This is always the first thing you seem to start with in an Italian lesson, and of, course, it is the usual Buongiorno (hello/good day), Buonasera, Buonanotte (which you would onky used when going to bed), ciao and arrivederci (how I love the sound of that word). Ciao of course is unusual in that it is used for both "hello" and "goodbye". The more formal verson would be "salve" which again, can be both hello and goodbye.
But there are a couple of unusual ones that sometimes get mentioned too. "Arrivederla" is one that foxed me at first. But I have since learnt that it's a very polite way of saying goodbye, often used by shop assistants or concierges. You wouldn't, however, use it when saying goodbye to more than one person though.
"Pronto" is another one. It's used when Italians answer the phone and I have to admit that the way that many of them say it does sound very much like "get on with it"!
"Pronto" actually means "ready" and apparently this particular use stems right back to old fashioned telephones, where an operator would put people through. Saying "pronto" meant I'm ready to talk!
Ciao!
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