Which one should you use?
olá amigo is used for a male friend, whereas you should use olá amiga when greeting a female friend. If you are greeting a group of only female friends, use olá amigas.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For a more relaxed and playful greeting, you can use the colloquial Oi, meu chapa. If you need to be formal and convey respect, you can say Boa tarde, estimado amigo/amiga.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Brazil, oi amigo is a more common and informal way to say "hi friend".
How does it change in a sentence?
To greet a group consisting of male or mixed-gender friends, change amigo to the plural amigos. To greet a group of only female friends, use the feminine plural amigas.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /oˈla aˈmi.ɡu/. The phrase has 4 syllables and the stress is on the 2nd syllable.
Did you know?
- In Brazil, if you use amigo with a complete stranger, it can sometimes be perceived as a subtle way of establishing a social distance or acting patronizing.
- In Portugal, it is common to greet a close male friend using pá, which is a filler word that acts as an informal equivalent to 'mate' or 'dude'.
- The word amigo is derived from the Latin verb amō, which means 'to love'.
Examples in context
- Olá amigo! Como você está?Hello friend! How are you?
Example conversation
Gabriel meets a male friend at a cafe while Juliana is with him.
- GabrielOlá amigo! Tudo bem com você?Hello friend! Is everything okay with you?
- JulianaTudo ótimo, Gabriel! E você?Everything is great, Gabriel! And you?
- GabrielTudo bem. Esta é a Juliana.Everything is fine. This is Juliana.
- JulianaMuito prazer em conhecê-la, Juliana.Very nice to meet you, Juliana.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (olá, amigo) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries amigo, olá, CC BY-SA 4.0.
