Lesson 1 of 40 · win the Ciao Champion badge
Ciao! Come stai?
Greeting people and saying how you are
Luna has run into the piazza and she's saying ciao to absolutely everybody. Even the pigeons. Can you keep up?
🎯 By the end you can…
- Greet someone at any time of day
- Ask how someone is and answer
- Say goodbye politely and informally
🎬 Listen to the scene
Tap a line to hear it, then say it back louder than Luna barks.
Hi, Marco! How are you?
Well, thanks. And you?
Not bad. See you tomorrow!
Bye, see you tomorrow!
🔑 Hello and goodbye
| Italian | English | When |
|---|---|---|
| ciao | hi / bye | friends, family, children |
| buongiorno | good morning | until early afternoon, polite |
| buonasera | good evening | late afternoon on, polite |
| arrivederci | goodbye | polite, leaving |
| a domani / a presto | see you tomorrow / soon | any time |
Adam's tip: Ciao is only for people you would call tu. With a shopkeeper or a teacher, use buongiorno.
🧩 Come stai? / Come sta?
- Come stai? — informal, to a friend
- Come sta? — polite, to an adult you don't know
- Answers: benissimo · bene · così così · non c'è male · male
🤯 Wow fact
Ciao comes from an old Venetian phrase meaning «I am at your service» — luckily today it just means hi!
🗣️ Say it fast, say it silly
Ciao ciao, come stai? Sto benissimo, e tu?
Three times in a row without tripping = you win.
🧠 Puzzle time
Answer in your head first, then tap to check. 0 of 6 checked
Choose the right greeting.
Complete the mini-dialogue.
😂 Barzelletta — Luna's joke
Why did Luna say buongiorno to the sun?
🚀 Your mission today
Say ciao out loud to five things in your house. Yes, the fridge counts.
🎲 Play it with someone
Greeting clock
Share a clock face. Call out a time — 8:00, 14:30, 21:00 — and students choose buongiorno or buonasera and greet a classmate.
For teachers & grown-ups
Use breakout pairs of two minutes, then swap partners once.
Chain of ciao
Student A greets Student B and asks Come stai?; B answers and passes the question on. Nobody may repeat an answer already used.
🧪 End-of-lesson quiz
Eight quick questions. Get 6 right to win the Ciao Champion badge.
This lesson belongs to Unit 1 — Saying hello. Pass every quiz in the unit — and know 10 words — to be promoted to the next level.
💪 Keep the streak going
- Flashcards, Set 1 — the greeting words
- Record yourself saying ciao, buongiorno, buonasera on the Pronunciation page
Word sets for this lesson
