If you’re wondering how to say hello in Brazilian Portuguese, know it can be as easy as oi and olá.
However, greeting like a Brazilian requires a bit more language knowledge because we often use slang to say hi to friends and people we know well.
For reference, I’m a Brazilian, born and bred in São Paulo, with a passion for learning languages and teaching Portuguese to those who won’t get tired of my explanations. 🙂
So, if Portuguese isn’t your native language, but you want to say hi to someone online or in person, here are the exact sentences you can use (with pronunciation!)
9 Ways To Say Hello In Brazilian Portuguese
There are at least 9 ways to say hello in Portuguese, but each has a few variations. We will start by talking about olá.
Olá – Hello in Portuguese
- Pronunciation: awe-lah
When greeting someone in Portuguese, you can say only olá. This tiny word literally means hello and is more often used on formal occasions in Brazil but can also be used in informal contexts.
Olá, como vai?
(Hello, how are you?)
Oi – Hi in Portuguese
- Pronunciation: oh-ee
Oi is an informal greeting in Brazil and can be used when talking to friends or even when approaching people on the street to ask for directions, for example.
Oi, tudo bem?
(Hi, how are you?)
Read next: 12 Best Apps for Learning Brazilian Portuguese
E aí – Portuguese Slang for What’s up?
- Pronunciation: ê ah-ee
E aí is a beautiful way to show you’re slowly becoming a Brazilian, lol. That’s because e aí is slang for hi and what’s up—it can be used for both because there’s no accurate translation.
As you might have imagined, E aí is usually used in very informal situations. We Brazilians say e aí to greet close friends.
E aí?
(What’s up?)
E aí, tudo bem?
(Hey, how are you?)
Fala – Portuguese Slang for Hi
- Pronunciation: fah-lah
Similar to E aí, fala is an informal greeting in Brazilian Portuguese. It is the 2nd person verb of falar (to speak) and is used to say hi to close friends or someone you know well.
Fala, beleza?
(Hi, all good?)
Beleza – Portuguese Slang for All Good?
- Pronunciation: bay-lay-zah
Beleza is a widely used Brazilian greeting and you can say it to greet, but also to answer it.
It literally means beauty and can be used in any informal context.
Beleza? Sim, tudo beleza.
(All good? Yeah, all good.)
Alô – Hello in Portuguese when answering the phone
- Pronunciation: ah-luh
Alô is by far the most common way to answer the phone in Portuguese.
This phone greeting is used in every situation and can be used on its own or in combination with other words. See below.
Alô?
(Hello?)
Alô, Bruna falando.
(Hello, Bruna speaking.)
Alô, bom dia.
(Hello, good morning.)
Bom Dia – Good Morning in Portuguese
- Pronunciation: bon gee-ah
Bom dia literally means good day but it can be used to say good morning (so between 6 am and noon).
Bom dia, tudo bem?
(Good morning, how are you?)
Bom dia, como vai?
(Good morning, how are you?)
Boa Tarde – Good Afternoon in Portuguese
- Pronunciation: boh-ah tahr-g
Boa tarde literally means good afternoon and it can be used as a greeting between noon and 6 pm.
Boa tarde, tudo bem?
(Good afternoon, how are you?)
Boa tarde, como vai?
(Good afternoon, how are you?)
Boa Noite – Good Evening/Night in Portuguese
- Pronunciation: boh-ah no-e-t
Boa noite literally means good evening/night and it can be used as a greeting between 6 pm and 6 am.
Boa noite, tudo bem?
(Good evening/night, how are you?)
Boa noite, como vai?
(Good evening/night, how are you?)
Wrapping Up On How To Say Hello In Brazilian Portuguese
Portuguese is not an easy language to learn, but as a native who also speaks a few other languages, I can assure you it isn’t the most difficult either.
Besides, if you try speaking Portuguese in Brazil, chances are people will try to help you, so don’t be afraid of making mistakes.
After all, with a little practice, you can definitely say basic things to native speakers, like hello!
Tchau! Beijos!
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