How do Italians answer the phone? – Meaning of “pronto” in Italian

When we answer the phone in English and don’t know who is on the other end of the line, we almost always start the conversation with the word “”Hello?’ the tone rose.

Italians, on the other hand, always use “soon“literally”get ready’ or in this particular example, “ready to speak“.

Italians might say “soon?” has the same rising intonation as the English “Hello?“, with a question mark, indicates a complete phrase”hello, who’s talking?“(hello, who’s talking?). But you’ll also hear the simpler “soon,” without a sharp tone, meaning “i’m ready to talk“.

The habit of answering the phone is “soon“In Italy, people think back to the days of talking on the phone. Manual connection by operator. When making a call, the individual contacts the switchboard operator, who receives the connection request and waits patiently for an available line.Once the line is free, the operator will confirm its readiness with the word “”soon,” indicating that the call is now ready to continue.

Soldiers and law enforcement officers were among the first to use the telephone, primarily to respond quickly to orders from superiors. This military influence probably led to the direct and efficient tone usually used when answering the phone:soon“.

Although modern times have seen the advent of automated telephone systems, eliminating the need for operators, the tradition of answering calls is “soon’ has been handed down, nostalgic for the early days of the telephone in Italy.

important: Those who identify themselves as women should not make the mistake of answering the phone with a female version”get ready“. Reason is an adjective”soon” refers to a telephone (which is a masculine noun”Telephone“) instead of the person answering the phone.

with some exceptions”soon“The rules of the Italian language. Specifically, the informal”goodbye [nome]“(Hello [name]), except for the formal “Good morning [nome]“(Hello [name]), which works if you have Caller ID or a cell phone and can already see who is calling. Many times, companies will use “(Company Name), Good morning” followed by”how can I help you?“(“how can I help you?“).

Another way to respond is to use a simple “Yes?“(Yes?), often used between couples or with family members. Be aware that it might sound rude if you use it on someone you don’t know.

How to Start a Phone Conversation in Italian

One important thing to understand is that soon Not a greeting, but the first words spoken by you or the recipient to start a conversation. This is also a way to confirm that you can both hear each other and that the call has been successfully connected. Afterwards, it’s okay to say hello and explain who you are.

• hello good morning i am [name] = Hello, my name is [name]
• hello good morning my name is sir [name] / the lady [name] = Hello, my name is sir/madam. [name]

If the person you call is the first to say soon? (like Hello, who is calling?), you can skip your beat and introduce yourself in the correct way, optionally from Yes (Yes).

• get ready? – Yes, good morning, I am [name] = Hello, my name is [name]
• get ready? – Yes, good morning, I’m sir [name] / the lady [name] = Hello, my name is sir/madam. [name]

After introducing yourself, you can ask a series of questions, and even very politely apologize for interrupting:

• sorry to bother you, i was talking [name]? = Sorry to bother you, I was following [name]?
• Are you free right now? / (Are you free right now? = Are you free right now? (informal and formal)
• I want to know/talk to = I want to know/talk to
• I’m calling to… = I’m calling to…

How to End a Phone Conversation in Italian

So now that you know how to start a call, it’s also important to know how to end it. In this case, the options are more varied. People usually end a conversation with one of the following expressions:

• now i must go/run away = i need to walk/run now
• goodbye = goodbye
• see you later = see you later
• until tomorrow = See you tomorrow
• Thank you for calling = thanks for calling
• soon / there / see you later = We will meet soon / there / later
• until we meet again = goodbye
• a kiss = a kiss
• Hello Hello hello = Goodbye*

Note that in Italian, people often repeat goodbye Several times in a row at the end of a phone conversation, let them taper off when they hang up.

Useful Italian Telephone Vocabulary

Sample Italian phone conversation

Below are three examples of phone conversations you might have in Italy. The first two are informal, while the third is formal.

Note that in the third example below, both skip soon common.This can happen during a formal telephone call, as the recipient’s first task is to confirm that the caller has dialed the correct number, when soon Become redundant (by saying who they are, they also signal that they are “ready” to participate in the conversation).

Meaning of “pronto” in Italian – other uses

As mentioned at the beginning of the article, soon actually an adjective meaning “get ready“Italian, or in some cases”fast“”Fast“even”Tend to / Tend to“. Because it’s an adjective, the ending changes to match the gender/amount of the subject being described.

• soon (masculine, singular)
• get ready (feminine, singular)
• get ready (masculine, plural)
• get ready (feminine, plural)