Ring, ring!How to answer the phone in Italian

How to answer the phone in Italian as the recipient

Answering the phone in Italian is easy – whenever the phone rings, just say “soon”. It translates as “get ready” in English, so think of it as if you were saying, “Hey, I'm all ears!”.

There are some interesting stories behind this cool little word. Some believe it dates back to when cell phones were a new thing and there were carriers connecting callers with recipients. Once the connection is established, these operators will say “soon” transmit signal,”Come on, start talking”. Others believe that “soon” can be traced back to military customs, as the first use of telephones occurred in the military field, and “soon” is used to indicate preparation for intervention.

You can also jazz it up “soon“ Add some extra words like:

• “Hey, who's talking?” (Hey, who's talking?) to immediately find out who is on the other side of the line.

• “Hello?” (Yes hello?) is a simple and effective way to show that you are listening.

• Or mix them together: “Yes, hello, who's talking?” (Yes, hello, who's talking?).

notes: please remember “soon“ is neutral so you don't have to change it to “get ready” If you are a woman.

If you know who's calling, you can get a more personalized message:

• For your friends or family, go with it “goodbye [name],” like”Hi Luca“(Hello Luca) or”hi mom“(Hello Mom).

• In more formal situations, use “Good morning/good evening [name],” like”Good morning, Mr. Bianchi” or”good night doctor“

• If your friend or family member keeps calling, quickly “Yes?“ (Yes?) or “yes tell me“ (yes tell me) will do. Leave this to someone you know well to avoid sounding too sharp.

informal occasion

“Hello and goodbye [name]”or “Hello and goodbye [name]I am [your name]”

For example:

“Hello, hello, I'm Valentina!” (Hello, hey, I'm Valentina!).

“Hello, hello Ana, I'm Valentina” (Hello, Hey Anna, I'm Valentina).

“goodbye [name]” or “goodbye [name]I am [your name]”

For example:

“Hi, I'm Valentina!” (Hey, it's Valentina!).

“Hi Ana, I'm Valentina” (Hi Anna, I'm Valentina).

formal way

“Hello, good morning/good evening, I am [your name]” or “Hello, good morning/good evening, my name is [your name]”.

For example:

“Hello and good morning, my name is Valentina Nicastro and I'm calling to…” (Hi, good morning, I'm Valentina Nicastro and I'm calling to…).

“Hello and good evening, my name is Valentina Nicastro and I'm calling because…” (Hi, good evening, my name is Valentina Nicastro, I’m calling…).

“Yes, good morning/good evening, I am [your name]” or “Yes, good morning/good evening, my name is [your name]”.

For example:

“Yes, good morning, I'm Valentina Nicastro, I'm calling because…” (Yes, good morning, I'm Valentina Nicastro and I'm calling to…).

“Yes, good evening, my name is Valentina Nicastro and I'm calling because…” (Yes, good evening, my name is Valentina Nicastro and I'm calling to…).

“Good morning/good evening, I am [your name]” or “Good morning/good evening, my name is [your name]”.

For example:

“Good morning, I'm Valentina Nicastro, I'm calling because…” (Good morning, I'm Valentina Nicastro and I'm calling to…).

“Good evening, my name is Valentina Nicastro, I'm calling because…” (Good evening, my name is Valentina Nicastro and I'm calling to…).

“ointment” (Hi), can be used as a replacement “good morning/good evening,“ Perfect for any time of day.

Some examples:

“Yes, hello, hello, I am Valentina Nicastro, may I speak to Mrs. Paola Rossi?” (Yes, hello, my name is Valentina Nicastro, can I speak to Ms. Paola Rossi?).

“Yes, hello, I'm Valentina Nicastro, am I talking to Paola Rossi?” (Yes, hi, I'm Valentina Nicastro, am I talking to Paola Rossi?).

“Hi, I'm Valentina Nicastro and I'm looking for Dr. Paola Rossi.” (Hello, my name is Valentina Nicastro and I am looking for Dr. Paola Rossi.).

“Hello, is this Rossi's restaurant?” (Hi, is this Trattoria Rossi?).

After the introduction, you can continue the conversation with the following questions or statements:

• “Sorry to bother you, I need to…“ (Sorry if it bothers me, I need to…)

• “I want to know/talk to“(I want to know/talk to)

• “I am calling for…“(I'm calling because…)

• “Is it possible to talk to such a person…” (Is it possible to talk to someone from…?)

How to end a phone call in Italian

Knowing how to end a phone conversation properly is just as important as knowing how to start one. In Italy,“Hello Hello hello”(informal) and“Until we meet again”(Formal) is the classic expression, but other expressions may be used.

For casual chats with friends and family, you can also end with the following phrases:

• “see you later”(see you later)

• “We will discuss” (we will hear from each other,mean'Let's keep in touch')

• “thanks for your call”(Thank you for calling), a sweet note like my grandmother always used.

• “Now I have to run/go”(I need to run/walk now), perfect for when you're in a hurry, or let's be honest, when you need a polite excuse to hang up!

In a more formal setting, such as a business call, try these elegant farewells:

• “Thank you, good bye” (Thank you, good bye) or “Thank you very much, bye!” (Thank you very much, bye)

• “Thank you and I will hear from you again!” (Thank you and I look forward to hearing from you again!)

• “grateful…. [l’aiuto, le informazioni, ecc.]until we meet again.” (Thank you… [the help, the information, etc.], goodbye) to express appreciation.

Example 1 – Let’s say you are on a road trip through Tuscany and decide to spend the night and have lunch in a village recommended by the restaurant manager. You call your local restaurant and the conversation might go something like this:

hotel: Hello, good morning, Rossi Hotel, how can I help you? (Hello, good morning, Rossi Hotel, how can I help you?)

you: Good morning, are there any vacancies tonight? (Good morning, do you have a room tonight?)

hotel: Please wait while I check for availability. Would you like a single or double room? (Please wait a moment and I will check. Would you like a single or double room?)

you: Please give a double room. (Please give a double room.)

hotel: perfect. Yes, we have spaces available and the cost is 70 euros. Can I take your name please? (perfect. Yes, we have spaces available and the cost is 70 euros. May I know your name?)

you: Of course Mario Bianchi. (Of course, Mario Bianchi.)

hotel: Thank you, Mr. Bianchi. Your reservation is confirmed. See you tonight. (Thank you, Mr. Bianchi. Your reservation is confirmed. See you tonight.)

you: Thanks so much and bye! (Thank you very much and goodbye!)

Example 2 – An Italian friend you met on your last trip to Italy calls you. You recognized the number and responded enthusiastically:

you: Hello Marco! Are you OK? (Hello Marco! Are you OK?)

Mark: Hello! I am fine, thank you. And you? How is it going? (Hello, I! I am fine, thank you. And you? how are things?)

you: All the best, thank you. I’m already planning my next trip to Italy! (All the best, thank you. I am planning another trip to Italy.)

Mark: excellent! When do you want to come? (excellent! When do you plan to come?)

you: Probably May. I hope to go to Naples this time. What do you recommend? (Probably May. I hope to go to Naples this time. What do you recommend?)

Mark: affim! Naples is full of wonderful places. I'll send you a list of restaurants and places you can't miss. (certainly! Naples is full of wonderful places. I will send you a list of restaurants and must-see places.)

you: It will be great! I hope we can meet up while I'm there! (That's great! I hope we can meet up while I'm there!)

Mark: must! Let me know once you figure everything out. (really! When you have everything planned, please tell me your plans as soon as possible.)

you: I will do it. Thank you very much, Marco. goodbye! (I will. Thanks so much, Marco. See you soon!)

Mark: please! Then let’s talk to you! (You're welcome! Then let’s keep in touch!)