Learn this super popular Brazilian greeting to greet your friends like a Brazilian: E aí? I am sure that one of the first things that you have learned to say in Portuguese is: Tudo bem? When you add E aí to it, you sound even more natural in Portuguese.
E aí is one of the most popular informal greetings in Brazil. It means hello or hi or even hey. It can also mean “so…”. Its main uses are as follows:
1. You can say E aí to answer your phone when you see that a friend is on the other side. For example, let’s say that Paula sees that her friend Márcia is calling. She can answer the phone by saying:
- E aí, Márcia? Tudo bem com você? = Hey, Márcia? How are things with you?
This is not a literal translation. It is the natural manner in which to greet friends in Portuguese and in English.
If Paula and her friend are close, she can also simply say:
- E aí?
2. Use e aí To greet a friend when you two meet. Let’s say that Ronaldo is walking down street and runs into his friend José. The first one to greet the other will say:
- E aí, tudo certo? = Hi, all good?
3. To ask how an event went. For example: Fernanda calls Roberto to ask how his interview (party, concert, trip, you name it) went:
- Oi, Roberto. E aí, como foi a entrevista? = Hi, Roberto. So, how was the interview?
E aí is a pretty informal greeting. I would not recommend using it in the following situations, unless you feel comfortable with the person you are talking to and know it is fine to be informal:
- Professional contacts
- Written communications (except informal e-mails with friends)
On the other hand, E aí is totally recommended for every day, informal use with friends
This is the first video lesson I posted on YouTube, all the way back in 2008:
E aí? Are you ready to start speaking real Brazilian Portuguese? Book a trial lesson with us. We have been helping learners around the globe speak Portuguese with ease since 2008.
