saudação
/saw.daˈsɐ̃w̃/feminine
The English phrase 'greeting' is translated to Portuguese as saudação.
saudação is a feminine noun meaning an acknowledgement of a person's presence or arrival. While it refers to the act or the formal word of greeting, it is often used in more formal or ceremonial contexts compared to everyday verbal greetings. Other ways to greet people include the informal Oi (Hi) and the informal Tudo bem? (How are you?, literally 'Is everything good?'). You can respond to Tudo bem? with Tudo bem e você? to say 'I'm fine, and you?'
Meaning: acknowledgement of a persons presence or arrival (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of saudação is saudações.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables and the stress is on the 3rd syllable: /saw.daˈsɐ̃w/.
Did you know?
- While saudação is the formal noun for a greeting, the related word saudade is one of the most famous words in Portuguese, describing a deep, melancholic longing.
- In Portugal, a common non-verbal saudação between friends is the beijinhos, involving two light kisses on the cheeks, whereas in Brazil, the number of kisses varies by city and region.
- The word saudação comes from the Latin salūtātiōnem, which originally referred to the act of wishing health to another person.
Examples in context
- Esta é a saudação muçulmana.This is the Muslim greeting.This sentence uses saudação to identify a specific type of greeting.Tatoeba #8868502 by carlosalberto, translation #6445358 by OsoHombre
- Tom tocou seu chapéu em saudação.Tom touched his hat in greeting.This sentence uses saudação to describe an action performed while greeting.Tatoeba #7903823 by piterkeo, translation #2476819 by arnxy20
- Ele fez uma saudação rápida ao entrar.He gave a quick greeting upon entering.
Example conversation
Camila and Lucas are discussing a business email.
- CamilaVocê achou a saudação do e-mail adequada?Did you think the greeting in the email was appropriate?
- LucasSim, achei bem profissional.Yes, I thought it was quite professional.
- CamilaEu prefiro uma saudação mais simples.I prefer a simpler greeting.
- LucasPodemos mudar isso agora, Camila.We can change that now, Camila.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “greeting” translations and entries saudação, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries saudação, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
