oi
/ˈoj/
In Portuguese, hi is expressed as oi. Wiktionary also lists olá and alô.
Meaning: friendly, informal greeting (intj)
Ways to say it
| Portuguese | IPA |
|---|---|
| oi | /ˈoj/ (Brazil) /ˈoj/ (Portugal) |
| olá | /oˈla/ (Brazil) /ɔˈla/ (Portugal) |
| alô | /aˈlo/ (Brazil) /aˈlo/ (Portugal) |
| e ai? | /ˈɛ ˈaj/ (Brazil, word by word) |
While oi and olá serve as general greetings meaning 'Hello', e aí? is a common way to say 'What's up?' in an informal context.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase e aí? literally translates to 'and there?'
Which one should you use?
The greeting oi is more informal and common in daily conversation than olá, which is a more neutral or slightly more formal version of a greeting. Unlike these general greetings, alô is used specifically to answer the telephone and is not used as a general greeting when meeting someone in person.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈoj/
Did you know?
- Using alô to greet someone in person instead of on the phone is often interpreted as a joke or a way to ask if someone is paying attention.
- The word oi is a simple interjection sound that is completely unrelated to the English exclamation 'oi' used to get attention.
- Depending on the region in Brazil, e aí? can function as both a 'hello' and a 'goodbye' in very casual youth slang.
Examples in context
- Oi, sou o Tom.Hi, I'm Tom.This example shows how to introduce yourself using oi.Tatoeba #6774455 by Ricardo14, translation #5576200 by CK
- Oi! Como vai você?Hi! How are you?This example shows a friendly way to ask how someone is doing using oi.Tatoeba #1473097 by rafael8243, translation #30316 by Zifre
- Oi, você está bem?Hi, are you OK?This example shows how to check on someone's well-being using oi.Tatoeba #3076163 by Ricardo14, translation #505937 by 8684
- 74 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Felipe and Beatriz run into each other at a cafe.
- FelipeOi, Beatriz!Hi, Beatriz!
- BeatrizOi, Felipe! Tudo bem?Hi, Felipe! Everything good?
- FelipeTudo ótimo, e com você?Everything is great, and with you?
- BeatrizTambém está tudo bem.Everything is fine with me too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hi” translations and entries oi, olá, alô, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (e, ai) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ai, alô, e, oi, olá, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
