Olá
greeting, neutral
In Brazilian Portuguese hello is Olá or the more casual Oi, and goodbye is Tchau. The two are different words, so you need both to cover arriving and leaving.
Meaning: greeting and farewell (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Portuguese | Note |
|---|---|
| Olá | greeting, neutral |
| Tchau | farewell, casual |
| Oi | greeting, casual |
Oi is the most common hello in Brazil. Olá sounds a bit more formal or careful, and Tchau is the usual goodbye with friends, family and shop staff.
Which one should you use?
Unlike Italian ciao, Brazilian tchau is used only to leave, never to say hello. For a more formal farewell people say Até logo or Até mais.
Is it said differently in some regions?
On the phone Brazilians answer with Alô, which means "hello" and is used only for calls.
Did you know?
- In Brazil Alô? is still the standard way to answer a phone call, even though people often see the caller's name on the screen.
Examples in context
- Oi, tudo bem?Hi, how are you?
- Olá, bom dia!Hello, good morning!
- Tchau, até amanhã!Bye, see you tomorrow!
Example conversation
Paula meets her colleague Thiago in the hall of an office in Belo Horizonte and says goodbye minutes later.
- PaulaOi, Thiago!Hi, Thiago!
- ThiagoOlá, Paula. Tudo bem?Hello, Paula. How are you?
- PaulaTudo bem. Tenho que ir, tchau!Good. I have to go, bye!
- ThiagoTchau!Bye!
