On this page you can learn common Italian greetings with fun, listening to some classic Italian songs (and singing too)…
Italian Greetings Song: Arrivederci Roma
From “Arrivederci Roma” (Goodbye Rome) you can learn a very common Italian greeting, “arrivederci” that Italians use to greet about everybody:
Arrivederci, Roma, good bye, au revoir…
Goodbye, Rome, good bye, au revoir…
Si rivede a pranzo a Squarciarelli,
He’s for lunch at Squarciarelli,
fettuccine e vino dei Castelli
fettuccine and wine of the Castles,
come ai tempi belli che Pinelli immortalò!
like in the good times that Pinelli immortalized!
Arrivederci, Roma, good bye, au revoir…
Goodbye, Rome, good bye, au revoir…
Si ritrova a spasso in carrozzella e ripensa
He’s around on the small carriage and recalls
a quella “ciumachella” ch’era tanto bella
that “ciumachella” who was so beautiful
e che gli ha detto sempre “No!”
and that said always “No!” to him.
Stasera la vecchia fontana racconta alla
Tonight the old fountain tells to the
solita luna la storia vicina e lontana
same moon the near and distant story
di quella inglesina col naso all’insù.
of that english girl with the turned-up nose.
Io proprio qui l’ho incontrata e qui, proprio qui l’ho baciata.
I’ve met her just here and here, just here I’ve kissed her.
Lei, qui, con la voce smarrita, m’ha detto:
She, here, with a bewildered voice, told me:
“È finita, ritorno lassù!” Ma prima di partire
“It’s finished, I go back up there!” But before leaving
l’inglesina buttò la monetina e sussurrò:
the English girl throwed the coin and whispered:
“Arrivederci, Roma, good bye, au revoir…
“Goodbye, Rome, good bye, au revoir…
Voglio ritornar a via Margutta, voglio
I wish to return to Margutta street, I wish
rivedere la stanzetta dove m’hai tenuta
to see again the small room where you
tanto stretta in braccio a te!
held me very tight in your arms!
Language notes for “Arrivederci Roma”
In the song “Arrivederci Roma” (Goodbye Rome) you’ve just listened to there are some Italian idioms and expressions:
- fettuccine: literally “ribbon-shaped pasta”.
- vino dei Castelli: the “wine of the Castles” is the name of famous Rome wines.
- Pinelli immortalò: Pinelli immortalized! This expressions refers to the painter Achille Pinelli who painted some famous watercolours of Rome in 19th century.
- ciumachella: this is a term of endearment that literally means “small snail” (from the dialect of Rome)Via Margutta: Margutta street is the street or the artists, who have been living and working here since the 16th century and who still have their studios here today.
Use of the world “arrivederci” in Italian (half formal greeting)
The word “arrivederci” is often used in Italy to greet about everybody. It comes from four words:
a (to) + ri (again) + veder (to see) + ci (us)
“Arrivederci” has different translations in english, depending on the situation:
-
- arrivederci (polite): goodbye
- arrivederci (friendly): bye (good-bye)
- arrivederci – ci vediamo (friendly): see you
Common Italian Greetings: Another “Arrivederci” Song
Italian Blues Music – “Buonanotte Fiorellino” by Francesco De Gregori
Learn another common Italian greeting listening to the Italian blues music “Buonanotte Fiorellino” (Goodnight floweret) by Francesco De Gregori:
Buonanotte, buonanotte amore mio,
Goodnight, goodnight my love,
buonanotte tra il telefono e il cielo,
goodnight between the telephone and the sky,
ti ringrazio per avermi stupito,
I thank you because you amazed me,
per avermi giurato che è vero.
because you swore to me it’s true.
Il granturco nei campi è maturo
The corn in the fields is ripe
ed ho tanto bisogno di te,
and I need you very much,
la coperta è gelata e l’estate è finita,
the blanket is frozen ad summer is over,
buonanotte, questa notte è per te.
goodnight, this night is for you.
Buonanotte, buonanotte fiorellino,
Goodnight, goodnight floweret,
buonanotte tra le stelle e la stanza,
goodnight between the stars and the moon,
per sognarti devo averti vicino
to dream of you I have to have you near
e vicino non è ancora abbastanza.
and near isn’t still enough.
Ora un raggio di sole si è fermato
Now a sunbeam has stopped
proprio sopra il mio biglietto scaduto,
just on my no longer valid ticket,
tra i tuoi fiocchi di neve e le tue foglie di tè,
between your snowflakes and your tea-leaves,
buonanotte, questa notte è per te.
goodnight, this night is for you.
Buonanotte, buonanotte monetina,
Goodnight, goodnight small coin,
buonanotte tra il mare e la pioggia,
goodnight between the sea and the rain,
la tristezza passerà domattina
the sorrow will be over tomorrow morning
e l’anello resterà sulla spiaggia.
and the ring will remain on the beach.
Gli uccellini nel vento non si fanno mai male,
The little birds in the wind never come to grief,
hanno ali più grandi di me
they have wings bigger than me
e dall’alba al tramonto sono soli nel sole,
and from dawn to sunset they’re alone in the sun,
buonanotte, questa notte è per te.
goodnight, this night is for you.
Language notes for Italian Blues Music “Buonanotte fiorellino”: in the song “Buonanotte fiorellino” (Goodbye Floweret) you can find these peculiar Italian expressions:
- fiorellino: this is a diminutive of fiore (flower) that literally means “floweret”.
- monetina: another diminutive (from the word moneta) that literally means “small coin”.
Use of the world “buonanotte” in Italian (friendly and formal greeting)
The word “buonanotte” is used in Italy to greet people when it’s late in the evening or in the night. It is a compounded word (as in English):
Buona (good) + notte (night)
If it’s not too late it’s better to say “Buonasera!” (“Good evening”
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