The meaning of ciao | How to use this Italian Word (2024)

FAQs

The meaning of ciao | How to use this Italian Word? ›

It means Hi, Hello, and Bye. It is used... well, as Hi, Hello, and Bye. :) All contexts. Ciao

Italian: ciao ("hello", "hi" or "goodbye") also "ciao ciao" (bye bye). Japanese: チャオ, chao ("hello" or "hi") also チャオチャオ chao chao (bye bye).

How do Italians respond when someone says “ciao” or “come stai"? Usually ”ciao!” if someone you know and aren't close enough to engage in a protracted conversation, or “bene” or “bene, grazie” or “bene, tu?” if close enough to follow with additional conversation.

ciao in American English

(ˈtʃɑːɔ, English tʃau) Italian. interjection. (used as a word of greeting or parting) hello; goodbye; so long; see you later.

Ciao comes from the Venetian phrase s-ciào vostro which translates as 'I am your slave'. This is not strictly speaking an Italian saying, but a remnant of the Venetian dialect (you might be surprised to learn that Italy has more dialects than types of pasta).

When you greet a friend informally, you can use the word ciao. You might call out, "Ciao!"and wave as your brother steps off the train at the station. While ciao, pronounced "chow," is a casual Italian salutation that can mean both "hello" and "goodbye," most English speakers understand it as well.

It can also used in a flirty way for ladies to say hello to a man they are dating. It's an informal greeting but refrain from using it with strangers. It's best to keep it among friends.

The most common Italian greeting is Ciao (pronounced CHOW). Ciao is a simple, snappy way of saying hello and goodbye in Italian. It comes from the Venetian word sciavo—literally meaning servant or slave.

If you'd like to say “very good” in Italian, you'd generally say “molto bene.” That said, there are some common informal and/or slang expressions that convey the same idea: benissimo. che bello.

Ciao amore mio, if speaking to your girlfriend, boyfriend, wife or husband translates literally as Hello ( or Goodbye, Ciao has both meanings ) , or Hello my love.

What does Chow Bella mean? ›

What does ciao bella mean? Ciao bella is an informal Italian expression literally meaning “goodbye (or hello), beautiful.”

You can respond with the exact same word: Ciao. While they can all be categorized as greetings, there's a lot more to each greeting that simply “hello.”

Bella means beautiful in Italian. "Ciao bella!" or simply "Bella!" (How beautiful!) are standard exclamations.

Sometimes you'll hear Italians say ciao twice in a row . And because Italians love to take their time saying goodbye (especially on the phone), you'll often hear a few phrases combined, like this: Ciao, a domani.