How to Say What’s Up in Italian: Your Complete Guide
In this episode of The ItalianChat Experience, Sofia and I break down every way to say “what’s up” and “how are you” in Italian, from the casual “come va” to the personal “come stai” to the close-friends-only “che succede.” Plus, a live Naples scenario and a beautiful cultural insight about what Italians really mean when they ask “tutto bene?”
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How to Say What’s Up in Italian: Come Va
Come va? (KOH-meh VAH) is the most common casual greeting in Italian. It literally means “how does it go?” and it’s the Italian equivalent of “how’s it going?” Two words, three syllables, and you can use it with anyone you’re comfortable with.
A note on pronunciation: “come” doesn’t rhyme with the English word “come.” It’s KOH-meh — two syllables with a clear “eh” at the end. And “va” is just VAH — short and open. KOH-meh VAH.
How to Respond: Tutto Bene and More
Someone asks you come va — what do you say back? You have a few options depending on how you’re feeling:
Tutto bene! (TOOT-toh BEH-neh) — “Everything’s good!” This is the classic, go-to response. Works in every situation.
Bene, grazie (BEH-neh, GRAH-tsee-eh) — “Good, thanks.” Simple, polite, always appropriate.
Benissimo! (beh-NEE-see-moh) — “Really great!” For when things are going particularly well.
And to ask back: E tu? (eh TOO) — “And you?” Add this after your response and the whole exchange flows naturally.
How to Say How Are You: Come Stai
Come stai? (KOH-meh STAH-ee) is a step more personal than come va. It means “how are you?” — specifically asking about you, not just how things are going in general. Use it with friends and people you know.
For the formal version — with strangers, older people, or in professional settings — it’s come sta? (KOH-meh STAH). Same meaning, just the “tu” form switches to the “lei” form. The difference between stai and sta is small, but Italians notice it.
Suggested Read: How to Say I Love You in Italian: Your Complete Guide
The Casual “What’s Up” for Close Friends: Che Succede
Che succede? (keh soo-CHEH-deh) means “what’s happening?” This is the most informal option — the one you’d use only with people you’re close to. It’s got that “hey, what’s going on?” energy and signals real familiarity.
Don’t use this with someone you just met or in formal settings. It’s reserved for people you’re genuinely close with — friends, family, people you see regularly.
How It Sounds in Real Life
In the episode, Sofia and I run into each other on a street in Naples. Here’s how a natural Italian greeting sounds:
Sofia: “Max! Ciao! Come stai?”
Max: “Bene, bene, grazie! E tu, come va?”
Sofia: “Tutto bene, grazie!”
Come stai, bene, come va, tutto bene — that’s a real Italian greeting. No textbook needed. Five seconds and the conversation is flowing.
Suggested Read: 135 Basic Italian Phrases for Travel with Audio and PDF
When “Tutto Bene?” Means Something More
Here’s a cultural insight that most learners miss. When an Italian asks “tutto bene?” as a question — especially with a gentle, concerned tone — it means something different from a standard greeting. It means “is everything OK?” They’re checking on you.
Maybe you look lost. Maybe you seem confused or upset. An Italian might come up to you and ask “tutto bene?” — and that’s them being kind, making sure you’re all right. It’s one of those small moments that shows how warm Italian culture really is.
Quick Reference: Italian Greetings and Responses
| Italian | Pronunciation | Meaning | When to Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Come va? | KOH-meh VAH | How’s it going? | Casual, with anyone you’re comfortable with |
| Come stai? | KOH-meh STAH-ee | How are you? (casual) | Friends, people you know personally |
| Come sta? | KOH-meh STAH | How are you? (formal) | Strangers, older people, professional settings |
| Che succede? | keh soo-CHEH-deh | What’s happening? | Close friends only, very informal |
| Tutto bene! | TOOT-toh BEH-neh | Everything’s good! | Standard response to any greeting |
| Bene, grazie | BEH-neh, GRAH-tsee-eh | Good, thanks | Polite, works everywhere |
| Benissimo! | beh-NEE-see-moh | Really great! | When things are going particularly well |
| E tu? | eh TOO | And you? | Asking back after responding |
Practice These Phrases Out Loud
Greetings are the phrases you use most often — and the ones that set the tone for every conversation that follows. If you want guided speaking practice where someone models the Italian first, gives you feedback, and helps you respond naturally — that’s exactly what Sofia Voice Coach does inside ItalianChat.
Sofia leads the conversation so you never freeze. She speaks first, you repeat, and she keeps you moving forward.
Full Episode Transcript
[00:00:05] Max: Ciao, Italian language learners. Welcome to another exciting episode of the Italian Chat Experience. I’m Max, your host, here with our Italian voice coach, Sofia. Are you ready for some Italian today, Sofia?
[00:00:21] Sofia: Ciao, Max. Always ready for some Italian. What’s on the agenda for today’s episode?
[00:00:28] Max: Today we are learning how to check in with someone in Italian. You know someone, you see them on the street, at a cafe, at a dinner — what do you say after ciao? We are covering how to say “what’s up” and “how are you” in Italian, because Italians have a few different ways to do it and each one is a little different. So Sofia, what’s the most common casual way to say “how’s it going” or “what’s up” in Italian?
[00:01:00] Sofia: It’s come va. Come va? It literally means “how does it go?” — and it’s the Italian equivalent of “how’s it going?” Super casual, super common. You can use it with anyone you’re comfortable with. Come va?
[00:01:14] Max: That’s nice and easy to say. Two words. But let’s make sure people nail the sound.
[00:01:21] Sofia: Come va. Two words, three syllables total. Come — KOH-meh. And va is just VAH. Short and open. Come va? OK so someone asks you come va — what do you say back? The classic reply is tutto bene. Tutto bene! It means “everything’s good.” You can also just say bene, grazie — “good, thanks.” Or if things are really great: benissimo! “Really great!” And if you want to ask back, just add “e tu?” — “and you?”
[00:01:55] Sofia: What about come stai? I hear that one a lot too. Is it the same as come va? Come stai is a little more personal. Come stai — it means “how are you?” Specifically asking about you, not just how things are going in general. Use it with friends and people you know. For the formal version, with strangers or older people, it’s come sta.
[00:02:19] Max: This is very helpful, Sofia, thank you. And what about something even more casual — like the real “what’s up,” the way you would say it to a close friend?
[00:02:31] Sofia: Che succede? Che succede? It means “what’s happening?” It’s very informal, very among friends. You’d only use this with people you’re close with. It’s got that “hey, what’s going on?” energy.
[00:02:43] Max: Nice. So let’s put this together. I’m walking down the street in Naples and I run into a friend I haven’t seen in a while. Sofia, you be my friend. Let’s go.
[00:02:55] Sofia: Max! Ciao! Come stai?
[00:02:58] Max: Bene, bene, grazie! E tu, come va?
[00:03:02] Sofia: Tutto bene, grazie! See how natural that feels? Come stai, bene, come va, tutto bene — that’s a real Italian greeting. No textbook needed.
[00:03:11] Max: Here’s something I’ve noticed in Italy. When someone asks “tutto bene?” with a question mark, it can mean something different, right?
[00:03:20] Sofia: Great catch. “Tutto bene?” as a question means “is everything OK?” — like they’re checking on you. Maybe you look lost, or confused, or upset. An Italian might come up to you and say “tutto bene?” — and that’s them being kind, making sure you’re all right. It’s one of those small things that shows how warm Italian culture really is.
[00:03:43] Max: It really does. Excellent. To wrap up, today we practiced come va for “how’s it going,” tutto bene for “everything’s good,” come stai for the more personal “how are you,” come sta for the formal version, and che succede for the casual “what’s happening” with close friends. With these phrases, you can greet anyone in Italy like you belong. Grazie for listening! Visit LearnItalianPod.com for more resources and to explore ItalianChat, where you can practice real Italian conversations with Sofia. A presto!
[00:04:28] Sofia: A presto! Ciao a tutti!
