The most common way to say hello in Italian is “ciao,” but there are several useful options depending on how formal you want to be and what time of day it is.

Basic ways to say hello

  • Ciao – casual “hi/hello,” used with friends, family, and people your own age.
  • Buongiorno – “good morning / good day,” works in both polite and neutral situations until late afternoon.
  • Buonasera – “good evening,” used from late afternoon/evening onward, also fine in polite situations.
  • Salve – a more neutral–formal “hello,” handy when you want to be respectful but not too stiff.

Example mini‑dialogue:

Person A: Buongiorno!
Person B: Buongiorno, come sta? (Good morning, how are you?)

Informal or special-case greetings

  • Uè / Ehi / Ehilà – very informal “hey,” used with friends, especially younger people.
  • Pronto? – literally “ready?”, but used like “hello?” when answering the phone.

If you want to say “hello, how are you?”:

  • Ciao, come stai? – informal.
  • Buongiorno, come sta? – formal.

Quick usage tips

  • Use ciao only when the context is relaxed; with a boss, doctor, or stranger, prefer buongiorno/buonasera or salve.
  • In shops or offices during the day, start with buongiorno; in the evening, switch to buonasera.
  • On the phone, start with pronto? and then add a name or greeting if needed.

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