When you are meeting some friends, for instance, be it morning or evening, you can say ‘ciao’ both when you meet and when you say goodbye. Since ‘ciao’ is an informal greeting you only use it in conversations with friends or family or people you know very well. Avoid using it with people of high social importance such as police officers, doctors, your boss or a teacher.
The origins of ‘ciao’ are rather interesting too with its roots in the Venetian dialect. The original phrase was ‘scia’o vostro’ which literally meant ‘I am your slave’. This phrase was typically used to say ‘I am there if you need me’. Continue reading “2. How to say ‘Hello’ in Italian – Salve”