Greetings and introductions are the very first thing you'll do in Italian, and getting the basics right immediately marks you as someone who's serious about the language. The everyday hello is ciao (informal, both for greeting and parting), while salve works as a polite, neutral hello with people you don't know well. Buongiorno covers good morning and good afternoon roughly until evening, and buonasera takes over after that; buonanotte is reserved for going to bed. Asking how someone is uses Come stai? (informal) or Come sta? (formal), and the standard reply is Bene, grazie, e tu? or Bene, grazie, e Lei?
In the exercises below you'll practice introducing yourself (Mi chiamo..., Sono..., Piacere di conoscerti), saying where you're from (Sono di Londra, Vengo dall'Inghilterra), asking for someone's name (Come ti chiami? / Come si chiama?), and matching the right register to each situation. The tu/Lei split is culturally loaded in Italy — using tu with the wrong person can feel rude, while sticking to Lei with friends sounds cold — so the exercises focus on the social cues that tell you which to use. By the end you'll be able to walk into a café, a hotel, or a friend's apartment and start the conversation the way an Italian would.
In Italian, how you greet someone depends on the time of day, the formality of the situation, and whether you know the person. Italian has two levels of address: informal (tu) and formal (Lei). Use tu with friends, family, and peers; Lei with strangers, elders, and in professional contexts.
| Italian | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| Ciao | hi / bye | informal, anytime |
| Salve | hello | neutral, slightly formal |
| Buongiorno | good morning / good day | morning until early afternoon |
| Buonasera | good evening | late afternoon and evening |
| Buonanotte | good night | when going to bed |
| Arrivederci | goodbye | formal farewell |
| A presto | see you soon | informal farewell |
| A domani | see you tomorrow | informal farewell |
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| Mi chiamo... | My name is... (literally: I call myself...) |
| Sono... | I am... |
| Come ti chiami? | What's your name? (informal) |
| Come si chiama? | What's your name? (formal) |
| Piacere! | Nice to meet you! |
| Di dove sei? | Where are you from? (informal) |
| Sono di Roma. | I'm from Rome. |
| Quanti anni hai? | How old are you? (informal) |
| Ho 25 anni. | I'm 25 years old. |
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| Come stai? | How are you? (informal) |
| Come sta? | How are you? (formal) |
| Bene, grazie! | Fine, thanks! |
| Molto bene! | Very well! |
| Cosi cosi. | So-so. |
| Non c'e male. | Not bad. |
| E tu? | And you? (informal) |
| E Lei? | And you? (formal) |
Always use 'Lei' (formal) with people you don't know, older people, and in professional settings. 'Mi chiamo' literally means 'I call myself' — it is the standard way to state your name. 'Ho __ anni' uses avere (to have) — Italians 'have' years, not 'are' an age.
10 exercises · 0 completed
Greetings by Time of Day
10 questions
Saying Goodbye
10 questions
Greeting Vocabulary
10 questions
Choosing the Right Greeting
10 questions
Nice to Meet You — Piacere
10 questions
Informal vs Formal Greetings
10 questions
Greeting Translations
10 questions
Greetings in Dialogue Context
10 questions
Greetings Fill in the Blank
10 questions
Greetings Review
10 questions
10 exercises · 0 completed
Saying Your Name — Mi chiamo / Sono
10 questions
Where Are You From?
10 questions
Asking and Saying Your Age
10 questions
What Do You Do? — Professions
10 questions
Introduction Sentences
10 questions
Introduction Questions
10 questions
Answering Introduction Questions
10 questions
Professions Vocabulary
10 questions
Introductions Fill in the Blank
10 questions
Introductions Review
10 questions
10 exercises · 0 completed
Tu vs Lei — The Basics
10 questions
Informal vs Formal Questions
10 questions
Formal How Are You — Come sta?
10 questions
Formal or Informal? — Recognizing the Context
10 questions
Identifying Formal or Informal Register
10 questions
Converting Between Formal and Informal
10 questions
Completing Formal Dialogues
10 questions
Spotting Register Errors
10 questions
Formal vs Informal Fill in the Blank
10 questions
Formal vs Informal — Review
10 questions
10 exercises · 0 completed
Responding to 'Come stai?'
10 questions
Full 'How Are You?' Exchanges
10 questions
Wellbeing Vocabulary — bene, così così, male
10 questions
Thank You and You're Welcome
10 questions
Responding to Introductions
10 questions
Excuse Me and I'm Sorry
10 questions
Small Talk Responses
10 questions
Please, Excuse Me, and Polite Phrases
10 questions
Wellbeing Responses in Context
10 questions
Responding — Review
10 questions
10 exercises · 0 completed
Full Conversation — First Meeting (Informal)
10 questions
Full Conversation — Formal First Meeting
10 questions
Dialogue Sequencing
10 questions
Choosing the Right Phrase
10 questions
Mixed Scenario Practice
10 questions
Spot the Error in Conversations
10 questions
Matching Questions with Answers
10 questions
Real-Life Scenarios
10 questions
Complete Introduction Passage
10 questions
Final Review — Greetings & Introductions
10 questions
Stuck on Greetings & Introductions? Get 25 minutes with a native speaker — €1.
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Ciao (informal hello/goodbye), Salve (neutral hello), Buongiorno (good morning), Buon pomeriggio (good afternoon), Buonasera (good evening), Buonanotte (good night), Arrivederci (formal goodbye). Choose based on the time of day and how well you know the person.
Say "Mi chiamo [name]" (My name is...) or "Sono [name]" (I am...). Add origin: "Sono di Londra, ma vivo a Roma" (I’m from London but I live in Rome). To respond, say "Piacere" or "Piacere di conoscerti" (Nice to meet you).
Informal: "Come stai?" or simply "Come va?" Formal: "Come sta?" Common replies: "Bene, grazie, e tu?" / "Sto benissimo!" / "Non c’è male" (Not bad) / "Così così" (So-so). Italians take greetings seriously — always pause to respond properly.
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