Episode 18 · Real Italian Conversations
Ciao or buongiorno? Don't be too casual in Italy
Ciao to a shopkeeper you don't know sounds too familiar. Say buongiorno - or buonasera later in the day.
Mia walks into a gelateria with a cheerful ciao. The owner raises an eyebrow.
Laura ·
In this lesson
| Italian | Word for word | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Ciao! | hi / bye | friends, family, people your age who say it first |
| Buongiorno! | good morning / hello | strangers, shops, until early afternoon |
| Buonasera! | good evening / hello | from mid-afternoon on |
| Ci conosciamo? | do we know each other? | |
| Che gusto? | which flavour? | at the gelateria |
If the shopkeeper says ciao first, you can say ciao back. Until then: buongiorno.
The dialogue
Every line from the video, with the English meaning under the Italian.
Mia✗ Mistake
Ciao! Vorrei un gelato.
Hi! I'd like an ice cream.
Laura
Ciao? Ci conosciamo?
Ciao? Do we know each other?
Mia
Oops. Too casual?
Laura
Con chi non conosci: buongiorno! Più tardi: buonasera.
Strangers: buongiorno! Later: buonasera.
Mia✓ Correct
Buongiorno! Vorrei un gelato, per favore.
Good morning! I'd like an ice cream, please.
Laura
Buongiorno a lei! Che gusto?
Good morning to you! Which flavour?
Mia
Cioccolato!
Chocolate!
The voices in this video are synthetic and the on-screen host is generated. The Italian itself is written and checked by a native speaker.
Ready to speak, not just watch?
Practise these phrases out loud with Laura in a small group or a private lesson.
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