how do you say hi in italian

The most common way to say “hi” in Italian is ciao.

Here are a few super useful options:

• Ciao – “Hi” / “Bye”, very informal, use with friends, family, people your age.

• Buongiorno – “Good morning/hello”, polite, great in shops, at work, or with strangers during the day.

• Buonasera – “Good evening/hello”, polite, used from late afternoon/evening.

• Salve – Neutral “hello”, polite but not too stiff, good when you’re not sure how formal to be.

Mini example:

You walk into a café in Rome in the morning:
Say: Buongiorno!
Leaving and saying bye to a friend: Ciao!

Bottom note: Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.