:
- Buongiorno – Good morning or good day (used until the afternoon)
- Buonasera – Good evening (used in the late afternoon and evening)
For example:
Buongiorno, signora! – Good morning, madam!
Buonasera, dottore! – Good evening, doctor!
If you want to say hello on the phone, the standard greeting is pronto, which means ready. It’s specifically used when answering a phone call.
In summary, ciao is the most common way to say hello in Italian, but in more formal contexts, you should use buongiorno or buonasera. On the phone, you would say pronto.