ciao
An informal greeting used when meeting someone, especially among friends and acquaintances.
EXAMPLE
Ciao, wie geht es dir?
Ciao, how are you?
ciao
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Meanings
ciao
An informal farewell.
EXAMPLE
Ich muss jetzt gehen, ciao!
I have to go now, ciao!
Usage tips
Informal greeting
'Ciao' is part of casual spoken everyday language and is especially suitable for friends, acquaintances, and familiar situations. In formal conversations or official correspondence, it usually seems inappropriate.
EXAMPLE
Ciao, schön dich zu sehen!
Ciao, it's nice to see you!
Greeting
When greeting someone, 'Ciao' often comes at the beginning of the conversation and is frequently followed by a question or another greeting.
EXAMPLE
Ciao, wie war dein Wochenende?
Ciao, how was your weekend?
Farewell
When saying goodbye, 'Ciao' often comes at the end of the conversation or is used together with a time expression for the next meeting. Words like 'morgen' (tomorrow) or 'später' (later) then indicate the farewell context.
EXAMPLE
Ciao, bis morgen!
Ciao, see you tomorrow!
Spoken language
'Ciao' is used particularly often in speech, but it also appears in private messages and casual emails.
EXAMPLE
Ich schreibe dir später noch, ciao!
I'll write to you again later, ciao!
In real life
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