How To Say 'How Are You?' In Italian

Home > Language

The most common way to say "How are you?" in Italian is "Come stai?" (informal) or "Come sta?" (formal). Here's everything you need to know about using these phrases naturally:

Informal "How are you?" - For friends, family, and casual settings:

• Come stai? (koh-meh st-eye?) - Basic "How are you?"
• Come va? (koh-meh vah?) - "How's it going?"
• Come te la passi? (koh-meh teh lah pass-ee?) - "How are you doing?"

Formal "How are you?" - For strangers, elderly people, or professional settings:

• Come sta? (koh-meh stah?) - "How are you?"
• Come sta Lei? (koh-meh stah lay?) - "How are you?" (extra polite)

Common responses you might hear:

• Sto bene, grazie (stoh beh-neh, grah-tsee-eh) - "I'm well, thank you"
• Tutto bene (too-toh beh-neh) - "All good"
• Non c'è male (nohn cheh mah-leh) - "Not bad"
• Così così (koh-zee koh-zee) - "So-so"

Important cultural notes:

• Italians often ask "Come stai?" multiple times during a conversation, not just at the beginning
• It's polite to ask "E tu?" (And you?) after responding
• The formal "Lei" is capitalized in writing to distinguish it from "lei" (she)
• Young Italians increasingly use the informal "tu" form, but it's better to start formal with strangers

Common mistakes to avoid:

• Don't use "Come è?" - while literally "How is it?", this isn't used for asking about well-being
• Avoid mixing formal and informal forms in the same conversation
• Remember that "stai" is for informal situations, while "sta" is for formal ones

Related Pages

This page was generated on 21st Mar 2025 at 04:20 am (UTC time zone) and its estimated reading time is 3 minutes.