11 Different Ways to Say Goodbye in Italian – “Arrivederci” and beyond!

Goodbye! So long! Farewell! Toodle-loo! In English, there are dozens of ways to say goodbye besides the standard textbook phrases everyone learns in class, so it should come as no surprise that Italian has plenty of expressions of its own! In this article, we cover all the most important expressions you need to enrich your Italian vocabulary. 😉

1. Arrivederci / ArrivederLa

One of the very first words you’ll learn for goodbye in Italian is arrivederci, and as expressions go, it is pretty safe to use at any formal occasion. Formed from the reflexive verb rivedersi, it literally means to see each other again. It can be used to address an individual or a group of people.

A lesser known alternative to arrivederci is arrivederLa. It has exactly the same meaning but can only be directed towards one person in a formal context. This is because La (with a captial L) is the formal way of saying you (object pronoun) in Italian. It is often used when addressing doctors, lawyers, or any other mainstream professional.

2. Buongiorno / Buonasera / Buona notte

If you want to make reference to the specific time of day when saying goodbye to someone, you may want to use buongiorno (good morning or good day), buonasera (good evening) or buona notte (good night).

As in English, these expressions are all formal and would rarely be used between friends and close family, with the exception of buona notte. In fact, they are often used when dismissing another person in a cold or aloof manner (e.g. a shopkeeper who isn’t interested in making conversation).

You may also hear buona serata between acquainted people.

3. Salve

Salve is another formal way of saying goodbye that is almost always used in conjunction with arrivederci or buongiorno/buonasera. You can hear it most frequently in interactions between customers and employees.

Although it depends on the tone of voice, salve can sound cold and detached but not impolite. Many people use it when they aren’t interested in fostering any kind of relationship with the other person.

4. Ciao / Ciao ciao

Ciao or the doubled-up ciao ciao is about as colloquial as you can get in Italian. It is the perfect way of saying goodbye to a friend or a family member. Ciao on its own can be used to say both hi and bye whereas ciao ciao is always used when parting.

5. A dopo / A più tardi / A stasera / A domani / A presto / A risentirci / Alla prossima

There are many words you can use after the preposition a (to) in Italian to see someone off. All of these expressions translate to See you ____! or Until ___! in English. Here are a few of the most popular:

• A dopo = See you afterwards / later
• A più tardi = See you later (on)
• A stasera = See you tonight / Until tonight
• A domani = See you tomorrow / Until tomorrow
• A presto = See you soon
• A risentirci = Until we speak again
• Alla prossima = See you next time* / Until next time

*A + la prossima becomes alla prossima

6. Ci vediamo dopo / più tardi / stasera / domani / presto

Ci vediamo (we see each other) is another popular way of seeing someone off. It also translates as See you …! in English. It can be used on its own (especially with friends) or it can be combined with many of the expressions mentioned in the previous section.

• Ci vediamo dopo = See you afterwards / later
• Ci vediamo più tardi = See you later (on)
• Ci vediamo stasera = See you tonight
• Ci vediamo domani = See you tomorrow
• Ci vediamo presto = See you soon
• Ci vediamo la prossima volta = See you next time

7. Addio

Addio is very similar to the English word farewell in that it is dated, quite formal and dramatic, and rarely used in speech, if not in an ironic or humorous way. It also has a definite rather than temporary feel to it. Situations in which you would use addio include funerals and the end of a romantic relationship.

8. Buon proseguimento / viaggio / lavoro / serata / giornata / rientro / divertimento

When speaking to someone who is about to take part in an activity such as a trip or a night out, you can use the expression buon proseguimento which literally means good continuation. There isn’t an equivalent expression in English but it is similar in meaning to Enjoy! or Have a good time!

If you want to be more specific than proseguimento, you can use other words such as: viaggio (trip), lavoro (work), serata (evening), giornata (day), rientro (return to work, journey back home) or divertimento (enjoyment, fun).

9. Stammi bene / Si riguardi

Stammi bene (and the formal equivalent Mi stia bene or Si riguardi) are both ways of saying Take care (of yourself)! in Italian. The former is used a lot when seeing off friends and close family members in person, but may also be used in writing. They literally translate as stay well in English.

10. Un bacio / Un abbraccio / Baci

Italians love ending their texts, emails and letters with hugs and kisses as an expression of affection. In fact, I rarely receive a text from my friends and family in Italy that don’t end with un bacio (a kiss), un abbraccio (a hug) or baci (kisses). Other alternatives include:

• Un forte/caro abbraccio = A strong/dear hug
• Un abbraccio affettuoso/sentito = An affectionate/heartfelt hug
• Ti abbraccio forte = I hug you tightly
• Un abbraccione = A big hug
• Tanti baci = Lots of kisses (used between couples)
• Un bacione = A big kiss
• Ti mando un bacio / un abbraccio = I send you a kiss / hug
• Baci e abbracci = kisses and hugs

11. Un saluto / Saluti / Ti saluto / La saluto

Another common way of ending a written correspondence is by using un saluto or the plural saluti. Used on their own, they become an informal way of saying goodbye. They are a little more distant and less warm than the expressions seen above.

You can use saluto in spoken conversation to extend the goodbye to the family of the person, or his colleagues and friends. You can also say salutami (informal) or mi saluti (formal) which is the conjugated verb of salutare (to greet, to say hello):

• Grazie Mario, un saluto a te e famiglia = Thanks Marco, greetings to you and the family
• Grazie Mario, salutami la tua famiglia = Thanks Marco, say hi to the family for me

You can also use the expressions ti saluto (informal) or La saluto (formal).

When accompanied by the following words, saluti transforms into a formal greeting along the lines of best wishes or kind regards:

• Cordiali saluti
• Con i migliori saluti
• Distinti saluti

Can you think of any other ways of saying goodbye in Italian? Let us know in the comments below!

Heather Broster

Heather Broster is a graduate with honours in linguistics from the University of Western Ontario. She is an aspiring polyglot, proficient in English and Italian, as well as Japanese, Welsh, and French to varying degrees of fluency. Originally from Toronto, Heather has resided in various countries, notably Italy for a period of six years. Her primary focus lies in the fields of language acquisition, education, and bilingual instruction.