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) |
These words are used as friendly, informal greetings. You can use e aí? as a very informal slang expression meaning 'what's up?' or 'how's it going?' Additionally, alô is used specifically when answering the telephone.
Which one should you use?
While oi is more informal and common in casual daily conversation than olá, olá serves as a more neutral or slightly more formal way to say 'hello'.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈoj/
When do people say it?
When greeting someone based on the time of day, you might use Bom dia (Good morning) from the early morning until around 1 p.m., Boa tarde (Good afternoon) from around 1 p.m. until it starts to get dark, or Boa noite (Good evening) from the early evening until late at night. You may also hear the common greeting Oi tudo bem?, which means 'Hi, how are you?'
Did you know?
- Although oi and the English 'oi' sound similar, they are completely unrelated. In Portuguese, it is a friendly greeting, whereas in English it is often an aggressive way to get attention.
- In Brazil, it is common to combine greetings into a rapid-fire sequence like Oi, oi, oi! when greeting a group or showing excitement. This adds a layer of warmth and energy that a single oi does not convey.
- The greeting e aí? is so common in Brazil that it often functions as a complete greeting and a question at once. In many casual settings, the person being greeted may respond with another e aí? instead of actually answering how they are.
Examples in context
- Oi, sou o Tom.Hi, I'm Tom.This sentence shows how to use oi when introducing yourself.Tatoeba #6774455 by Ricardo14, translation #5576200 by CK
- Oi! Como vai você?Hi! How are you?This sentence uses oi to ask someone how they are.Tatoeba #1473097 by rafael8243, translation #30316 by Zifre
- Oi, você está bem?Hi, are you OK?This sentence uses oi to check if someone is alright.Tatoeba #3076163 by Ricardo14, translation #505937 by 8684
- 74 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Mariana bump into each other at a cafe.
- LucasOi, Mariana!Hi, Mariana!
- MarianaOi, Lucas! Tudo bem?Hi, Lucas! Is everything okay?
- LucasTudo ótimo, e com você?Everything is great, and with you?
- MarianaTudo bem também.Everything is fine 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.
