Saying goodbye (a presto!)

Until next time

You can open a conversation — buongiorno, buonasera, salve — and close one with ciao or arrivederci. This lesson adds the partings Italians actually trade at the door: the ones that say when you will meet again, and the one that says you never will.

A + a time = see you then

A plus a time word promises a next meeting:

phrase	you will meet again...
see you later	a dopo
later today
see you tomorrow	a domani
tomorrow
see you soon	a presto
soon, whenever that is

Parting wishes

Buongiorno and buonasera greet; their sisters have a nice day

buona giornata and have a nice eveningbuona serata say goodbye — literally have a good day / evening. The -ata forms (giornata, serata) see the day as a stretch of time to be enjoyed, not a point on the clock. Shopkeepers send you off with them all day long; the natural reply is grazie — often with the wish returned.

The final goodbye

farewell (final goodbye)addio is the farewell that expects **no** next meeting — the goodbye of break-ups, emigrations and opera. Between *a presto* and *addio* lies the whole distance between *see you soon!* and *farewell forever*, so in daily life it is said only in jest — or very seriously indeed.