So, you get asked Come stai? and before you can think, you’ve already replied Tutto bene. Sure, it’s the classic. It works perfectly fine. But if that’s what you say every single time, it can start to feel a little boring.
After all, “I’m fine” can hide different meanings: really good, kind of okay, stressed but managing, or just barely holding it together. So if you’re looking to vary your responses and sound a bit more natural, here are all the ways to say “I’m fine” in Italian without defaulting to tutto bene again!
The standard way of saying “I’m fine” in Italian
Before exploring all the alternatives, let’s take a moment to look at the standard replies.
Tutto bene literally means “everything good,” which is like saying “everything’s okay” in English. It works well as a standard response because it’s simple and positive (whether everything really is fine or you just don’t want to share much). You can even shorten it to just bene (good).
What’s interesting is that tutto bene can be used both as a reply and as a question. Instead of the usual Come stai? (How are you?) or Come va? (How’s it going?), you might hear someone ask Tutto bene? (Everything good?).
Another standard way to say “I’m fine” in Italian is Sto bene (I’m good). This phrase is especially interesting because, unlike in English where you say “I am good” using the verb to be, in Italian we use the verb stare instead. While stare can mean “to stay” or “to be located,” it’s also used to describe how you’re feeling at the moment, whether physically or emotionally. So, Sto bene literally means “I’m feeling good right now.”
Alternative ways to say “I’m fine” in Italian
Now let’s dive into some varied ways Italians express that you’re doing well.
1. Molto bene
(Very well)
Okay, this one isn’t too different from the standard replies, but don’t worry, we’re just getting started! Molto bene is fairly neutral, a bit on the formal side, and while it’s positive, it doesn’t show much emotion.
A: Buongiorno direttore! Come sta? (Good morning, director! How are you?)
B: Molto bene, grazie. Lei tutto bene? Come sono andate le ferie? (Very well, thank you. Are you doing well? How was your vacation?)
2. Benone
(Really great)
More enthusiastic than molto bene, benone is formed by taking bene and adding -one, the suffix that makes something bigger. It’s rather colloquial and typically used in casual conversations among friends or family.
A: È una vita che non ci vediamo! Come vanno le cose? (It’s been ages since we last saw each other! How’s everything going?)
B: Benone! Tra un mese mi sposo! (Really great! I’m getting married in a month!)
Sometimes, benone can also be used ironically, like in this example:
A: Ehi Elena, tutto bene? (Hey Elena, everything good?)
B: Aaaah, benone! Sono in ritardo e ho appena preso una multa, meglio di così! (Ah, really great! I’m late and just got a fine, couldn’t be better!)
3. Benissimo
(Extremely well)
Still in the enthusiastic territory, benissimo is the superlative form of bene, made by using the suffix -issimo, which gives bene an even more positive and intensified meaning. It works well in both formal and informal contexts.
A: Signora Rossi come sta? Come si sente oggi? (Mrs. Rossi, how are you? How do you feel today?)
B: Benissimo, cara. Mi è passato anche il mal di schiena! (Extremely well, dear. I even got rid of my back pain!)
4. Abbastanza bene
(Quite well)
This phrase quietly conveys that we’re fine and things are going decently, though there’s room for improvement. The focus here is on abbastanza, an adverb meaning “enough” or “to a sufficient degree.”
A: Ehi Enzo, tutto a posto? (Hey Enzo, everything okay?)
B: Abbastanza bene, grazie. Sono solo un po’ stanco (Quite well, thanks. Just a bit tired.)
5. Bene, dai!
(Fine, overall)
The word dai usually means “come on”, but here it’s more of a filler word that makes what we say more casual and conversational.
A: Come va? (How’s it going?)
B: Bene, dai! Un po’ di casini al lavoro, ma niente di nuovo (I’m good, you know! A bit of chaos at work, but nothing new.)
6. Sto una meraviglia
(I’m doing great)
This is a casual expression to use when things are genuinely going well. Literally meaning “I am a marvel,” it captures a cheerful mood, like we’re totally unbothered by problems (or at least we’re making it look that way).
A: Ciao Francesca, finalmente sei tornata! Come stai? (Hello Francesca, you’re finally back! How are you?)
B: Sto una meraviglia! Mi serviva proprio questa vacanza (I’m doing great! I really needed this holiday.)
7. Sto…
(Hanging in there)
This one is as minimal and cryptic as it gets. Just sto, the first-person form of stare (meaning “I stay” or “I am”), without any adjective or context. Basically, we’re saying that we’re not thriving but we’re not falling apart either. We’re fine… just existing. It’s super informal and often accompanied by a shrug.
A: Oh fra, come stai? (Hey, bro, how’s it going?)
B: Sto! (Hanging in there!)
8. Tutto a posto
(Everything’s fine)
A posto translates to “in place,” so when we say tutto a posto, we’re basically saying that everything is in order and things are just fine. It’s another easy response when we don’t feel like getting into details and works in any situation, whether we’re chatting with a friend, replying to a colleague, or reassuring our doctor.
Like tutto bene, tutto a posto too can be used as a casual alternative to Come va?
A: Ehi Giulia, tutto a posto con il nuovo cliente? (Hey Giulia, everything okay with the new client?)
B: Sì sì, tutto a posto. Dobbiamo solo definire gli ultimi dettagli del contratto, ma direi che ci siamo (Yeah, everything’s fine. We just need to finalize the last details of the contract, but I’d say we’re almost there.)
9. Non c’è male
(Not bad)
The literal meaning of this expression is “there is no bad,” with c’è meaning “there is” and male meaning “bad.” We use it frequently to say “I’m fine” when we mean that we’re not overly positive, but not negative either. It’s casual and fits well in most contexts.
A: Come stai cara? (How are things, dear?)
B: Non c’è male. Un po’ di preoccupazioni, ma si va avanti. (Not bad. Got some worries, but getting by.)
10. Alla grande
(Super)
It literally means “in a big way” and conveys that things are going extremely well and we’re full of positive energy. Think of it as the Italian equivalent of saying “Awesome!” or “Everything is fantastic!”
A: Finalmente ti fai vedere Matteo, come stai? (Finally you show up, Matteo! How are you?)
B: Alla grande! Ho già superato gli obiettivi dell’anno al lavoro! (Super! I’ve already smashed this year’s goals at work!)
11. Mai stato meglio
(Never been better)
This is another very enthusiastic response we’d use when we’re feeling fantastic and want people to know it. A small grammar note: this is the only expression on the list that changes based on the speaker’s gender. If you’re female, you say mai stata meglio, and if you’re talking about a group, you’ll use the plural form mai stati meglio (or mai state meglio for an all-female group).
A: Ciao Martina! Ti vedo raggiante, come stai? (Hello Martina! You look radiant, how are you?)
B: Mai stata meglio, finalmente tutto sta andando per il verso giusto! (Never been better, at last everything is going just right!)
We often use it ironically, especially when things aren’t going well but we want to to keep the mood light, for example:
A: Ragazzi, anche voi in partenza? Come state? (Guys, are you leaving too? How are you doing?)
B: Mai stati meglio—hanno appena cancellato il nostro volo per New York! (Never been better—they just canceled our flight to New York!)
12. Non mi lamento / Non mi posso lamentare
(Can’t complain)
We use these expressions to say that we’re reasonably happy with how things stand. They carry a laid-back tone, similar to saying, “Things are alright… no complaints here.”
A: Ciao Davide! Come te la passi? (Hi Davide! How’s it going?)
B: Non mi posso lamentare. Si lavora, i bambini stanno bene… tutto procede tranquillo. (Can’t complain. Work is good, the kids are doing fine… everything’s going pretty smoothly.)
13. Così così
(So so)
This means “okay-ish” — neither good nor bad. We often say it while making a hand gesture: an open hand swinging gently from right to left, visually emphasizing that “meh” feeling.
A: Che fine hai fatto? Non sei più venuto al bar, come stai? (Where have you been? You haven’t come to the bar in ages, how are you?)
B: Così così. È un periodo un po’ pesante (So-so. It’s a bit of a rough patch.)
14. Si tira avanti
(I’m getting by)
Literally, tirare means “to pull” and avanti means “forward,” so this expression evokes an image of pulling ourselves through life, step by step. It’s the kind of thing we say when we’re getting by, even if things aren’t perfect.
A: Come va in questo periodo? (How’s it going these days?)
B: Si tira avanti. Tra lavoro, casa e tutto il resto, non ci si annoia. (I’m getting by. Between work, home, and everything else, there’s never a dull moment.)
15. Si tira a campare
(Just getting through the day)
This expression might be new to many, but it’s actually quite common, especially with older Italians. It combines tirare (to pull) with campare (to get by or live). Unlike si tira avanti, it has a more weary, resigned tone, like saying we’re fine but in survival mode. It’s typically delivered with a shrug and a half-smile.
A: Allora signor Carlo, come va oggi? (So, Mr. Carlo, how are things today?)
B: Eeeh… si tira a campare. Con questa schiena e il caldo, non è facile! (Eeeh… just getting through the day. With this back and the heat, it’s not easy!)
Valentina Nicastro is a travel writer in love with her home country, Italy. Having travelled widely around the globe, she realised there was more to explore closer to home and decided to put the passport aside for a while. When she is not immersed in documenting Italy, you’ll find her donning her communication consultant hat, weaving words as a content writer and bridging linguistic divides as a translator.
