Ways to say it
| Portuguese | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| olá | /oˈla/ (Brazil) /ɔˈla/ (Portugal) |
|
| e aí? | /ˈɛ aˈi/ (Brazil, word by word) | slang |
The phrase is used to greet someone. Depending on the time of day or context, you might also use specific time-based greetings like Bom dia (good morning, used until late morning), Boa tarde (good afternoon, used from around noon until early evening) or Boa noite (good evening or good night, used after dark or when leaving someone for the night).
Which one should you use?
olá is a standard, neutral greeting suitable for most situations. In contrast, e aí? is a slang term used as both a greeting and a question meaning "what's up?" in casual conversation.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
olá is neutral and suitable for most settings. For highly informal situations, you can use the slang e aí? or the common informal greeting Oi. If you are meeting someone in a formal context, a common way to say "nice to meet you" is Prazer em conhecê-lo(a).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Portugal, Olá prevails as a greeting. In Brazil, Oi is more commonly used as an informal greeting.
How do you pronounce it?
/oˈla/
When do people say it?
When meeting someone for the first time, you might use the formal phrase Prazer em conhecê-lo(a) (nice to meet you). A common and polite response to this is É um prazer (it's a pleasure).
Did you know?
- In the slang phrase e aí?, the word aí might actually have roots in Old Tupi, an indigenous language of South America, rather than just Latin.
- In Brazil, e aí? is often accompanied by a slight chin-up gesture or a nod, which can replace the spoken greeting entirely in some social circles.
- In very formal Portuguese settings, it is common to omit a general 'hello' entirely and start immediately with a time-specific greeting like Bom dia.
Examples in context
- Olá, é o Mike.Hello, this is Mike.This example 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 example demonstrates using olá when introducing oneself.Tatoeba #2849790 by MarlonX19, translation #2719673 by WestofEden
- Olá e adeus, irmã.Hello and farewell, sister.This example shows olá used in a sentence alongside a farewell.Tatoeba #6175980 by User75171, translation #6175538 by RobinvanderVliet
- 69 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Camila meet at a coffee shop.
- LucasOlá, Camila! Tudo bem?Hello, Camila! Everything okay?
- CamilaOlá, Lucas! Estou bem, e você?Hello, Lucas! I'm fine, and you?
- LucasEstou ótimo, obrigado.I'm great, thanks.
- CamilaQue bom! Vamos entrar?That's good! Shall we go inside?
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.
