olá
/oˈla/
In Portuguese, hello can be expressed as olá or e aí?
Meaning: greeting (intj)
Ways to say it
| Portuguese | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| olá | /oˈla/ (Brazil) /ɔˈla/ (Portugal) |
|
| e aí? | /ˈɛ aˈi/ (Brazil, word by word) | slang |
The standard way to say hi or hello is olá. For a more casual greeting equivalent to 'what's up?', you can use the slang e aí?
Which one should you use?
While olá is a standard greeting, e aí? is a highly colloquial way to say hello or 'what's up?' specifically among friends.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
olá is a neutral, standard greeting suitable for most social situations. In contrast, e aí? is used as slang in casual settings.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The greeting Oi is an informal greeting used mainly in Brazil.
How do you pronounce it?
/oˈla/
When do people say it?
In Portuguese culture, it is common for friends and family to exchange a hug or kisses on the cheek. If you are joining an event later in the day or greeting someone after sunset, you might use Boa noite (Good evening).
Did you know?
- When using the greeting e aí?, the 'aí' can sometimes be linked to Old Tupi origins, suggesting a deep indigenous influence on how even casual Portuguese is spoken.
- In Brazil, oi is frequently repeated as oi, oi! when calling out to someone or trying to get their attention from a distance.
- While olá is understood everywhere, the short oi is vastly more common in Brazil than in Portugal, where it can sometimes feel overly intimate.
Examples in context
- Olá, é o Mike.Hello, this is Mike.This sentence shows how to use olá to identify oneself.Tatoeba #1292994 by alexmarcelo, translation #30980 by CN
- Olá. Sou a Nancy.Hello. I'm Nancy.This sentence demonstrates using olá to introduce oneself.Tatoeba #2849790 by MarlonX19, translation #2719673 by WestofEden
- Olá e adeus, irmã.Hello and farewell, sister.This sentence uses olá in a sentence paired with a farewell.Tatoeba #6175980 by User75171, translation #6175538 by RobinvanderVliet
- 69 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Camila and Felipe run into each other at a cafe.
- CamilaOlá, Felipe!Hello, Felipe!
- FelipeOlá, Camila. Tudo bem?Hello, Camila. Is everything okay?
- CamilaSim, tudo ótimo.Yes, everything is great.
- FelipeQue bom te ver.It is good to see you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hello” translations and entries olá, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (e, aí) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries aí, e, olá, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
