The verb,
salutare, can be slightly confusing for English speakers because the verb has two meanings which oppose each other:
- to greet; to say hello to
- to say good-bye to
The way that you discover the intended meaning is through the context in which the verb is used, and even then it might not seem clear. But there are ways to decipher the meaning. Let's look at this sentence:
- Lo aveva salutato qualche minuto prima per andare a comprare il pane.
She said good-bye to him some minutes before in order to go buy bread.
This is a good example of how context of the sentence can help us to know which meaning of the verb is intended. Because she is going to buy bread, it is more logical that she is saying good-bye as she is leaving to go out to do some shopping.
- Diecimila fedeli hanno salutato il Papa quando è arrivato in centro.
10,000 parishoners greeted the Pope when he arrived downtown.
Again, the context helps in determining the meaning of the verb. It tends to be more logical to greet someone upon their arrival. Little clues such as this will help you in using and understanding the verb.
- Salutare is also a transitive verb and requires avere in compound tenses. Remember that the person or thing to which you are greeting/saying good-bye to is a direct object in Italian, not an indirect object.
- Salutare is a regular verb in in Italian; the past participle is salutato.
- Be careful not to confuse the verb, salutare, which the adjective which can mean healthy/wholesome or beneficial.
- Here are some useful expressions using the verb, salutare:
- venire a salutare to visit, to drop by
Sono venuto a salutarti ieri sera ma non sei stato a casa.
I dropped by yesterday evening but you were not at home.
- salutarsi to greet each other; to say good-bye to each other; to exchange greetings
- salutarsi con una stretta di mano to shake hands
- non salutarsi più to no longer be on speaking terms
Non ci salutiamo più.
We are no longer on speaking terms.
We do not speak to each other anymore.
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