Addressingpeopleformallyandinformally,greetingsandintroductions.Listentothepodcast.

ThePodcastisaboutmakingfriendsandstartingaconversation.
“LEI”AND”TU”

InItalian,wehavetwodifferentlevels ofcommunication:formalandinformal.Whenwewantto addresssomeoneinformally,weusethepronounTU(you).OntheotherhandtheformalpronounisLEI(she)usedforbothmenandwomen.ThefirstoneisequivalenttotheEnglishYOU,sothere’snoproblemhere.TheLEI isaformofrespectthat createsdistancebetweenspeakers.Forexample:

• Cometichiami(tu)?
• Comesichiama(lei)?

Theybothmeanwhat’syourname,butthelatterismoreappropriateifyouspeaktoanadultyoudon’tknow,orneedtopayrespecttosomeone. Forexample,IknowmanypeopleusingtheLeiwiththeirparentsinlaw,theirbossesandcolleaguesatwork,theircustomers.Itdependsonthesituation.

SometimestheLeiis notnecessarybecause thenature oftherelationshipisinformal.Italiansarefriendly,somostprobablytheLeiwillbe necessaryonlywhenyouintroduceyourself.YouwillsoonusetheinformalTu.

Sinceyouareaforeigner,people willunderstandit’sdifficultforyoutousetheLei.Inanycase,it’srecommendedtoshowsomepolitenessandlearngreetingsandintroductionsusing Lei.Then,youcanasktoswitchtotheinformalTusaying:

• Diamocideltu.
• Possiamodarcideltu?

Let’sproceedwithorder:
TITLES

ItaliansusetitlesmorethanEnglishspeakers.Thefollowingisthebasics:

• Signore-Sir
• Signora-Ma’am
• Signorina-Miss
• SignorRossi-Mr.Rossi
• SignoraBianchi-Mrs.Bianchi
• SignorinaFerrari-MissFerrari

Ontopofit,people tendtogivealotofimportancetograduatedprofessionals.EveryItalianholdingauniversitydegreeisadottore ifmaleordottoressa if femaleandthetitleis usedinsteadofsignororsignorabeforethelastname,evenoutsidetheworkingenvironment.Themostcommonare:

• DottorRossi
• DottoressaBianchi
• AvvocatoMartini
• ProfessorArmani
• ProfessoressaLamborghini
• IngegnerCampari

Youcanseethattitlesformalesendingin”e”,dropthe”e”beforethelastname.SignorebecomesSignorRossi,DottorebecomesDottorRossiandsoon.
GREETINGS

GreetingsinItalianfollowthesamesimplerulesyouhaveinEnglish.Theycanbeformal,informal,commonorlesscommondependingonthesituation.Downbelowthemostcommon.

• Buongiorno-Goodmorning,butalsogoodafternoonuntildusk
• Buonpomeriggio-Goodafternoon,notascommonasBuongiorno
• Buonasera-Goodevening
• Buonanotte-Goodnight
• Buonagiornata-Haveagoodday
• Buonaserata-Haveagoodevening

These canbeusedinformalandinformalsituationsand areallratherpolite.I’drarely saybuonasera toaclosefriend.

• Ciao-Hi
• Salve-Hello

Ciao iswhatIwouldsaytoafriendorarelative.It’dbevery rudetosayciaotoapersonwho deservestheformalLei.

Salve istheformal versionofciao. Useitwhennecessary.

• Arrivederci-Seeyou.
• Civediamo-Seeyou.
• Cisivede-We’llseeeachother.
• Cisentiamo-Speaktoyousoon.
• Apresto-Seeyousoon.
• Adomani-Seeyoutomorrow.
• Allaprossima-Seeyounexttime.
• Adopo-Seeyoulater.
• Benvenuto/Benvenuta/Benvenuti-Welcome.

Arrivederciisquiteformal.It’soktouseitwiththeLeiform.SamewithApresto.Alltheothersareratherconversationalandinformal.Cisentiamo ismorelike”we’llhearfromeachother”.
INTRODUCTIONS

Youprobablylearnedthat”Michiamo…”means”Mynameis…”.Right,buttheliteraltranslationis “Icallmyself…”.Chiamarsiisaverboriflessivo,areflexiveverb.Visitthelinkedpageifyouwanttolearnmore.So,what’syournameis”Cometichiami?-Howdoyoucallyourself?”.Thecompleteconjugationoftheverbchiamarsiisthefollowing:

• Iomichiamo-
• Tutichiami-
• Lui/Leisichiama-
• Noicichiamiamo-
• Voivichiamate-
• Lorosichiamano-

Ifyouwanttoask”what’syourname”youhavetwooptions

• Cometichiami(tu)?Informal
• Comesichiama(lei)?Formal

Rememberthatwecanomitthesubject,soit’snotnecessarytosayTuorLeilikeinEnglish.Thepersonwouldanswer”Michiamo…”orsimplysayhisorhername.

Wecansay”nicetomeetyou”indifferentways:

• Piacerediconoscerla-“Pleasure toknowyou”-Lei,formal
• Ciao,piacere-Hi,pleasure-Tu,informal
• Moltopiacere-Muchpleasure-Verypolite,impersonal

Ifyouintroducesomeoneelsetosomepeople,therearetheusualtwooptions:

• LepresentoilDottorBianchi-Iintroducetoyou(Lei)Dr.Bianchi
• TipresentolamiaamicaLucia-Iintroducetoyou(Tu)myfriendLucia
• VipresentoIlsignorMartini-IintroducetoyouMr.Martini(voi,youplural)

Thepodcastandexamplesabovearebasic.Itwouldbeenoughtogetyoustarted.Downbelow,moreexamples.

LEI&TU

• Buongiornodottore,comesta?
• Miscusi, sacheoresono?
• Doveabita?
• Dov’èilsuoalbergo?
• Chelavorofa?
• Laringrazio.
• Leihafigli?
• Possoaiutarla?

• Buongiorno Marco,comestai?
• Scusami, saicheoresono?
• Doveabiti?
• Dov’èiltuoalbergo?
• Chelavorofai?
• Ti ringrazio.
• Tu haifigli?
• Possoaiutarti?

ENGLISH

• Goodmorning,howareyou?
• Excuseme,whattimeisit?
• Wheredoyoulive?
• Whereisyourhotel?
• What’syourjob?
• Thankyou.
• Doyouhavechildren?
• CanIhelpyou?

Inred,theLEIversion,inbluetheTUversion.ThesearejustafewexamplesandshowhowafewwordsinItaliancanchangethetoneandthelevelofrespect in aconversation.Thesesentencesmaybeuseful asice-breakersforstartingaconversation.

TITLES

Allthefollowingexamplesarewiththecourtesyform”Lei”.

• BuonNataleSignorRossi.
• AvvocatoBerlusconi,acheoraciincontriamo?
• Chiedoscusasignorina,habisognodiaiuto?
• SignoraMartini,sacheoresono?
• Ingegnere,hacompletato quelprogetto?
• Miscusisignore,hapersolechiavi.
• VorreiparlareconilprofessorCampari. Èdisponibile?
• DottoressaBianchi,ammiromoltoilsuolavoro.
• LepresentoilsignorBonaventura.

ENGLISH

• MerryChristmas,Mr.Rossi.
• AvvocatoBerlusconi,whattimeshallwemeet?
• IbegyourpardonMiss,doyouneedanyhelp?
• MrsMartini,doyouknowwhattimeisit?
• Ingegnere,haveyoufinishedthatproject?
• ExcusemeSir,youhavelostyourkeys.
• IwouldliketotalktoProfessorCampari,isheavailable?
• DottoressaBianchi,Iadmireverymuchyourwork.
• LetmeintroduceMr.Bonaventura.

GREETINGS

• Buongiornoatutti!
• Buonpomeriggiosignora,possoaiutarla?
• Buonasera Franco,comeva?
• Buonanotteesognid’oro.
• Buonagiornata ebuonlavoro.
• Buonaserataebuondivertimento.
• CiaoLuca,daquantotempo!
• SalvesignoraRossi,imieisalutiasuomarito.
• Arrivederci eapresto.
• Civediamolasettimanaprossima.
• GraziemilleMichela,cisivede.
• CiaoGiulia,apresto.
• Graziemilleperlabellaserata.Cisivede.
• BenvenutiinItalia!

ENGLISH

• Goodmorningeveryone.
• GoodafternoonMa’am,canIhelpyou?
• GoodeveningFranco,howisitgoing?
• Goodnightandsweetdreams
• Haveagooddayandagoodtimeatwork.
• Goodeveningandhavefun.
• CiaoLuca, longtimenosee!
• SalvesignoraRossi,myregardstoyourhusband.
• Seeyousoon.
• Seeyounextweek.
• ThanksalotMichela,I’llseeyou.
• Bye Giulia,seeyousoon.
• Thanksalotforthelovelyevening.We’llseeagain.
• WelcometoItaly!

Theseareformalandinformalgreetingsandfarewells.Theexpression”buonlavoro”doesn’treallyhaveanequivalent inEnglish.It’safarewell,inthiscaseitdoesn’tmean”goodjob!”.

INTRODUCTIONS

• MichiamoLuca,piacere.
• TichiamiFabio,vero?
• LuisichiamaStefano,èunmioamico
• Comesichiama latuaamica?
• Piacerediconoscerla dottoressaFerrari.
• Piacerediconoscerti,michiamoDario.
• Piaceremio.
• PossopresentarleilprofessorBianchi?
• PossopresentartiLaura,lamiaragazza?
• Viconoscetegià?

ENGLISH

• MynameisLuca,nicetomeetyou.
• YournameisFabio,right?
• He’sStefano,afriendofmine.
• What’sthenameofyourgirlfriend?
• PleasedtomeetyoudoctorFerrari(woman)
• Nicetomeetyou,mynameisDario
• Mypleasure.
• MayIintroduceprofessorBianchi?
• CanIintroduce Gianni,myboyfriend?
• Doyoualreadyknoweachother?

Thanksforreading!

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