Ways to say it
| Portuguese | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| boa noite | /ˈbo.ɐ ˈnoj.t͡ʃi/ (Brazil) /ˈbo.ɐ ˈnoj.tɨ/ (Portugal) |
feminine |
| boa tarde | /ˈbo.ɐ ˈtaʁ.d͡ʒi/ (Brazil) /ˈbo.ɐ ˈtaɾ.d͡ʒi/ (São Paulo) |
feminine |
Boa noite is the most common and general way to say "good evening" in Brazil. You can use it as a standalone greeting or combine it with other words, such as Oi, boa noite! (hi, good evening!) or Boa noite, pessoal! (good evening, everyone!). Additionally, the phrase Tenha uma boa noite can be used to mean "have a good evening."
Which one should you use?
Use boa tarde for the afternoon and boa noite once it has become evening or night. Specifically, before 6:00 PM, you should greet people by saying boa tarde (good afternoon).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Rio de Janeiro, it is common to hear the informal phrase Boa noite, beleza?, which translates to "Good evening, everything alright?"
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase is feminine because noite (night) is a feminine noun, which is why the adjective boa uses the feminine ending. Both boa noite and boa tarde are feminine forms.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of boa noite is /ˈbo.ɐ ˈnoj.tʃi/. It has 4 syllables and the stress is on the 1st syllable.
Did you know?
- In Brazil, saying boa noite to a stranger in a professional setting is often accompanied by a slight nod, whereas among friends it is frequently paired with a cheek kiss.
- The word tarde in boa tarde is a linguistic cousin to the English word 'tardy', both sharing a root that means 'late'.
- In Portuguese, boa noite serves a double duty as both a greeting when you arrive and a farewell when you leave.
Examples in context
- Boa noite! Como você está?Good evening, how are you?This sentence shows how to use boa noite in a friendly question.Tatoeba #2775392 by Sitko, translation #413820 by Dorenda
- Senhoras e senhores, boa noite!Ladies and gentlemen, good evening!This sentence demonstrates a formal greeting to a group using boa noite.Tatoeba #11245412 by carlosalberto, translation #11245411 by carlosalberto
- Olá, boa noite. Em que posso ajudá-los?Hello, good evening. How can I help you?This sentence shows how to use boa noite when offering assistance.Tatoeba #6743036 by Ricardo14, translation #9713640 by Nylez
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Beatriz meet at a restaurant in the evening.
- LucasBoa noite, Beatriz.Good evening, Beatriz.
- BeatrizBoa noite, Lucas! Tudo bem?Good evening, Lucas! How are you?
- LucasTudo ótimo, obrigado.Everything is great, thanks.
- BeatrizQue bom!That's good!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good evening” translations and entries boa noite, boa tarde, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries boa, boa noite, boa tarde, noite, tarde, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
