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How do you translate Italian messages? Writing to Italians correctly and politely

A supplier in Italy, a flat you rent in Rome or a customer in Milan: they all write in Italian. Italians are warm in writing but they also care about formality, and addressing a stranger too casually can come across as rude. Translation carries the meaning across; knowing a few habits makes your message sound natural and polite.

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Lei or tu?

Italian has two kinds of “you”: Lei for strangers, older people and business contacts, and tu for friends, family and people your own age. In business messages, Lei is the safe choice until the other person starts writing tu.

English has only one “you”, so the translation picks the tone from the rest of your wording. Polite phrases such as “could you please” and “kind regards” lead to a formal result; a short, casual message leads to a friendly one. If the other person writes casually, a relaxed tone is fine.

Opening and closing

Italian messages open with a short greeting and end with a polite sign-off. If you write these patterns in English, the translation comes out natural:

  • Daytime opening: “Good morning / Good day” (Buongiorno); from late afternoon, “Good evening” (Buonasera).
  • Formal opening: “Dear Mr Rossi” (Gentile Sig. Rossi) or “Dear Ms Rossi” (Gentile Sig.ra Rossi).
  • Closing: “Kind regards” (Cordiali saluti) or “Thank you in advance” (Grazie in anticipo).
  • Friendly opening and closing: “Hi” (Ciao) and “See you soon” (A presto).

Can you write Ciao to anyone?

Ciao means both “hi” and “bye”, but it is informal. When you write to a hotel, an official office or a company for the first time, Buongiorno or Salve is a better start than Ciao.

In the same way, a casual opening such as “hey, how are you?” stays casual in translation. Starting a little formal in the first message and then matching the other person's tone is the easiest way.

Male or female?

In Italian some adjectives and verb forms depend on who is speaking: a man writes “sono stato” (I have been), a woman “sono stata”; “glad” is contento for a man and contenta for a woman. The translation cannot always tell from the text, so in an important message it is worth a quick look at those words before you send.

Accents can change the meaning: è means “is”, while e means “and”. When you need a name, an address or an order number from an incoming message, copying and pasting it is safer than retyping it.

Dates, times, money and numbers

Italy writes dates as day/month/year, so 03/04 is the 3rd of April, not March 4th. The decimal separator is a comma and thousands use a dot: 1.250,50 €.

Times use the 24-hour clock (14:30 or 14.30). Italy is on Central European Time, so when you give a meeting or delivery time, saying whose time zone you mean avoids confusion.

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