olá
/oˈla/
olá is the Portuguese way to say hello.
olá is a versatile greeting used to say hello to someone. It can be used in both formal and informal settings.
Which one should you use?
While olá is a standard greeting, oi is a more common, informal way to say 'hi' in Brazil.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Brazil, E aí is a casual way to say 'Hey' or 'What's up?'
How do you pronounce it?
/oˈla/
Did you know?
- In Portugal, olá is often paired with a single light kiss on the right cheek between women or between men and women when greeting friends.
- The word olá may have been borrowed from the Spanish word hola.
- The casual Brazilian greeting e aí can be answered with another e aí instead of a standard greeting like olá.
Examples in context
- Olá, meu nome é Maria. Prazer em conhecê-lo.Hello, my name is Maria. Nice to meet you.
- Oi, tudo bem? Vamos sair para jantar hoje à noite?Hi, how are you? Shall we go out for dinner tonight?
- Olá pessoal, estou muito feliz em vê-los aqui hoje.Hello everyone, I'm very happy to see you all here today.
- E aí, beleza? Como foi o seu dia?Hey, what's up? How was your day?
- Olá, como você está?Hello, how are you?
- Olá a todos, boa tarde.Hello everyone, good afternoon.
- Eu só queria dizer olá.I just wanted to say hello.
Example conversation
Felipe and Beatriz meet at a cafe.
- FelipeOlá, Beatriz!Hello, Beatriz!
- BeatrizOlá, Felipe. Tudo bem?Hello, Felipe. Is everything well?
- FelipeTudo ótimo, obrigado.Everything is great, thanks.
- BeatrizQue bom!That's good!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry olá, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries olá, CC BY-SA 4.0.
