They say that in order to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of a country, you must speak its language. In this way, you will feel its culture and turn into a "resident" of this country, albeit not for long.
Knowing commonplace words increases the level of trust of the natives in you, it can help everywhere: in a restaurant, a museum, a hotel, even on the street!
Italy is one of the most beautiful countries in Europe, the annual flow of tourists from all over the world is about 50 million people. Someone wants to admire the Leaning Tower of Pisa or the famous Colosseum, someone wants to go shopping in the most fashionable city in Italy - Milan, and someone wants to be inspired by romantic Venice. However, all tourists have one thing in common: the desire to learn a few phrases in Italian, so as not to get lost in the crowd.
This is a country of incredibly friendly people, here they greet not only acquaintances, but also strangers. Let's take a look at the most common Italian greetings and goodbyes below.
Buon giorno
This translates to "hello" or"good afternoon", this expression can be used from the very morning until about 5 pm. In Italy, there is no expression similar to the Russian "good morning" (perhaps because the Italian aristocrats in the Middle Ages woke up late, at lunchtime - there was no morning for them). [Buon giorno] is quite a formal expression, this Italian greeting can be said to a stranger in an elevator, a hotel receptionist, a waiter, a passer-by and older people.
Buona sera
Following Italian logic, "buona sera" is spoken from 5 pm until midnight. It is worth mentioning some subtleties of etiquette: when men meet, they shake hands; when only women or both men and women are present in the company - good acquaintances or friends - here the Italian greeting is also not limited to words. It is customary to kiss on both cheeks, always starting with the left. However, be careful, this is only a generally recognized convention: such "stormy greetings" do not mean at all that Italian men are lovers of gay people.
Let's move on to the translation from Italian of the greeting that has conquered the whole world, and which you have definitely already heard.
Ciao
Perhaps the most popular Italian greeting remains "ciao" [chao], which means both "hello" and "bye" at the same time - depending on the situation in which you say it. “Chao” can be said at any time of the night and day, most often to peers,friends, acquaintances, neighbors, relatives. In official situations and institutions or older people, you need to say either “buona sera” [buona sera] or “buon giorno” [buon giorno] and refer to “you”.
Buona notte
Italian words of greeting, as in many languages, are very diverse. In the evening, "buona sera" [buona sulfur] smoothly transitions to "buona notte" [buona notte] - "good night". As in Russian, this is said not only before going to bed, but also when meeting late at night.
Farewell
Here, too, there is nothing complicated. In an informal setting, we say "ciao", in an official setting - either "buona serata" [buona serata] during the day, or "buona giornata" [buona jornata] in the evening.
There is also a very common "arrivederci" with the Russian equivalent of "goodbye". If you plan to see the person again in the near future, it would be better to say "a presto" [and presto] - "see you soon". If you do not want to complicate your life, then you can only learn "arrivederci" - it is suitable for all occasions.
Gratitude and more
It is very important to know how to say thank you in a foreign language. This is included in the lexical minimum that you need to master when traveling to a particular country. The Italian "thank you" is a very short and easy to remember word, "Grazie" [grace]. The answer to it can be either "prego" [prego] ("please" in the sense of "no way". Warning! Do not confuse with "perfavore" [per favor] - "please" in an interrogative sentence - "please submit …"), or "di niente" [di niente] - "no way".
Extra
So, we have reviewed the most popular farewells and greetings in Italian with translation into Russian. As a general development, we give you a few more phrases that can undoubtedly help you in your acquaintance with Italy.
- If you are confused or did not understand something when talking with an Italian citizen, then either "non capisco" [non capisco] - I don't understand, or a long phrase "parli più lentamente, per favore" [parli pyu lantamente peer favouret] - please speak more slowly.
- If you understand that communication has reached a dead end, that you are ready to give up and switch to your "native" English, then say "parla inglese?" [parla inglese?] - do you speak english?
- If you want to thank someone for a service rendered, then you can add "You are very kind" to the usual "thank you" - "lei e molto gentile" [lei e molto gentile].
- If you need to ask something from a stranger on the street or apologize for the inconvenience, then use "sorry" - "Mi scusi" [Mi scusi] or just "scusi".
- If you are lost in time, walking through the streets of Venice, you can ask a passerby with the question "Quanto tempo?" [cuAnto tempo?] - what time is it? or"Quale ora?" [kuAle Ora?] - what time is it?
- It doesn't take much effort to answer questions in monosyllables: "Si" [Si] - yes, "No" [But] - no.
- Learn the best excuse for all occasions: "Sono straniero" [sono straniero] - I am a foreigner, or "Siamo stranieri" [sYamo stranieri] - we are foreigners.
Etiquette
When referring to men and young people, you should say "Signor" (it doesn't matter if this signor is 8 or 68 years old). Women (mostly married) are politely addressed as "Signora", but for young girls and girls it is better to address "Signorina". And try not to mix it up!
When entering and leaving the store, be sure to say hello and say goodbye, otherwise you will be taken for an ignoramus. This is a sign of good parenting!
Italians came up with a playful saying about themselves: "If an Italian has his hands tied behind his back, he won't be able to speak." They are partly right - the inhabitants of the Apennine Peninsula are very expressive, pronounced gesticulation during a conversation is their feature. Do not be afraid if your interlocutor starts waving his arms and talking loudly, this is quite normal in Italy.
Since childhood, Italians have been creating a special style of communication, which is most clearly manifested in the look - this is a whole system of gestures, facial expressions, rounding and rolling eyes, intonations and postures, the vocation of which is to highlight the true or imaginary emotions of the one who "performs" ". Here it is important not only to express your thoughtsto the interlocutor, but also to declare their importance and feel themselves in the spotlight. It is very important to make others understand your cheerfulness, confidence, lack of weaknesses and the ability to manage life. It may seem that most often this borders on impudence, but in the eyes of Italians this is absolutely not the case! If an Italian does not know something, this does not prevent him from talking about it as if he is an expert in this matter. If he finds himself in a traffic jam, he drives around it along the curb, if he sees his interlocutor for the first (or maybe even the first and last) time in his life, he will begin to look into his eyes as if he were his best friend and hug his shoulders.
However, there is nothing surprising here - the Italians, who have lived for centuries with the reputation of such "machos" in the most beautiful country with a unique culture and history, really believe that all this pantomime and flair add soulfulness and imagery to the conversation.
