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How to Say ‘Hey dude, what's up?’ in Italian

Ciao frate, come va?

chow FRAH-teh coh-meh vah

[chow FRAH-teh coh-meh vah]

Phrase Breakdown

Ciao frate,

chow FRAH-teh

Hey bro,

A casual greeting. 'Frate' is slang short for 'fratello' (brother) and is used among friends. Say 'CHOW FRAH-teh' and roll the 'r' lightly.

Example

Ciao frate, tutto a posto?

Hey bro, everything okay?

Words in this phrase

Ciao

[chow]

hi / hello

A common informal greeting used when meeting someone or saying goodbye.

Example

Nel messaggio ho scritto: «Ciao, grazie per il tuo tempo».

In the message I wrote: “Hi, thanks for your time.”

frate

[FRAH-teh]

bro

Slang for a close friend, from 'fratello'.

Example

Grazie, frate!

Thanks, bro!

come va?

coh-meh vah

how's it going?

An informal 'how are you?'. Say 'KOH-meh VAH' and let your voice rise at the end, as in a question.

Example

Ehi Marco, come va?

Hey Marco, how's it going?

Words in this phrase

come

[coh-meh]

How

A word used to ask about the manner or way something is done.

Example

Come stai?

How are you?

[vah]

goes / is going

Verb indicating the heart is functioning at a fast rhythm.

Example

Il mio cuore va forte. Non riesco a stare fermo.

My heart is racing. I can't stay still.

Guides for Italian learners

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