Italian.What are the difference between the words "Ciao" , "Salve" and "Buongiorno" ?

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AgidÃ²

hey...nice to hear u like my country,its culture and music (I luuuuuuuuv Vasco!!!!) :)

1 - 2 ) Ciao is both for whan u arrive and when u leave....so it can mean "hello", "hi"...but it doesn't mean "goodbye" [which is "arrivederci"]. it is very informal.
"Salve" is hello and it's formal;
"buongiorno" is "good morning" and you say it as u arrive....when we live we prefer "buona giornata" which means the exactly same (we're weird,i know!) or "arrivederci" or it's more formal way "arrivederla" (using the third person). It's up to yo choosing which one to use....

3) "A presto" is "see you soon"; " a dopo" is "see you later"; "a domani" is "see you tomorrow";"ci vediamo" is much shorter and it's "see you" lol ....it's obviously up to when u mean to see the one you're waving to which one to use :)

4) no, not really... but personally I use more ofter " a presto" it's faster and more common :)

5) well "piacere" could both be informal (but the less formal way would just be saying your name while shaking hands!) and formal. "lieta di conoscerla" e "molto lieta" are informal (the "lieta di conoscerla" is VERY formal: you're also using a "third person"! )

6) ragazzi means "guys"

hope i helped :)

--Flavia--

1- Ciao is informal and is used to say "hi" and "bye", salve is a sort of "formal ciao" and can be used both when you arrives or leaves, buongiorno means goodmorning and is used as in english

2- can be used as goodbye but it isn't so frequent, it happens if you leave someone in the morning... arrivederci or salve is much more used..

3-a presto means "see you soon" but you don't know when you'll see the person again, a dopo means also "see you soon" but in you know you'll see him almoust during the day, a domani means "see you tomorrow" and ci vediamo is used like "a presto" but it's a bit more informal.. (you can use "a presto" to someone you don't know well and "ci vediamo" to a friend)

4-no differences

5-no, are only different way to say the same thing, are both formal

6-means boys, guys... salve ragazzi means "hi guys" but it isn't used between guys but much more when a teacher enter the class... it's a semiformal...

Passer@ Scopaiol@ +23

1) ciao and buongiorno is like hello and good morning.

2) yes is frequently. the text is right.
lol, yes we can say good-bye, is the same as you wish "have a nice day", buongiorno is a sort of translation of have a nice day.

3)"a presto" is use when your intention are to see that person again, or just formal, or generic.
"a dopo" if you are seeing that person in a few hours in the same day
"a domani" if you are seeing that person the day after
"ci vediamo" is like goodbye, but not formal, you can use that just with friends, or parents, or someone who you know well.

4)"a presto" could be more generic than "ci vediamo presto", but maybe ci vediamo presto is used when you have intention to see that person again. but you can use what you want.

5) "piacere" is more unformal
"lieta di cooscerla" or "molto lieto" are equal and both very formal.

6) ragazzi is "guys", "salve ragazzi" is like hello guys.

listen to de gregori if you like our music, songs "la donna cannone", and "sempre e per sempre" :)

ChErRy BoMb!

i'm italian!!
so..
1) ciao is more informal.. it's used to greet with friends
2)salve and buongiorno is more formal.
buongiorno is used to greet someone for example when you arrive to your office or to school.. ecc
infact we used Arrivederci for say good bye
3) a prestoa dopo =see you late
a domani = see you tomorrow
ci vediamo= see you late in general
4)no there is'nt any different.
5) there isn't difference!
6) it's means hello guys!
sorry for my grammar but i'm 16 and I try to learn english at school!!! bye bye!! =)

Cereal Killer

they all mean hello goodbye and later

mac

hi,
I'm happy there's to learn languagee (by the way I love studyingg languages and I'd love to improve my English)However:
1 ciao is Hi! used with friends or people you know
buon giorno is more formal, like good Morning.
Salve stays in the middle, it is like hello, ..let's say that it is more formal than hi but less polite than buon giorno.
2yes, buon giorno can mean good by because its meaning if you say it by leaving is "I wish you'll have a - buon giorno- like..a good day."However we use "arrivederci"more often than buon giorno when we're leaving.
3 a presto is see you soon
a dopo is see you leater
a domani is see you tomorrow
ci vediamo is just see you!!
4 there isn't any great difference between them, more or less it is like nice to meet you, pleased to meet you, really nice to meet you..
5 ragazzi means guys so salve ragazzi could be translated in "hi guys!" young people love to say it, like"ciao ragazzi"or in ..some kind of slang, "ciao raga", which is the same.

Sorry for my English, I hope you'll understand this all..

keep studyng!

Matia C

1- Ciao: informal greet used both when meeting than leaving someone; being informal it should be used among friends, relatives, family members, when speaking with children or nearly your aged people

Salve: it's a Latin origined greet, it's more formal than ciao... it can also be used when meeting or leaving... should be used when speaking with strangers or "more important people" (like teachers, doctors, employees and so on)

they both mean "hi", "hello"

Buongiorno: means "Goodmorning"; it can be used both formal then informal

2- yes... in a sort of way it can! :) anyway, literally, good-bye is translated as "arrivederci/arrivederLa (this last one is more formal)... so if you will leave my shop I would say you "grazie e arrivederci" (thanks and good-bye)

3- "A presto" means "see you soon"
"A dopo" means "see you later"
"A domani" means "see you tomorrow"
"Ci vediamo" means "see you"

the differences are the same as in English..

4- basically they are the same thing...they are hust synonimouses.. you can choose which one you want to use :)

5- as over... they all have the same meaning "nice to meet you" but they are used in different contexts as you clearly noticed. It's just a matter of formality:

Piacere: is the most informal one... but you can use it both in formal than informal occasions... when meeting you best friend's girl/boyfriend but also when meeting a University teacher for example

Piacere di conoscerla: it's formal... use it just in formal occasions... and if you have to write it remember that the "L" in "conoscerla" should be written capitalized. The informal version is: "piacere di conoscerti"

Molto lieto: quite formal version

6- "ragazzi" means "boys, guys, mates but also boyfriends". it's a bit tricky as you can see.. and one thing more... it's the word you have to use to refer to a mixed group of people..
I mean: if it's a group made up of only girls it's "salve ragazze", if it's made up of only boys "salve ragazzi"; but if it's made up of boys and girls you have to use the same "salve ragazzi" :)

Jay Riddle

1) Ciao = hey, hi.
Salve = hello.
Buongiorno = good morning.
2) uhmmm not really. Buona Giornata or Arrivederci is much more appropriate.
Arrivederci DOES mean goodbye xD
3) A Presto = see you soon
A Domani = see you tomorrow
Ci Vediamo = see you
4) nah, not really.
5) Piacere= pleasure (as in "it's a pleasure to meet you")
Lieta di conoscerla = nice to meet you (formal)
Molto lieto = very nice to meet you (formal. not as formal as Lieta di conoscerla, though)
6) Ragazzi means both boys or, more generally, guys. salve ragazzi means hello, guys.

hope this helps!!!

tolinrome

Ciao = hello and goodbye in an informal way. so when your talking with your boys or girls hanging out or with your family or with kids you say CIAO. If you say ciao to someone in Italy that is your age that you never met or older or to an official that would be considered rude.

Salve = neutral way of saying hello (not formal and not informal). This would be as if you met someone walking down the street and stopped to ask them a question..."salve....." or walked into a shop to order pasta (what else) and asked for it.

Buongiorno= Goodmorning. It's actually used til about 3pm in the afternoon and then after that they usually say "Buonaserra"= good evening

what.aboutme

I'm italian and i know that our language can appear so rich of different words and phrases that can confuse. I try to answer to your questions to make everything clear :P

1) "ciao" is an informal form, "salve" can result more respectful, and "buongiorno" is a form used only in the morning.

2)yes,frequently we use "buongiorno" as "goodbye" when we leave a shop (goodbye is more appropiate,but to say buongiorno it is an everyday form)

3) "a presto" is a form which refers to an indeterminate moment in time.(see you soon)
"a dopo" means that you will saw the person later
"a domani" is like "see you tomorrow"
"ci vediamo" is another form which doesn't refer to a precise moment in time

4)no

5)piacere is informal
"lieta di conoscerla" is very formal
"molto lieto" is a polite form

6) it is like "hi guys"

i hope that i've been clear :S :P

kisses form italy :)

charry

hi!!so..
you say buongiorno and salve (tose two you can use when you arrive and when you leave) and arrivederci (you can use this just when you're leaving, because it means something like "i hope to see you again") to people that you don't know (like the personal of the shop) or to old people, because it's more formal than ciao, that you can use with your friends, your family, young people...

i've never heard anybody saying SALVE ragazzi, we always say CIAO ragazzi, because ragazzi means guys, so you're talking to your friends, or to young people!

a presto means "see you soon"
a domani means "see you tomorrow"
ci vediamo means "see you"

for the question 5: there isn't any difference among those phrases, they mean approssimately the same thing. you use those phrases when you meet someone (often "important") like your new boss, the parents of you friends....
sometimes you can use piacere when you meet new friends, but not the other 2 , even if they mean the same thing

i hope you'll understand, my english isn't very good bcs i'm italian and i'm still studing!!!!!!

waltcosmos

no capiche

Â°Â°LiTtLe PrInCeSsÂ°Â°

1) Ciao Is confidentially,Salve is formally and Buongiorno is like Good Morning
2)No.Good bye in italian is ARRIVEDERCI
3)"A presto" is like "See you Soon"; "A dopo" is like "See you Later" ; A domani is like "See you Tomorrow" and " Ci vediamo" is like "see you"
4)No there aren't
5)These phrases are used in the same situation.Are like " I'am fine to meet you"
6)They say " Ciao!" or "Ciao Ragazzi"

=)
You have to Listen "Ligabue"!!He is the best Italian's singer!

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