Olá vs. bom dia vs. oi vs. alô
While English speakers may use hello universally, Portuguese speakers choose between olá, bom dia, oi, and alô based on formality, the specific time of the day, or whether they are speaking on the telephone.
Olá
A1This is the most standard and neutral way to translate hello. Olá is appropriate for almost any social situation, from meeting a stranger to greeting a colleague, regardless of the time of day.
Olá, como você está hoje?
(Hello, how are you today?)
Ela sorriu e disse olá para o grupo.
(She smiled and said hello to the group.)
Olá, seja bem-vindo ao nosso hotel.
(Hello, welcome to our hotel.)
Eu só queria dizer olá antes de sair.
(I just wanted to say hello before leaving.)
Bom dia
A1This phrase literally translates to good day but is used exclusively as good morning. You generally use bom dia from the time you wake up until noon to be polite and specific about the time.
Bom dia, o café da manhã está na mesa.
(Good morning, breakfast is on the table.)
Desejei bom dia ao porteiro quando saí de casa.
(I wished the doorman a good morning when I left the house.)
Bom dia, senhor Silva.
(Good morning, Mr. Silva.)
Ainda é de manhã, então, bom dia!
(It is still morning, so, good morning!)
Oi
A1This is the equivalent of hi in English. Oi is short, very casual, and extremely common in Brazil for greeting friends, family, or peers in informal settings.
Oi, tudo bem com você?
(Hi, is everything okay with you?)
Oi amiga, quanto tempo!
(Hi friend, been a long time!)
Ele me mandou uma mensagem dizendo apenas oi.
(He sent me a message saying only hi.)
Ah, oi! Não te vi entrar.
(Oh, hi! I didn't see you come in.)
Alô
A1This word is reserved almost exclusively for answering the telephone or testing a microphone. You would practically never use alô when meeting someone face-to-face.
Alô? Quem está falando?
(Hello? Who is speaking?)
O telefone tocou e eu atendi dizendo alô.
(The phone rang and I answered saying hello.)
Alô, a conexão está muito ruim.
(Hello, the connection is very bad.)
Alô? Tem alguém aí?
(Hello? Is anyone there?)
Summary
To summarize, use olá as a standard greeting, oi for casual interactions like hi, and bom dia specifically for greeting people in the morning. Reserve alô strictly for answering the telephone.