olá/ɔˈla/
hi, hello
Olá! Sou o Paulo.
Hi! I'm Paulo.Olá! Como te chamas?
Hi! What's your name? (informal)Olá, Rosa! Tudo bem?
Hi, Rosa! All good?'%3E%3Cg transform='translate(0 -24.0) translate(0 347.485) scale(1 0.81707) translate(0 -347.485)'%3E%3Cpath style='fill:%23263C7B' d='M127.935 347.485 L127.935 471.896 A32.403 39.657 0 0 0 192.74 471.896 L192.74 347.485 Z'/%3E%3Cpath style='fill:%234162C9' d='m192.74 436.719c35.029 0 63.425-28.469 63.425-63.586v-25.648h-63.425z'/%3E%3C/g%3E%3Cpath style='fill:%2335519F' d='m210.898 347.485h-82.963v-55.253c0-46.064 37.343-291.794 83.407-291.794l112.797 143.091v90.715c0 62.541-50.699 113.241-113.241 113.241z'/%3E%3Cpath style='fill:%23263C7B' d='m256.166 338.08c40.008-17.469 67.974-57.376 67.974-103.822v-90.715l-67.974-86.229z'/%3E%3Cpath style='fill:%230E0E16' d='M378.88 81.415 C378.88 115.719 362.23 143.528 341.70 143.528 H307.28 L299.30 73.789 L370.64 54.802 L378.88 67.465 L378.88 78.087 Z'/%3E%3Cpath style='fill:%2326262F' d='M299.30 41.536 L324.14 0.438 H366.05 C386.80 0.438 403.62 28.545 403.62 63.217 L403.62 106.694 C403.62 110.576 400.52 111.839 399.42 108.423 C398 107 358 103 324.14 86 Z'/%3E%3Cpath style='fill:%234162C9' d='m256.165 203.088v-202.65h-44.823c-46.064 0-83.407 37.342-83.407 83.407v208.387h39.312c49.108 0 88.918-39.911 88.918-89.144z'/%3E%3Cpath style='fill:%231B2C5C' d='M127.9 190.0 H192.9 a15.0 15.0 0 0 1 0 30.0 H127.9 Z'/%3E%3Cpath style='fill:%231B2C5C' d='M127.9 230.0 H170.9 a15.0 15.0 0 0 1 0 30.0 H127.9 Z'/%3E%3Cpath style='fill:%235478DE' d='m257.986 143.529h66.154v-143.091h-112.798c-10.665 0-20.852 2.023-30.226 5.672v60.355c0 42.561 34.416 77.064 76.87 77.064z'/%3E%3Cpath style='fill:%234A6DD2' d='m256.166 143.483c.607.014 1.21.046 1.82.046h66.154v-143.091h-67.974z'/%3E%3Cpath style='fill:%23FFC61E' d='M324.14 0.438 H311.14 a11.0 11.0 0 0 0 -11.0 11.0 V132.529 a11.0 11.0 0 0 0 11.0 11.0 H324.14 Z'/%3E%3Ccircle style='fill:%23FFC61E' cx='256.316' cy='68.38' r='33.0'/%3E%3Cellipse style='fill:%2312121A' cx='256.316' cy='68.38' rx='16.32' ry='16.36'/%3E%3C/g%3E %3C/svg%3E)
SpeekuHow to sayHow to say hello in European Portuguese
What people say, and how it sounds.
The answer
any time of dayolá/ɔˈla/
until lunchbom dia/ˈbõ ˈdiɐ/
afternoon, until darkboa tarde/ˈboɐ ˈtaɾdɨ/
evening and nightboa noite/ˈboɐ ˈnojtɨ/
The short answer
Olá is hello at any hour, to anyone. The Portuguese far more often greet by the time of day: bom dia until lunch, boa tarde from lunch until it gets dark, boa noite after that.
A greeting is nearly always followed by a question about how you are: Olá, tudo bem?
o-LA
Two syllables, the stress on the second, and the first o open like the o in lot. Bom dia sounds like bõ DEE-a, with a nasal first word and the d soft, almost like the th in this.
Hear it in a sentence
Every line is one the course teaches, with its European Portuguese audio.
bom dia/ˈbõ ˈdiɐ/
good morning
Bom dia, D. Rosa!
Good morning, Ms. Rosa!Bom dia! Tem horas?
Good morning! Do you have the time?Firma Costa, bom dia.
Costa and Co., good morning.boa tarde/ˈboɐ ˈtaɾdɨ/
good afternoon
Boa tarde! Como vai?
Good afternoon! How is it going? (formal)Boa tarde, Sra. Costa!
Good afternoon, Mrs. Costa!Boa tarde! O que fazes?
Good afternoon! What do you do? (informal)boa noite/ˈboɐ ˈnojtɨ/
good evening
Adeus, D. Ana. Boa noite!
Goodbye, Ms. Ana. Good night!Boa noite! São dez da noite.
Good evening! It's ten in the evening.Ontem disse boa noite ao avô.
Yesterday I said good night to Grandad.People also ask
When does bom dia become boa tarde?
After lunch. In Portugal that means early afternoon, around one or two, not at noon.
Is boa noite good evening or good night?
Both. It greets anyone after dark and it also says goodbye at the end of the evening.
Can I say olá to a shopkeeper?
Yes, but bom dia or boa tarde is what they will say to you, and it is the warmer choice.
Keep going
Learn the rest this evening.
Short lessons, audio on every line, and speaking practice that runs on your phone.
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