e aí
/i aˈi/
In Portuguese, the English phrase "sup" is translated as e aí.
e aí is a casual way to say "sup" or "what's up". It is used as an informal greeting to ask someone how they are or to inquire about what is happening.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase e aí literally translates to "and there".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
e aí is an informal greeting. For a simpler informal greeting, you can use Oi (hello) or use Tudo bem? to informally ask if everything is okay. To expand the greeting, you might say e aí, beleza? to ask if things are cool or good.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Brazil, it is very common to combine greetings into the phrase e aí, tudo bem? In Portugal, you may more frequently hear the colloquialism Tás bem? to ask if someone is well.
How do you pronounce it?
/i aˈi/
When do people say it?
When someone greets you with e aí, a common response is tudo bem (everything is fine) or tudo bom (everything is good). In Brazil, you may also encounter the slangy variation Tudo joia? to ask if everything is good.
Did you know?
- The word aí in the greeting e aí has a double origin, stemming from both the Latin words ad and ibī and the indigenous Old Tupi word a'y.
- If you say e aí in a very high pitch, it can function more like 'What happened?!' than a friendly 'sup'.
- When using e aí in Brazil, it is often accompanied by a slight chin-up gesture or a casual nod of the head.
Examples in context
- E aí, tudo bem?Sup, everything okay?
- E aí, o que você está fazendo?Sup, what are you doing?
- E aí, como foi o jogo?Sup, how was the game?
Example conversation
Rodrigo and Mariana meet at a café.
- RodrigoE aí, Mariana! Quanto tempo!Sup, Mariana! Long time no see!
- MarianaOi, Rodrigo! Tudo ótimo por aqui.Hi, Rodrigo! Everything is great here.
- RodrigoQue bom. Quer sentar comigo?That's good. Do you want to sit with me?
- MarianaClaro, eu adoraria!Sure, I'd love to!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry e aí, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries aí, e, e aí, CC BY-SA 4.0.
