Top 4 Italian Ways to be Polite

[@spocksvulcanbrain]

Being polite is universal. It doesn't matter the country you're in.

[@aguidetoitaly]

Absolutely. I agree 100%.

[@ralphe5842]

I think it’s very important in Italy

[@franc9111]

The last time I was in Italy - not long ago - a shopkeeper said this to me - Grazie lei (It was in the extreme North in Piemont). Another time we were staying in a flat at the top of a small appartment building in Rome near the Via Aurelia. I'm originally from the UK, but I live in France and all my family are French, so we were all coming down the stairs at the beginning of the day about to go out visiting the city and a very nice lady whom we met on the stairs said (in French) bonjour to us. I corrected her because we were about to spend a whole day out by saying - bonne journée. She immediately understood the nuance and replied to show that she had understood - Buona giornata.

[@aguidetoitaly]

That’s a nice anecdote. Using the Lei form. A very good show of respect! Once I had a baker I developed a rapport with compliment me for saying buongiorno and using formality. He went on to say many visitors could benefit by being more polite. It’s wonderful when travelers understand this.

[@anta3612]

For Americans: in a nutshell formal = polite and informal can come across as rude unless you know the person very well or have previously established a connection with them and/or they have let you know that it's ok to use informal language with them. As a rule of thumb: it's always best to err on the side of caution and especially in situations where you're unlikely to meet the person again (like in a shop) it's best to use formal language. People will understand and appreciate that you are trying to be polite and will make allowances for any mistakes.

[@conniearcher3462]

Be polite anywhere.

[@serena9039]

Finally someone who talks about serious things and not just food, what an obsession! Io sono di Roma but I feel I can speak on behalf di tutti gli Italiani by saying that in our wonderful country culture and education are very important aspects as guests of our Country. Being polite, kind and respectful of each other is fundamental per noi Italiani. As a first suggestion to those who want to come and visit L’Italia would give as a first suggestion to find out about our history, our culture and the way of being kind and respectful with the locals and then to worry about the Cappuccino or the Pasta alla Carbonara (which does not everyone likes it, even if it seems like we eat carbonara all the time 😅). Thank you Patrick for placing the emphasis in all your videos on the polite way of relating to us natives, we pay a lot of attention to this and will hardly be rude to those who appear kind and respectful while we will be poorly disposed towards the rude and arrogant and this it applies to everyone, even among Italians themselves! ps. It's very noticeable that you have a more in-depth cultural education! 😅🙏☮️

[@wingobingo]

Been practicing those Italian knocks!!! Smashed it baby!!!!!

[@WeimarAmerica]

Thank you, Mr. guidetoitaly! I really appreciate how you dwell on, and point out, some of the finer details that make the use of language (any) so rewarding! Your presentations are rich, easy to follow, and truly personal in the knowledge conveyed. Thanks again!

[@aguidetoitaly]

Grazie! I’m very glad you’ve found the content helpful! I agree - using Italian when you travel is rewarding and a wonderful way to show respect. Buon viaggio!

[@WeimarAmerica]

@@aguidetoitaly - Jederzeit! (Yeah… not Italian, aber dennoch idiomatisch!)

[@samueljaramillo4221]

We visit Italy yearly and try to be as nice and polite as we can. You can learn a lot of Italian by purchasing an Italian phrase book. As Americans we are representing America and we act accordingly as polite Americans.

[@aguidetoitaly]

Grazie! It’s terrific you make the effort. I agree that an impression can sometimes speak for an entire group. I always try to make a “bella figura.”

[@renferal5290]

This was very helpful. I'm going back to Italy soon. First time I went, I totally failed with the language

[@aguidetoitaly]

Grazie mille! Language skills can be improved 😊

[@Arkelk2010]

Thank you. I have found around that world that polite expressions, even if that is the limit of one's knowledge in that language, work wonders. You come across and both polite and trying (in the good sense).

[@aguidetoitaly]

Grazie mille! I appreciate you sharing your insights. I’ve also found this true outside of Italy and believe we can all learn a few courtesy words wherever we go. Bravo!

[@pjesf]

Yeah I thought so, too until I arrived there. I had learned some Italian - enough to be polite but not enough to be conversant. What followed was a hugely inflated cab ride into Roma and 2 “Ticket Agents” who claimed to not understand English and sold us a ferry ticket after the last one had departed for Capri only to discover upon our return that they were speaking perfect English. I did not find them the least bit friendly. To be fair, it was during the GW Bush, Jr years when Americans were not popular abroad. EDIT: I was extremely careful about heeding to local customs as opposed to demanding that things operate as they do in the US

[@pjesf]

During that trip I remember an American woman in a coffee shop demanding a table while snapping her fingers and saying, “Americano, honey. Americano”. I was horrified

[@Arkelk2010]

@@pjesf I would have been also. No excuse for that.

[@Arkelk2010]

@@pjesf I hope those crooks were the exception.

[@anta3612]

While buongiorno literally translates to "good day" it's used the same way you'd say "good morning" and "good afternoon" in English. Buongiorno is used only when you initially greet someone (not when you take your leave). While you can say buon pomeriggio (literally good afternoon), it's not as commonly used. Good day, on the other hand, in English is only used when you are taking your leave and in Italian corresponds to our "buona giornata".

[@aguidetoitaly]

Good insights. Thank you. In my experience, there are no rigid or precise rules around greetings. It depends on the situation. Some can be quite personal to the shopkeeper and circumstance. In certain instances buona giornata might feel informal for an encounter. But saying buongiorno in the right tone can be acceptable when leaving a shop especially if it’s a more disconnected more formal encounter.

[@anta3612]

@@aguidetoitaly Guarda che sono italiana. A dire la verità l'espressione "buona giornata" viene utilizzata nelle situazioni formali anche se si può usare anche in modo informale. In contesti molto formali ci si esprime con "Le auguro una buona giornata". Invece nelle situazioni informali, al momento del congedo, spesso si dice: "alla prossima", "a presto", oppure "a dopo". Il tipo di saluto/congedo più opportuno da utilizzare con un negoziante dipenderà dal rapporto che si ha già instaurato con lui/lei. Per esempio: quando ci si trova in un negozio per la prima volta, è più opportuno usare un registro formale. Invece se si tratta di un cliente abituale che frequenta il negozio da parecchio tempo, e ha quindi instaurato un rapporto di confidenza con il negoziante, in quel caso si può permettere di usare un linguaggio più informale. Il modo in cui ci si saluta e ci si congeda dipende dal tipo di situazione e dal tipo di rapporto che si ha con la persona a cui ci stiamo rivolgendo.

[@anta3612]

@@aguidetoitaly Actually buona giornata tends to be used in formal situations but can also be used informally. To be very formal you'd say "Le auguro una buona giornata". When taking your leave informal expressions would be: "alla prossima" or "a presto", "a dopo". When interacting with shopkeepers: it depends on the relationship you have have with them. If you're stepping into a shop for the first time then you would use more formal language (if you want to be polite). If you're a local, have been a regular customer for some time and have built a friendly rapport with the shopkeeper then you could use more informal language. How we greet someone (and take our leave from them) depends on the type of relationship we have with them as well as the situation.

[@paulpierron1815]

Nice!

[@aguidetoitaly]

Grazie!

[@SmallTownItaly]

Flattery… very important and useful. Thank you!

[@Abby_walks]

Great stuff, 👍 grazie

[@aguidetoitaly]

Grazie mille! Glad it’s helpful 😊

[@mariateresamendez155]

Oh, God, not SALVE !!! By italian standards it's what you say when you really DON'T want to say hello😬. Ciao is totally OK if you are addressing people way younger than yourself or know then so well they have given you "permission" to use it. Greetings from Bergamo 🇮🇹

[@mariateresamendez155]

@@ninovulkan9815 è pur sempre un modo sbrigativo per salutare e il Galateo lo sconsiglia nel parlare e con maggior forza nello scritto 🤷‍♀️

[@aguidetoitaly]

Grazie mille! I appreciate knowing your perspective on this. 😊

[@katiemcteague]

I try really hard to learn basic travel phrases and use them appropriately. My pronunciation may not be the best, but I get pretty close. The problem comes in when you ask the question or use one of those phrases and the other person starts asking you questions or talking to you in fluent Italian and you just look like a deer caught in the headlights because you have no idea what they said to you. And then I end up feeling stupid. This happened to me once when I called for a taxi. I asked for two taxis and a specific train station in Italian and I could tell they were asking me questions but I didn't know what they were or how to answer them of course. I ended up asking a store person to help me. He was pretty rude about it but he did it. So, any advice for what to do in those situations?

[@aguidetoitaly]

Brava! It's wonderful to hear you're making the effort. Don't give up and keep trying. If possible, think about what went wrong and plan for the next time. Not everyone is nice, this goes beyond Italy -- just a fact of life. We've all been there:) Areas with constant tourists may be more impatient especially if they speak English. When communicating in Italian, you can always ask them to speak more slowly or say you do not understand. Making the effort is typically appreciated. Beyond that, learn some words that might potentially be part of the reply first. For example, it's great to be able to ask where a bathroom is, but if you don't know right, left, up, down, stairs, etc. it won't get you far. Keep at it. It sounds like you're on the right track!