A1 · Section 1 of 10

Greetings & formalities

Greet anyone politely at any time of day.

Italians greet before anything else. Skipping it sounds rude.

• buongiorno

  (bwohn-johr-noh)

  = good morning / hello

• buonasera

  (bwoh-nah-seh-rah)

  = good evening

• scusi

  (skoo-zee)

  = excuse me (formal)

• scusa

  (skoo-zah)

  = excuse me (friends)

• grazie mille

  (grah-tsyeh meel-leh)

  = thanks a lot

• arrivederci

  (ahr-ree-veh-dehr-chee)

  = goodbye