Happy New Year in Italian
Welcome to MostUsedWords.com, where we help you learn the most useful words and phrases in any language! Today, we're focusing on a warm and festive greeting that will surely brighten up anyone's day: "Happy New Year" in Italian.
How to Say "Happy New Year" in Italian
The phrase "Buon anno" [ˈbwɔn ˈanːo] is the most common way to say "Happy New Year" in Italian. It literally means "good year," which conveys a wish for good fortune and happiness throughout the coming year. For a more formal setting, you can use "Buon anno nuovo" [ˈbwɔn ˈanːo ˈnuːvo], meaning "New Good Year." In informal settings or among friends, "Auguri per il nuovo anno" [auˈɡurij peɾ il ˈnuːwo ˈanːo] is also a popular choice.
Example Sentences
"Buon anno!" said Maria as she handed over the New Year's card to her colleague.
Buon anno! — Happy New Year!
"Spero che il nuovo anno ti porti solo felicità." — I hope that the new year brings you only happiness.
Spero che il nuovo anno ti porti solo felicità. [speˈro ke il ˈnuːwo ˈanːo ti porˈti soːlo feˌlittiˈta]
Cultural Notes: How Italian Speakers Celebrate
New Year's Eve, known as "Sera di Capodanno" [sera di kapodaˈnɔ], is a time for celebration and reflection in Italy. Many Italians gather with family or friends to watch the fireworks at midnight, while others attend church services. The tradition of making wishes by throwing out old things (like dishes) is also popular in some regions.
Related Italian Holiday Vocabulary
| Italian | English | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| Ballo del Capodanno | New Year's Eve party | ˈballo de kapodaˈnɔ |
| Festa di San Silvestro | Saint Sylvester's Feast (New Year's Eve) | fesˈta di san silˈvɛstro |
| Benedizione dell'anno nuovo | New Year's blessing | benedizoˈnɛ dell anːo ˈnuːvo |
| Risveglio del sole | Sunrise celebration | rizeˈvʎo de lole |
| Bellissima notte di Capodanno | Beautiful New Year's Eve night | bɛlˈiːsma ˈnɔtte di kapodaˈnɔ |
| Svegliata del capo d'anno | New Year's wake-up call | sveʎˈʎaːta de kapo ˈdanno |
| Tradizione della zampogna | Zampogna tradition (bagpipe) | traˌdizjoːne della dzamˈpoɲa |
| Ballo di mezzanotte | Midnight dance party | ˈballo di mezzaˈnɔtte |
More Useful Italian Greetings
In addition to "Buon anno," there are several other common greetings and phrases used in Italy:
- Ciao! [tʃao] — Hello! (informal)
- Buona giornata! [ˈbwɔna dʒorˈnata] — Have a good day!
- In bocca al lupo! [in ˈbokka al ˈluːpo] — Good luck! (literally "Into the wolf's mouth!")
Start Building Your Italian Vocabulary
If you want to grow your Italian vocabulary systematically, the Italian Frequency Dictionary is the most efficient tool available. It covers the 2,500 most common Italian words, each with IPA pronunciation, an English translation, and bilingual example sentences.
Browse all Italian language resources to find the volume that matches your level.