How to Say Hello and Good Morning in Portuguese (And What Comes Next)
"Olá" is just the start. Here's the full greeting toolkit — formal, informal, time-of-day specific, and what to say right after.
"Hello in Portuguese" and "good morning in Portuguese" are two of the most-searched Portuguese phrases online — and for good reason, they're the first words in every single conversation you'll ever have. But most guides stop at the translation and skip the part that actually matters: what to say immediately after, and when to use formal versus informal greetings.
This guide covers both.
Key Takeaways
- "Oi" is informal, "Olá" works everywhere. When in doubt, "Olá" is always a safe, neutral choice in both Brazil and Portugal.
- Time-of-day greetings are used more literally than in English. Portuguese speakers switch from "bom dia" to "boa tarde" right around midday, and to "boa noite" at dusk.
- "Boa noite" covers both "good evening" and "good night." Context tells the difference — no separate phrase needed.
- The real skill is the follow-up, not the greeting itself. "Tudo bem?" (roughly "how's it going?") is what turns a greeting into a conversation opener.
The Core Greetings
| English | Portuguese | Formality |
|---|---|---|
| Hello | Olá | Neutral — always safe |
| Hi | Oi (BR) / Olá (PT) | Informal |
| Good morning | Bom dia | Neutral (until ~midday) |
| Good afternoon | Boa tarde | Neutral (midday–dusk) |
| Good evening / night | Boa noite | Neutral (after dusk) |
What to Say Right After
A bare "olá" and silence feels abrupt in Portuguese, just like in English. Here's the near-automatic follow-up sequence native speakers use.
| English | Portuguese |
|---|---|
| How's it going? / How are you? | Tudo bem? / Como vai? |
| I'm good, thanks | Tudo bem, obrigado/a |
| And you? | E você? (BR) / E tu? (PT informal) |
| Nice to meet you | Prazer em conhecê-lo/la / Muito prazer |
A Note on Formality
In Brazil, "você" is used comfortably in almost all everyday situations, formal or informal — Brazilians rarely reach for a more formal pronoun with strangers. In Portugal, the informal "tu" is common between friends and peers, but strangers, older people, and professional settings often call for "você" or even the more formal "o senhor / a senhora." When you're unsure in Portugal, defaulting to a slightly more formal register is the safer choice.
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