How are you in italian word

Italian is a very versatile language, and there are many ways of asking a simple “how are you?” in Italian.

Different questions will definitely result in different answers.

If you go ahead and ask an Italian, “come stai?” meaning “how are you?”, you may not get that fulfilling and passionate answer you may be hoping for.

Why? Well, maybe because there are about seven ways of asking “how are you?” in Italian, and you may lead the conversation in a certain direction from the first words.

Don’t worry about doing something wrong, but rather focus on improving and learning more and more Italian words and phrases, until you actually master the language!

How to Say “How Are You?” in Italian

Asking “how are you?” in Italian it’s not just a greeting or a way to start a conversation.

You generally ask, “come sta?” if you really care about the other person. So, if it’s the first time you meet a person, you generally don’t ask, “how are you?”.

Come sta?

“Come sta?” is the most common “how are you?” in Italian. You can safely use it in any situation because it’s formal.

However, it’s not the best Italian “how are you?” to use in informal situations. It’s hard to translate it literally. In Italian, the verb ‘stare’ means something in between to stay and to be.

Come stai?

This is the informal version of “how are you?.”

Let’s say you are meeting your Italian friend that you haven’t seen for a very long time, and you want to surprise him with some nice Italian questions so you can say, “come stai?”

Come va?

“Come va?“” literally means “how does it go?”. We use it to say, “how is it going?”.

It uses the verb “andare”, which means to go.

It’s an informal greeting, as you probably guessed.

You can use it for sure with friends, family members, and people you know well.

However, you can also use “Come va?” in a formal conversation if you know the other person well enough.

Tutto bene?

This literally means “all good?”.

Italians sometimes remove words when they speak to make everything faster and a little more fluent.

You can use “tutto bene?” in an informal situation, as it’s considered very friendly in general.

Usually, people will respond with the same “tutto bene” to this question, so it may not leave enough room for a conversation.

Come si sente?

“Come si sente?” means “how are you feeling?” and is formal.

When asking this question, people will usually tell you exactly how they feel, as they will see you’re willing to listen to them.

Come ti senti?

This is the informal version of “how are you feeling?”.

We usually use it to address friends or family members.

Va meglio?

You can use “Va meglio?” when you know someone was sick or had a problem and want to know if they’re now doing better.

It can be used in both formal and friendly situations.

These are the most common forms of “how are you?” in Italian.

Now, let’s take a look at how you can answer these questions so you’re not caught off guard.

How to Answer to “How Are You?” in Italian

“Come stai?”, in Italian, as in many other languages, is more of a social question asked out of politeness or to start a conversation than an actual question.

When someone is asked, “how are you?“ in Italian, you can gauge the level of confidentiality, comfort, and trust that exists between two people by how they each respond to this question and what they are willing to share with the other.

While in English, “how are you?” is often used as a form of greeting, without meaning it literally and, therefore, without requiring an answer.

In Italian, if you are asking how someone is doing, you have to wait until you get an answer, or you will be considered impolite and uncaring.

If you do not understand them, try smiling and nodding along!

Answers to “How Are You?” in Italian

Bene

If you are asked, “come stai?” or “come va?” and you are fine, then the best way to answer is “bene”. If you feel extremely good, you can also say “molto bene.”

Male

This means “bad,” so expect the other person to ask you what happened that made you feel this bad.

Sto meglio

You can say “sto meglio” when the person you’re talking to knows you weren’t feeling very well.

Non molto bene

You can say “non molto bene” if you’re not feeling well, but you don’t want to make it sound too bad.

However, you’ll probably be asked why.

Non c’è male

In case you feel that is not going particularly well, but it’s not bad either, you should say “non c’è male”.

This has the same meaning as “not bad” in English.

Tutto bene

If you are alright, you can just say “tutto bene“, meaning “all’s good.”

Alla grande!

“Alla grande” means that “everything is great,” and if that’s the case, then it’s the best answer.

Da favola!

This is a good answer for when you’re feeling “dreamy” or “fairy-tale”, and everything is going really well.

Mai stato/stata meglio!

This expression is the most optimistic answer to any “how are you?” in Italian.

Così-così

“Così-così” literally means “so and so”.

So you’ve had a normal day, not great, but not bad.

Me la cavo

The verb cavo comes from the verb cavare, which means “to extract” (like a tooth or information) or “to get”.

More precisely, in this case, the whole expression comes from cavarsela. Cavarsela means “to get by” or “to manage“.

This is a good answer for when it could go better.

Un po’ stanco, ma tutto bene

If you’re feeling a bit tired but you’re ok, you can just say this expression.

We can all relate to this expression from time to time.

Ho avuto giorni peggiori

This expression is both pessimistic and optimistic at the same time.

You can use it when you’re not too bad but you know it could go better.

Non lo so

For when you have a moment when you really don’t know what to say. It means “I don’t know” and it’s something everyone goes through from time to time.

Non me lo chiedere

It’s ok not to want to talk about something and this is the right answer for it.

Come al solito

Life goes on as usual, and the conversation won’t get too far.

Non posso lamentarmi

When you can’t complain about your day, simply answer with “non posso lamentarmi”.

It will give a good clue of how your day is going: you’re not bad, but you’re not great either.

Why Learn to Say “How Are You?” In Italian?

“How are you?” is a simple question. You don’t need to take nootropics for language learning to boost your brain power and be able to ask that.

However there are quite a few reasons to learn to speak Italian, but starting with the greetings and learning to say “how are you?” in Italian is only the beginning.

Discover Italy’s History

The first reason, of course, is its country of origin: Italy is one of the most beautiful and historically rich countries in the world; it is the country with the most UNESCO world heritage sites in the world!

People dream about traveling to cities like Florence, Rome, and Venice, and their fame is indeed well deserved. Italy, in general, is an extremely varied country.

It has an incredible history, and it’s filled with amazing stories from North to South.

Whether we’re talking about the seaside resorts or the extraordinary mountain landscapes, you can find stunning surprises just a few kilometers away from each other.

But we think that there is only one true way to get into the atmosphere of those incredible cities and towns.

It is by speaking a bit of the local language, to be able to communicate with the locals and immerse yourself in the places that they know and love.

It seems obvious, but Italian is the main, effective means to discover the beauty of Italy, still a traditional and mysterious country.

Experience Italian Entertainment

The first two big reasons for learning Italian have something to do with the culture of the people using the language.

They both have something to do with living “the good life” or “La Dolce Vita.”

And speaking of films, there’s a host of films from the likes of Italian directors, like Fellini, Antonioni, and Visconti—whose visual aesthetics have influenced Italian cinema today.

The unique stories they tell can only be fully appreciated in the Italian language.

You don’t even have to go back hundreds of years for this one; you can appreciate modern Italian music with Pavarotti or Bocelli, or for more pop fare, you can go with Pausini or Mengoni.

Taken together—movies, music, place, and food—you might just be tempted to learn Italian. But talking of temptations, this next one might just push you over the edge.

Learn A New Language

Sure, Italian may sound different when you hear someone talking. The accents are different, the culture is different, and the people are also different.

But the language itself is much more similar than you think.

If you happen to know Spanish, French, English, or Portuguese, you’ll find a ton of similarities to Italian. They share many of the same, if not similar, vocabulary, grammar, and sentence structures.

The sound of the language really helps words to stay in your head, and the fact that it has stayed closer to Latin than other languages means that a lot of words are similar, or have the same roots as in other languages.

So while you may not be able to speak it immediately, you should be able to understand at least some of what an Italian is talking to you about!

Everything can start with a simple “how are you?” in Italian!

Boost Your Career

An additional language will look good on your resume and increase your premium as a worker.

If you were a business owner and looking at two resumes, you’ll probably naturally gravitate towards the bilingual candidate, even if the job doesn’t involve speaking in a foreign language.

There’s also that halo effect where the person who speaks an extra language seems more traveled, more experienced, and more in-tune with the world.

In a survey by the National Foreign Language Center of 2100 HR departments, a whopping 93% of employers admitted looking with favor on those who speak another language.

According to the study, companies value “employees who are able to work effectively with customers, clients, and businesses from a range of different countries and cultures.”

Make New Friends

They say Italians are some of the most wonderful people in the world. They’re kind, funny and friendly.

Sometimes it’s hard for that to shine through if you’re having trouble understanding each other.

Learning the language gives you the ability to create and nurture relationships with native speakers.

Talking of life-changing, your life will change when you gain one as a close friend or as a life partner. But you couldn’t even begin to do that if you don’t learn the language.

There’s no better shortcut to making a great first impression or taking an existing relationship to the next level than communicating with someone in their native language.

Now you know why you should learn Italian, but let’s move on and see how to say “how are you?” in Italian.

Go Ask “How Are You?” to Someone

Now that you know how to say a basic “how are you?” in Italian, you can go and ask an Italian friend how they’re feeling.

Actually, you can ask many friends since now you know many different ways of asking “how are you?” in Italian.

Starting from this, you will be able to start learning more and more phrases in order to master the language and be ready for everything.

Italian is not a hard language, and anyone can go ahead and learn it with enough perseverance and passion.

When it comes down to it, no matter your motivations, learning a new language is always about communication.

And gaining access to new places and things through the people you can communicate with is an awesome bonus.

There is no better way to honor a culture than by learning its language, and it starts as simple as saying “how are you?” in Italian!

How to Learn Italian?

You’ll need confidence and motivation to learn Italian.

If you are lacking in motivation and confidence, then you’ll need to spend some time looking to improve in this area.

In addition, you will need good learning habits and spend time with Italian material that interests you.

Most of all, regular Italian practice is essential in order to learn Italian. Everything you wish for can be achieved!

You can also go ahead and check my guide to learn Italian fast, and you will know exactly what and how to do it!

All this being said, all there’s left to do now is to start practicing, and you will soon become an expert on how to say “how are you?” in Italian.

Why not also learn how to say “thank you” in Italian, goodbye in Italian, and “please” in Italian?

You will soon be ready to start having a conversation with a native speaker!

Still translating in your head? Wanna speak Italian for real? Check out Stefano’s courses to think directly in Italian and become fluent fast!

If you would like to engage with locals while staying in Italy, one of the phrases you should know is how to say how are you in Italian.

How do you say how Are You in Italian?

Come stai? is the most common expression to ask someone how he or she is. Come va? or Come butta? are colloquial questions that use different verbs, while Come sta? could help you sound more formal in some specific contexts. Depending on which direction you want to lead the conversation to, there are at least ten other ways to be polite and make Italians open up about their day, thoughts and feelings. Some of them are formal, but many more fit into informal contexts.

I listed here 13 common ways to ask how are you in Italian for you.

Let’s see them!

13 Common Ways To Ask How Are You In Italian

Here below is a list of the most popular ways of saying how are you in Italian.

Let’s found out together each of them in detail:  

And if you want also to improve your Italian Vocabulary finding all synonyms, check out these useful books:

1. Informal way to say How Are You In Italian – Come Stai?

You should not consider asking how are you? in Italian as just a greeting start. You generally ask it if you really care about someone. So, Italian people don’t tend to ask it when they meet somebody for the very first time.

Let’s say you’re about to see one of your Italian friends you haven’t met for a while. You can definitely say come stai? and surprise him/her with a nice Italian question. Come stai? is used when informally addressing someone you’re usually on first-name terms with.  

Examples:

Ciao Lucia, come stai? E il lavoro come va?
Hi Lucy, how are you? And how’s work going?

Marco, come stai? – Sto bene, grazie!
How are you, Mark? – I’m fine, thanks!

Unlike the English language that prefers the verb to be, Italians choose stare which means to stay or also to be. Learn here the right conjugation of the verb stare and so change the verb according to the number of people you’re referring to.

Examples:

Ciao ragazzi, come state?
Hey guys, how are you?

Come stanno i tuoi bambini?
How are your children?

2. formal way to say How Are You In Italian – Come Sta?

Predictably, the formal equivalent of the previous one is come sta? You would use it with people you don’t know very well or someone older than you in a form of respect. In this case, sta is the third person singular in the stare conjugation. Because of its formal asset, you can ask someone come sta? in any circumstances.

However, it’s never heard between relatives or friends. I recommend saving it for contexts where you’re talking to your boss or to the shop assistant at the store. Be always polite using this version always in an accurate situation!

Example:

Buongiorno dottore, come sta?
Good morning doctor, how are you?

More Ways to Say How Are You In Italian

3. Come va?

This expression literally means how are you doing?. It’s not a formal way of asking how are you in Italian. You wouldn’t use it with a client or somebody you don’t know. But you can say come va? with friends, relatives and acquaintances. You can practice here the conjugation of the verb andare to get the right tense, as you would also hear come andiamo? used to ask a more generic question with the same meaning.

Besides, this is the most used phrase in texts or Telegram messages. As it’s a kind of impersonal question, you could hear it also in formal contexts especially if you know the person very well.

Examples:

Ciao papà, come va?
Hi dad, how are you / how are you doing?

Buonasera Giorgio, come va?
Good evening George, how are you / how are you doing?

4. Come va la vita? / Come vanno le cose?

As we have seen, Italian people are usually very polite. Therefore, I can be honest in saying that asking how are you to someone isn’t always authentic. Maybe because you met your friend the day before or you’re not really expecting your greengrocer to start a speech about his health. Most of the time you already know that they are fine, so your question aims just at kicking off the conversation.

For that reason, you could say come va la vita? or come ti vanno le cose? These expressions signal that you are concerned for real about somebody and ready to listen to him or her. They also translate as how’s life? or how is it going / how are things going?.

Both are considered colloquial and used in social contexts, such as when you’re with your friends. Your family members might be asking come vanno le cose? when they want to know how your life is going lately, if you’re happy with it or not.

Examples:

Ciao cara, come vanno le cose?
Hi dear, how are you / how are things going?

Ciao Carlo, è un sacco che non ci vediamo! Come va la vita?
Hey Carl, it’s been a long time! How are you / how’s life?

5. Tutto bene? / Tutto okay? / Tutto a posto?

If you’re looking for a short version of how to say how are you in Italian, here are three alternatives that all have the same meaning. You can translate them as everything good? – or in a longer variation, is everything good? That’s because sometimes Italian people tend to remove words and letters when they speak. It’s a way to make things more fluent while speaking.

These expressions are considered very friendly, but also not that serious. Just conventional manners that don’t bring any deep answer to them. They’re kind of rhetoric as well.

So, when someone’s asked you tutto bene?, you can just repeat the same words saying literally that everything is good, or okay.

Examples:

Tutto a posto, Roberto? Non ci vediamo da secoli!
Is everything good, Robert? Haven’t seen you in ages!

E’ stata una bella caduta! Tutto bene, Mary? – Tutto bene!
It was quite a fall! Everything okay, Mary? – Everything okay!

Tutto okay poi con la questione del pignoramento?
Is everything good with the foreclosure thing?

6. Com’è?

This is a generic expression to ask about people’s life. It literally means what is it like?, but you can translate it with a non-specific how does it go?.

Thus, it’s not the one way you would use with your boss or people that are just barely acquaintances. It is okay with a friend or someone from your family, but also in this case the question is way too blanket and common to be really effective. You can’t expect a complete answer.

Example:

Ciao ma’.. com’è? 
Hey ma… how are you / how does it go?

7. Come ti senti? / Come si sente?

You may have heard of it. Italians nearly always have a formal variant for almost every expression. Understanding when it is okay to be casual and when you should better pull yourself together is not that easy. This guide will help you, but I can do more explaining the difference between these two versions.

Come si sente? literally means how are you feeling? and it’s the formal one for come ti senti? Of course, the meaning is the same, but you want to use the latter when talking to a friend. To be clearer, a doctor would surely ask you come si sente? to keep a professional tone.

And here we come to the context. You ask these questions when you know someone’s been sick or had some kind of problem recently. It’s a handful way to make you know if someone’s doing better now.

Moreover, people will normally open up about how they feel as they will sense you’re willing to listen to their answer more carefully than usual.

Examples:

Salve signor Bianchi, come si sente?
Hello Mr. White, how are you / how are you feeling?

Ho saputo che hai rotto con Rebecca. Come ti senti?
I heard you broke up with Rebecca. How are you / how are you feeling?

8. Va meglio?

Basically the same meaning as the previous one. You ask va meglio? when you want to strengthen the meaning of how are you in Italian.

The possible alternative translations could be how’s that? or any better now?. They are used in both formal and friendly situations. If your brother’s been experiencing a blue Monday that still lasts today, you would surely inquire about it.

Example:

Come stai? Il piede va meglio?
How are you? Is your foot any better?

9. Che si dice? / Che mi racconti?

I can say that these ones drift somewhat from the classic formulation of how are you. However, the general meaning still remains the same and expresses in fact a genuine interest in news or updates about someone’s last days recently.

When people ask you che si dice? or che mi racconti?, they want to know about what’s going on in your life. So, you shouldn’t answer just with a simple good or bad. Give them what they want and try to start a conversation using your Italian skills.

Now, for the perfect English correspondence. I bet every one of you is familiar with the classic what’s up?. If the song by 4 Non Blondes doesn’t immediately ring out in your mind, you should definitely give it a look here and learn the translation to practice your Italian!

Examples:

Ciao ragazze, come state? Che si dice?
Hello girls, how are you? What’s up?

E’ una vita che non ci sentiamo! Che mi racconti?
Long time no speak! What’s up?

10. Che succede?

If the answer to the general how are you in Italian has been negative, you might hear someone asking you what’s wrong? or what’s happening?. This expression usually already indicates that things are not going very well and the person you’re talking to is probably upset about something.

Then, it becomes clear that it’s an expression of deep worry. It is often used in combination with qualcosa non va? to emphasize the concern. Is something wrong with my explanation?

Examples:

Che faccia! Che succede?
What a long face! What’s happening?

Ti vedo giù di morale. Come stai? Qualcosa non va?
I see you’re in a bad mood. How are you? Is everything wrong?

11. Come te la passi?

Now I want to enter the world of the Italian informal speech. You wonder what this question exactly means, and I’m here to tell you.

Come te la passi? could be translated with how have you been?. It focuses on you and how you’re living your life. Friends and relatives that ask you come te la passi? want to know everything about your physical health, your last love interest that’s maybe ended already or your feelings about the recent job you got.

The only thing you must remember is to avoid it when speaking with a senior at your workplace or in general, with someone you don’t know.

Example:

Oh, Pietro, come te la passi?
Hey Peter, how are you / how have you been?

12. Come butta?

Perhaps the most colloquial and personal expression to say how are you in Italian. Literally, butta is the third person singular of the verb buttare (to throw). The meaning is very similar to come vanno le cose?, but it’s often used between longtime friends.

Should I be more precise with the translation? It is really close to what’s been happening lately? or how’s it going?.

Unlike come te la passi?, this one concentrates more specifically on life’s external factors that could influence your mood at the time you’re asked the question.

Not only is it by far considered a slang approach, but also it implies a close relationship with the people you’re talking to. Furthermore, there is a simple question like allora? which can urge the other person to tell you about how he or she is avoiding a more direct question.

Example:

Allora? Come butta, raga?
So? How are you / How’s it going, folks?

13. Come stai oggi?

Last in the list, the slight difference of meaning between English and Italian. We don’t really have an equivalent to the well-known how are you today?. You can ask people the general mood of the day simply by the most common come stai?

Despite this, you might translate it literally as come stai oggi? which is a question used almost only referring to someone’s health. For instance, if your sister has been sick for a few days, you can ask her how she’s feeling today with come stai oggi?

Example:

Ehi Rosa, come stai oggi? Passato il raffreddore?
Hey Rose, how are you today / how are you feeling today? Got over the cold?

How To Answer To How Are You In Italian

There could be many possible answers to get and give when someone asks you how are you? in Italian or when you’re asked it. 

Certainly, it depends on the mood. Then it’s impossible to indicate just one answer, but I can definitely say that the most used and heard is sto bene or tutto bene. Even when you’re not fine at all.

This is a very general response you can get all over the country from every kind of person. It basically means very good, that you can repeat here. I’m sure it still remains the best way to fuel any conversation with politeness. Gauge the level of comfort between you and Italian people by asking how they are and see what they’re willing to share with you.

So, don’t be rude! Step beyond simple greetings and wait until you get an answer!

These examples may contain rude words based on your search.

These examples may contain colloquial words based on your search.

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I’m calling to see how are you.

He often calls and asks, how are you.

Spesso chiama e gli chiede, come stai.

Good morning, Mr. Cavendish-Scott, how are you?

Buongiorno signor Cavendish-Scott, come va?

Miss Dorothy Lamour, how are you?

Signorina Dorothée Lamour, come va?

Hello, ma’am, how are you?

Governor, how are you this evening?

Governatore, come sta questa sera?

My dear daughter, how are you?

Francescone my handsome, how are you?

So, how are you handling everything?

Allora, come stai affrontando questa cosa?

And how are you this morning, little princess?

E come stai questa mattina, piccola principessa?

So how are you paying the rent?

So how are you spending your newfound freedom, my friend?

Allora… come stai trascorrendo questo tuo periodo di ritrovata libertà, amico mio?

Selamu aleikum, how are you?

My sweet angel, how are you?

Hello, handsome, how are you?

So… how are you handling this?

Quindi… Come stai reagendo alla cosa?

Brucey, how are you, baby?

Good morning, how are you?

Tommy… More importantly, how are you?

Ma la cosa più importante, tu come stai?

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How to say «How Are You» in Italian like a Local

7 authentic ways to say “how are you” in Italian

7 authentic ways to say “how are you” in Italian

Asking «how are you» in Italian it’s not just a greeting or a way to start or a conversation. You generally ask «come sta?» if you really care about the other person. So, if it’s the first time you meet a person you generally don’t ask «how are you?».

«Come sta?» : the classical formal Italian «how are you»

«Come sta?» is the most common «how are you» in italian. You can safely use it any situation. We say safely, because you won’t offend anyone by using it. However, it’s not the best Italian “how are you” to use in informal situations. It’s hard to translate it literally. In Italian, the verb stare means something in between to stay and to be.

«Come stai?» : The classical informal Italian «how are you»

This is the “informal” version of «come sta?» as indicated by the use of “tu”, the informal Italian “you”.

«Come va?» : The friendly «how are you»

«Come va?» literally means «how is it going» or «how it goes». So, it uses the verb to go in Italian.
You can use it for sure with friends, family members and people you know well.
You can also use ‘Come va’ in a formal conversation if you know the other person well enough.

«Tutto bene?» : The short Italian «how are you»

Italian people love deleting words and letters when they speak.
You can use «tutto bene?» the same way you’d use «va tutto bene ?».
You just need to know that «tutto bene?» is often considered less serious than “come stai” and other Italian «how are you», so people are less likely to give you a deep answer.
In fact, the most common answer to «tutto bene ?» is: «tutto bene» (literally: all well), meaning everything is going well.

«Come si sente?» : The deep Italian «how are you»

«Come si sente ?» literally means «how do you feel?».
You use it when you know someone was sick or had a problem and want to know if they’re now doing better.
A possible answer would be «mi sento meglio» (I’m feeling better) or «non molto» (not really).

«Come ti senti?» : The deep and friendly «how are you»

You can use «Come ti senti ?» to ask a friend who was feeling sick or maybe a little depressed if he’s now feeling better.
This is simply the informal version of «come si sente?».

«Va meglio?» : The ‘follow-up’ «how are you»

You use «Va meglio?» it when you know someone was sick or had a problem and want to know if they’re now doing better. It can be used in a formal or friendly situation

«Come butta?» The colloquial (almost slang) Italian «how are you»

BONUS
Literally “buttare” means “to throw” is a colloquial and very informal way to ask «how are you» in Italian, often considered as a regional variation.

How to say «How Are You» in Italian ?

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