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How to Say ‘Good evening to you!’ in Italian

Buona serata a Lei!

BWOH-nah seh-RAH-tah ah LAY

[BWOH-nah seh-RAH-tah ah LAY]

🇮🇹 In Italy: Saying a Lei returns a good wish politely, like "and to you too." It's a natural, warm way to part from a stranger you've just watched the match with.

Phrase Breakdown

Buona serata

BWOH-nah seh-RAH-tah

Have a good evening

A wish for the whole evening ahead. Pronounce it 'BWO-nah seh-RAH-tah'.

Example

Buona serata, ragazzi!

Have a good evening, guys!

Words in this phrase

Buona

[BWOH-nah]

good

Adjective meaning good; feminine singular form of buono.

Example

Hai una buona base. tecnica.

You have a good technical foundation.

serata

[seh-RAH-tah]

evening

Feminine noun for the evening as a span of time or event; used in wishes.

Example

Abbiamo passato una bella serata.

We had a lovely evening.

a Lei!

ah LAY

to you! (formal)

The formal 'you', used for politeness. 'Lei' sounds like 'lay'.

Example

Grazie a Lei!

Thank you! (formal)

Words in this phrase

[ah]

"A" is a simple preposition used in many fixed expressions and combinations.

Example

Magari ci vediamo davanti a un caffè la prossima settimana.

Maybe we’ll meet over a coffee next week.

Lei

[LAY]

you (formal)

Polite form of 'you', used with strangers like customers or staff.

Example

Questo è per lei.

This is for you.

Guides for Italian learners

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