What does it mean word for word?
The part como vai? literally translates to 'how goes?' or 'how goes it?'
Which one should you use?
While Olá, como vai? is a standard greeting, como vai? on its own is slightly more formal or neutral compared to the more casual and direct como você está? In many Brazilian dialects, como você está? is used as a more direct way to ask 'how are you?'
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For formal situations, you can use Olá, como vai você? or Bom dia, como está? For informal situations, you might use Oi, tudo bem?, Tudo bem contigo? or the slang E aí, beleza? In Brazil, the highly informal E aí, como é que é? is also common among friends.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Portugal, the formal greeting Bom dia, como está? is particularly common, as is the variation Como é que vai?, which is often used in polite or formal situations. In Brazil, the informal greeting E aí, como é que é? is very popular.
When do people say it?
A very common and natural response to Olá, como vai? is Tudo bem, e você?, which means 'Everything is fine and you?'
Did you know?
- In Brazil, you might hear the slang E aí, beleza?, where 'beleza' literally means 'beauty' but functions as 'is everything beautiful/cool?'
- In Brazil, the greeting Tudo bem? is so ubiquitous that it often functions as both the question and the answer. A conversation can begin with two people simply saying Tudo bem? to each other in rapid succession.
- The word Olá may have been borrowed into Portuguese from the Spanish word hola.
Examples in context
- Bom dia, como está? Desejo-lhe um ótimo dia.Good day, how are you? I wish you a great day.
- E aí, como é que é? Curtiu a festa ontem?Hey, what's up? Did you enjoy the party yesterday?
- Olá, como vai?Hello, how are you doing?
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries como, olá, vai, CC BY-SA 4.0.
