How to Say “Greetings” in Portuguese

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saudações
The English phrase "greetings" is translated into Portuguese as saudações.
saudações is a formal way of saying "hello" and is most commonly used in written correspondence, such as in the closing of a formal letter or email.
Meaning: formal way of saying "hello" (intj)

Which one should you use?

While saudações is a formal way to express greetings, common spoken alternatives include Olá (Hello) or Oi (Hi).

Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?

saudações is a formal term and is rarely used in casual, everyday spoken conversation. In contrast, Olá is a common greeting used in informal settings and is slightly more formal than Oi, which is widely used in Brazil. For a standard formal greeting used in the morning until around noon, you might use Bom dia. To informally greet someone and ask how they are doing, Tudo bem? is a popular choice.

Is it said differently in some regions?

In certain areas like Bahia, using Beleza? as an informal greeting for "how's it going?" or "everything okay?" is quite common. In Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, the informal greeting E aí? is commonly used to mean "what's up?" In some regions, particularly the Northeast, Prazer is used to greet someone for the first time to mean "nice to meet you".

How does it change in a sentence?

saudações is the plural form of the singular noun saudação, which means "greeting".

Did you know?

  • The root of saudações is shared with the word saudade, which describes a deep longing for something or someone absent.
  • In some traditional Portuguese cultures, formal greetings are accompanied by a specific number of cheek kisses, which varies by region and gender.
  • If you use saudações in a WhatsApp message to a close friend, you might sound ironically stiff or even jokingly dramatic.

Examples in context

  • Cordiais saudações!
    Warm greetings!
    This sentence shows how to use saudações in a warm, formal closing.
    Tatoeba #1373786 by tulio, translation #6005871 by AlanF_US
  • Saudações da França!
    Greetings from France!
    This sentence shows how to send saudações from a specific location.
    Tatoeba #1394024 by alexmarcelo, translation #1151808 by Quazel
  • Saudações, estranho.
    Greetings, stranger.
    This sentence demonstrates a slightly more dramatic or literary use of saudações when addressing a stranger.
    Tatoeba #1592131 by alexmarcelo, translation #1582122 by Spamster
  • Bom dia! Prazer em conhecê-lo.
    Good morning! Nice to meet you.
  • Bom dia! O prazer é meu.
    Good morning! The pleasure is mine.
  • Oi! Como vai? Tudo bem?
    Hi! How are you? All good?
  • Oi! Tudo ótimo. E você?
    Hi! Everything's great. And you?
  • E aí, beleza?
    What's up, everything okay?
  • Tudo tranquilo! E contigo?
    All good! How about you?
  • 4 more sentences on Tatoeba

Example conversation

Camila and Rodrigo are meeting for the first time at a formal business conference.

  1. Camila

    Saudações, senhor Rodrigo.
    Greetings, Mr. Rodrigo.
  2. Rodrigo

    Saudações, senhora Camila. Prazer em conhecê-la.
    Greetings, Ms. Camila. Pleasure to meet you.
  3. Camila

    O prazer é meu.
    The pleasure is mine.
  4. Rodrigo

    Vamos começar a reunião?
    Shall we start the meeting?

Sources

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Judy Janice
Judy JaniceHelp make this guide better. Spot a mistake, know another way to say it, or have an example from real life? Share it below.
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