Learn Italian: Addio, signorina! Addio! - "Farewell, miss!" "Farewell!"

Addio is a very strong and final way to say goodbye. It translates closely to farewell and is usually used when you do not expect to see the person again for a very long time, or ever. For everyday polite situations, stick to arrivederci.

Where does the word addio come from?

Just like the French adieu, addio comes from the phrase a Dio, which literally means to God. When you say it, you are historically saying that you leave the person in God's hands.

What is the difference between signorina and signora?

Signorina means Miss and is traditionally used for young or unmarried women. Signora means Mrs. or Madam and is used for married or older women. In modern Italy, signora is the safest polite term for adult women in formal settings, while signorina is mostly kept for teenagers or very young women.

Why isn't signorina capitalized here?

In Italian, titles like signorina, signora, and signore are treated like normal nouns and are not capitalized when they appear in the middle of a sentence. This is different from English, where titles like Miss or Mr. are always capitalized.