Good Afternoon in Italian
The basics of Italian greetings and farewells are simpler than you would imagine.
Sure, there are some nuances, both formal and informal, but when you’re initially learning, the general hellos and goodbyes that Italians use come rather quickly.
After all, you’re likely to know more than a few Italian words – and not just food-related ones.
You’ve probably heard “prego,” “arrivederci,” and “molto bene” hundreds of times in the Italian language.
So, if you’re in Italy and you want to say good afternoon, you can simply say Buon pomeriggio!
Do Italians Really Say “Good afternoon”?
As it turns out, no, they generally don’t. In fact, the phrase “Buon pomeriggio” is now almost solely heard on the radio or television, and it is viewed rather formally.
Buon pomeriggio a tutti i nostri telespettatori e ben ritrovati.
Good afternoon everyone, and welcome back.
The explanation of why buon pomeriggio isn’t used all that much in day-to-day conversations may be because Italians tend to think of the day in terms of daytime (light) and evening (dark).
In some ways, pomeriggio isn’t required to define the day. However, on television and radio, buon pomeriggio may be more used because it suggests the broadcast’s time of day.
So, if you walk into a pasticceria (a “patisserie”) at 2:00 p.m., you can say either buon pomeriggio, buongiorno or buona sera.
Here is an example of how to use it:
Buon pomeriggio, due bomboloni, per favore!
Good afternoon, two doughnuts, please!
Which one is Your Favorite Italian Greeting?
So here you go, now you know how to say good afternoon in Italian.
Remember to check out different ways to sayhello and the meaning of Ciao in Italian.
One Response
Thank you for this helpful guide! Now I can greet my Italian friends properly in the afternoon. Grazie!