Meaning
good morning
- hello
In a sentence
Buongiorno, hai dormito bene stanotte?
Good morning, did you sleep well last night?
Quando entro in ufficio, dico sempre buongiorno.
When I go into the office, I always say hello.
Non ho detto buongiorno al vicino oggi.
I didn't say good morning to the neighbor today.
Usage notes
- Use buongiorno from morning until lunch; after that, Italians usually switch to buonasera, not buon pomeriggio.
- More polite and neutral than ciao. Use it with strangers, staff, older people, or in professional settings.
- It works both when arriving and when leaving, especially in shops or offices.