Greetings politely in Italy - this is how you do it right1
In Italy, they take greetings seriously. Where we often suffice with a simple "hello", Italians turn it into a whole ritual. This can sometimes seem overly polite or even submissive in our eyes, but it is part of the culture. Don't want to stand out as an unfamiliar tourist? Then there are a few unwritten rules to keep in mind
The greeting
Buongiorno Until about 14, you greet someone with Buon giorno (Good day) , then an Italian switches to Buona sera. (good evening)
Ciao is the most common greeting in Italy. However, you only greet with 'Ciao' if you know each other well. If an Italian greets you with 'Ciao' he considers you a friend. And you may greet back with Ciao.
Salve I love this word. It solves all my greeting problems in Italy. At any time of the day, you can use 'Salve'. It is a step up from the more informal Ciao. You often hear it in shops or at the checkout. You can just answer with the same 'Salve'.
Kissing on the cheek. Again, this is done only as friends and family among themselves. When meeting for the first time, a firm handshake is sufficient, with one then Piacere says. Which means as much as 'pleasant'.
If you answer the phone in Italy you say Pronto! What literally ready or forthwith means. The name is left out. First, the caller makes himself known.
After this, the conversation starts immediately, because an Italian does not like silences. If a silence does fall, you get a torrent of Pronto???over you. Pronto? Pronto????Prontóó!!!
The volume at which Italians make public calls is also set to a thousand. Even if the conversation is so personal. Whether the cat has diarrhoea or you yourself have been constipated for days, it doesn't matter. No shame in public phone calls.
In a 'live' greeting, you can't just walk out the door. First, one goes back and forth asking "Come stai?", Comme vai? Or Tutto bene?" (How are you?, all's well?) The risk here is that you will spend minutes explaining how things are going. It's just part of the job.
In Italy, if you do not know someone well, it is greatly appreciated if you sprinkle royal with 'Prego' (please) or Grazie(thank you)
If they thank you, you can absolutely thank them back with Grazie Lei (Thank you) or Grazie Mille (1000x thanks).
It all seems heavily exaggerated to us, but it certainly is not.
The farewell
Italians also use different forms of politeness when saying goodbye, depending on time of day. During the day you often hear 'Buon giorno'or Buona serata (Good morning or nice day). And depending on the time of day (as discussed above) Buona sera.
Want to keep it simple when saying goodbye? Then 'Arrivederci'(Goodbye) fine.
Using these simple rules will open doors for you that would otherwise remain closed. If you pay some attention to this in the beginning, you will see that it comes naturally.
Finally; one more important thing. Italians value their privacy. Therefore, never just walk into anyone's house. As an Italian always does, even with close friends, he always asks Permesso (may I come in).
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