How to Say Goodbye in Italian: Your Complete Guide
In this episode of The ItalianChat Experience, Sofia and I break down every way to say goodbye in Italian — from the casual ciao to the formal arrivederci, plus a presto, ci vediamo, a dopo, and alla prossima — with two real-life scenarios so you can hear exactly which one fits which moment.
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Ciao: The Casual Goodbye Everyone Knows
Ciao (CHOW) — and yes, ciao means both “hello” AND “goodbye.” Most people learn it as a greeting, but Italians use it just as much for saying goodbye. It’s casual, warm, and works with anyone you’re comfortable with — friends, family, people your age, anyone in a relaxed setting.
What ciao is NOT for: formal situations. Don’t say ciao to a shopkeeper you don’t know, to a much older person, or in any professional context. That’s where the next phrase comes in.
Arrivederci: The Formal Italian Goodbye
Arrivederci (ah-ree-veh-DEHR-chee) is your formal goodbye. Five syllables. The stress falls on DEHR — and the final “ci” is a “chee” sound, not “see.” It literally means “until we see each other again.”
Use arrivederci with strangers, shopkeepers, waiters, older people, in shops, in restaurants, in any professional setting — anywhere you want to show respect. This is your safe choice when you’re not sure how formal to be.
A Presto: See You Soon in Italian
A presto (ah PREH-stoh) means “see you soon” — literally “until soon.” Use it when you know you’ll see the person again before too long, but you’re not pinning down exactly when. It’s warm, optimistic, and personal.
This is how I sign off every podcast episode — “a presto!” — because I genuinely mean it.
Ci Vediamo: See You Later
Ci vediamo (chee veh-dee-AH-moh) means “we’ll see each other” — the Italian version of “see you later.” Very natural, very common. Italians say this all the time when they know they’ll meet up again, especially in the near future.
Want to specify when? Add a time:
Ci vediamo dopo — “see you later” (often same day)
Ci vediamo presto — “see you soon”
Ci vediamo domani — “see you tomorrow”
Suggested Read: Italian Verb Conjugation Made Easy (with PDF Chart)
A Dopo and Alla Prossima: More Goodbye Options
A dopo (ah DOH-poh) means “see you later” — literally “until after.” Great for when you’ll see someone later that same day.
Alla prossima (AHL-lah PROHS-see-mah) means “until next time.” Perfect for wrapping up a conversation when you’re not sure exactly when you’ll meet again. It’s a beautiful way to end things — implying continuity without committing to a specific date.
How It Sounds in Real Life
In the episode, Sofia and I walk through two scenarios that perfectly illustrate the casual-vs-formal split.
Scenario 1: Leaving a shop in Florence
You just bought something, the shopkeeper was helpful. You say:
“Grazie, arrivederci!”
The shopkeeper replies: “Arrivederci, buona giornata!”
Formal. Polite. Respectful.
Scenario 2: Leaving a dinner with friends
You had a great time, you’ll definitely see each other again. You say:
“Ciao a tutti! Ci vediamo presto!” — “Bye everyone! See you soon!”
Casual. Warm. Among friends.
See how ciao and arrivederci live in totally different worlds? One is for friends. The other is for respect.
Suggested Read: 135 Basic Italian Phrases for Travel with Audio and PDF
Bonus: Arrivederla — The Extra-Formal Version
You might hear arrivederla (ah-ree-veh-DEHR-lah) — it’s the extra-formal version, even more polite than arrivederci. You’ll hear it in very formal settings, or from older Italians who grew up using it. For most situations, arrivederci is already formal enough. But if you hear arrivederla now, you’ll know what it means.
Quick Reference: Italian Goodbye Phrases
| Italian | Pronunciation | Meaning | When to Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ciao | CHOW | Hello / Goodbye (casual) | Friends, family, casual settings |
| Arrivederci | ah-ree-veh-DEHR-chee | Goodbye (formal) | Strangers, shops, restaurants, professional |
| A presto | ah PREH-stoh | See you soon | When you’ll see them again before long |
| Ci vediamo | chee veh-dee-AH-moh | See you later | When you’ll meet up again |
| Ci vediamo dopo | chee veh-dee-AH-moh DOH-poh | See you later (today) | Same-day reunion |
| A dopo | ah DOH-poh | See you later | Later that same day |
| Alla prossima | AHL-lah PROHS-see-mah | Until next time | Wrapping up, no specific next meeting |
| Arrivederla | ah-ree-veh-DEHR-lah | Goodbye (extra formal) | Very formal settings, older speakers |
| Buona giornata | BWOH-nah jor-NAH-tah | Have a good day | Adding warmth after a goodbye |
Practice These Phrases Out Loud
Goodbyes happen multiple times a day in Italy — and picking the right one shapes how people remember you. 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.
See Sofia Voice Coach in Action 👇👇👇
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?
[00:00:22] Sofia: Ciao, Max. Always ready for some Italian. What’s on the agenda for today’s episode?
[00:00:28] Max: Today we’re covering how to say goodbye in Italian. And here’s a fun fact most people don’t realize: you already know one way to do it. But Italians have several, and each one tells the other person something different about when — or if — you’ll see them again. So let’s start with the obvious one. Sofia, most people already know this word. How do you say a casual goodbye in Italian?
[00:00:58] Sofia: Ciao! Yes — ciao means both hello AND goodbye. Most people learn it as a greeting, but Italians use it just as much for saying goodbye. Ciao is casual, warm, and works with anyone you’re comfortable with.
[00:01:13] Max: Everybody knows this word. Ciao is easy. But the formal goodbye — arrivederci — that’s the one people struggle with. Let’s break that one down.
[00:01:25] Sofia: Arrivederci. Ah-ree-veh-DEHR-chee. Five syllables. The stress is on DEHR. And that final “ci” is a “chee” sound, not “see.” Arrivederci. It literally means “until we see each other again.” It’s formal, it’s polite, and you’d use it with strangers, shopkeepers, anyone you want to show respect to.
[00:01:48] Max: Awesome. What about when you know you’ll see someone again soon? Is there a way to say “see you soon” in Italian?
[00:01:56] Sofia: A presto! A presto. It means “see you soon” — literally “until soon.” Use it when you know you’ll see the person again before too long. It’s warm, it’s optimistic, and it’s one of my favorites.
[00:02:12] Max: And what about “see you later”? Like when you know you’ll see someone later that same day?
[00:02:20] Sofia: Ci vediamo dopo! It means “we’ll see each other later” — the Italian version of “see you later.” Very natural, very common. Italians say this all the time when they know they’ll meet up again.
[00:02:31] Max: Any other variations I should know? I feel like Italians have a goodbye for every situation.
[00:02:38] Sofia: They really do! A dopo means “see you later” — literally “until after.” It’s great for when you’ll see someone later that day. And alla prossima — “until next time.” Perfect for wrapping up a conversation when you’re not sure exactly when you’ll meet again. Actually, that’s how we end this podcast — alla prossima!
[00:02:59] Max: Nice. Let’s try a couple of situations. First one — I’m leaving a shop in Florence. I just bought something, the shopkeeper was really helpful. What do I say?
[00:03:10] Sofia: Here’s how you might say goodbye in that situation: “Grazie, arrivederci!” — “Thank you, goodbye!” Formal, polite, respectful. The shopkeeper would probably say “Arrivederci, buona giornata!”
[00:03:23] Max: And now I’m leaving a dinner with friends. We had a great time, we’ll definitely see each other again.
[00:03:31] Sofia: Completely different vibe! You’d say “Ciao a tutti! Ci vediamo presto!” — “Bye everyone! See you soon!” Casual, warm, among friends. See how ciao and arrivederci live in totally different worlds? One is for friends, the other is for respect.
[00:03:47] Max: Got it. Some people say “arrivederla” instead of “arrivederci.” What’s the difference?
[00:03:55] Sofia: Arrivederla is the extra-formal version — even more polite than arrivederci. You might hear it in very formal settings, or from older Italians who grew up using it. For most situations, arrivederci is already formal enough. But if you hear arrivederla, now you know what it means.
[00:04:13] Max: Excellent. To wrap up, today we practiced ciao for casual goodbye, arrivederci for formal, a presto for “see you soon,” ci vediamo dopo for “see you later today,” and alla prossima for “until next time.” With these phrases, you’ve got a goodbye for every situation in Italy. Grazie for listening! Visit LearnItalianPod.com for more resources and to explore ItalianChat, where you can practice real Italian conversations with Sofia. Alla prossima!
[00:04:52] Sofia: A presto! Ciao a tutti!
