Breakdown of Arrivederci, signori! Buona serata!
il signore
gentleman, sir, Mr.
arrivederci
goodbye
buona serata
have a nice evening
Questions & Answers about Arrivederci, signori! Buona serata!
Why use buona serata here instead of buonasera?
Buonasera is a greeting you use when you arrive somewhere, like saying 'Good evening'. Buona serata is used when you are leaving to wish someone a nice rest of their evening, like saying 'Have a good evening'. Since the speaker just said arrivederci (goodbye), they are leaving!
Is arrivederci considered formal or informal?
It is the standard, polite way to say goodbye and works in almost all situations. While ciao is strictly informal, arrivederci is perfectly polite to use with a group of signori (gentlemen).
Why is the word for gentlemen signori?
Does buona change to match the gentlemen (signori)?
No! Adjectives in Italian change to match the noun they are describing, not the person you are speaking to. Buona is feminine and singular to match serata (evening), regardless of who is having the good evening.
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