Greetings & Introductions
Use these essential phrases to introduce yourself, say hello, and make basic small talk when meeting someone new in Italy.
Key Phrases
Ciao!
casualHi! / Bye!
Used with friends, family, and people your own age.
Buongiorno.
politeGood morning. / Hello.
Standard polite greeting for strangers and staff, used until late afternoon.
Come ti chiami?
casualWhat's your name?
Informal way to ask a peer's name.
Come si chiama?
politeWhat's your name?
Formal, use with older people or in professional settings.
Piacere, sono Marco.
neutralNice to meet you, I'm Marco.
A natural, standard way to introduce yourself in any context.
Come stai?
casualHow are you?
Informal question, very common after saying hello.
Come sta?
politeHow are you?
Polite form, often used with 'Buongiorno'.
Tutto bene, grazie. E tu?
casualEverything's good, thanks. And you?
A very natural casual response.
Bene, grazie. E Lei?
politeFine, thanks. And you?
The standard formal response. Note the capitalized 'Lei' for polite 'you'.
Di dove sei?
casualWhere are you from?
Informal way to ask about someone's origin.
Di dov'è?
politeWhere are you from?
Formal version for someone you don't know well.
Sono di Roma.
neutralI'm from Rome.
Use 'di' followed by your city. For a country, use 'Sono' plus the nationality.