10 Ways to Say “How Are You” in Italian

Following a "hello," the next Italian expression you will most often encounter is a version of "how are you?" But using just a single way to ask "how are you?" can become a little monotonous, wouldn't you agree?

So, here are 10 different phrases to ask someone how they are in Italian, from formal to familiar.

1. Come sta?

Come sta? is one of the two most common ways to ask how someone is in Italian.

It literally means “How are you?”, since come means “how” and sta is the formal you (Lei) form of stare, which means “to be.”

This is the formal version of the expression. It is used with people you are not very familiar with, or individuals such as your teachers, professors, or other authority figures.

For instance, if you stepped out of your apartment and saw your landlord on the sidewalk, you would ask him or her, “Come sta?”

You would normally use this after a courteous but formal greeting such as Salve or buongiorno.

2. Come stai?

Come stai? is the informal version of come sta.

It uses the familiar you (tu) form of the verb, so this is the form you would use when talking to friends, family, or other people you know well.

If your brother came over for dinner, for example, you would ask him “come stai?” and not “come sta?”, since you two are close and on a similar level.

3. Come state?

Not to overwhelm you, but there is one more version of come sta? to learn!

Come sta? and come stai? are both used when speaking to one person, but come state? is used when addressing a group of two or more people.

This is the same as saying “how are you all?” or, like we say in my native Kentucky, “How’re y’all doing?”

It can be formal or informal, so you could use it when meeting your group of friends and wanting to ask everyone how they are, or you could use it with your supervisors at work to politely ask how they are before a meeting begins.

4. Come va?

Come va? is more informal, and can be understood as something closer to “how’s it going?” or “what’s up?”

While this is usually a more casual conversation starter, it is also a good expression to use when making small talk with people you do not know very well yet.

This is because it is technically neither formal nor informal. The verb here is va, which comes from andare, meaning “to go.” The va refers to the situation that is “going,” not to any person performing an action, so it is not influenced by Italy’s social conventions.

So, this is an excellent choice to use if you have just been introduced to a friend of a friend, and you are not sure if you have moved past the formal, polite, "just met" stage yet.

This can also be used in the middle of a conversation if things have slowed down a bit and you want to introduce a new topic by asking the person you are speaking with how things are going in their life.

5. Come vanno le cose?

Like Come va?, come vanno le cose? is also both personal and impersonal, so you can use it with anyone no matter how well you know them.

Come vanno le cose? means “how are things going?” and is a bit more specific than come va?, which is somewhat vague. (What exactly is the “it” in the phrase “how’s it going?” It's not clear.)

But while come va? is lighter and more casual, if someone asks you “Come vanno le cose?”, it usually means they sincerely want to know how things are going in your life. They are asking how school is going or how work is going, how it’s going with your new puppy, or whatever else is happening with you.

6. Tutto bene?

Tutto bene? means “is everything good?” or “is everything alright?”

This one can also be either formal or informal, but it is often used when you already know that, previously, it was not all bene (good).

While sometimes tutto bene?, like come va?, is asked similarly to “what’s up?”, it is also sometimes used with at least some concern.

For example, you would ask someone “Tutto bene?” if you know they have been having a difficult time and you want to see how they are managing.

You can also use it to ask if someone is okay if they have not been replying to your messages, in which case it would mean something more like “are you still alive?”

7. Tutto a posto?

Tutto a posto? is similar to tutto bene. The literal meaning is “is everything in place?” but a better translation is “is everything okay?”

This is more often asked when someone is a bit concerned, like if your friend shows up looking like they have not slept for a week and you sincerely want to know if they are alright.

Again, this one is neither formal nor informal, so you could ask your child “Tutto a posto?” if they fall and scrape their knee, or you could ask the same of a stranger if you see them trip on a sidewalk to make sure they did not twist their ankle or need assistance.

8. Come si sente?

Come si sente? is less like “how are you doing?” and more like “how are you feeling?”

This is the formal version of the phrase, which you would use with people you are not that familiar with, or to whom you wish to show respect.

It is not usually used as a conversation starter like come sta?, but is more a way to check on someone if you know they have not been feeling well.

9. Come ti senti?

Come ti senti? is, as you might have guessed, the informal version of come si sente.

It is used with people you know well, which makes it a more common expression. If you know your aunt is getting over a cold, for example, you could ask her “come ti senti oggi?” (how do you feel today?).

10. Novità?

Novità? simply means, “news?”

Like a few of the other phrases listed here, it contains no verb, so it is neither formal nor informal. However, you would almost never use this with someone you do not know very well.

Essentially, by saying “Novità?”, you are asking if the person you are speaking to has heard any news or if there are any updates to something happening in their life. In other words, you ask if there is news because you are already aware of the “olds.”

You can also adjust it slightly to ask “Qualche novità?”, which would translate to “any news?”

Using all of these greetings appropriately depends on the context. If you are eager to learn how Italian is spoken in real life, but cannot travel to Italy yet, you could try using a language learning program like Lingflix to immerse yourself in authentic Italian.

Now that you know how to ask “how are you?” in Italian, your conversations will be much more engaging.

Just remember to consider the formality level of your conversation, and to adjust your phrases and verbs depending on who you are speaking with!