Hello in Portuguese is “olá”. While this greeting is understood everywhere, it’s actually not the most common way to greet people in Brazil. “Olá” is often used in more formal situations, with people you don’t know well, or in written language. Listen to my recording below to learn how to pronounce “olá’.
Does “olá” sound familiar? It’s almost the same as “hola” in Spanish, but there’s one important difference: the stress. In Spanish, “hola” is pronounced HO-la, with the stress on the first syllable. In Portuguese, the accent mark on the “á” in “olá” isn’t just decoration. It actually shows you where the stress goes. So you should say o-LÁ, with the emphasis on the last syllable. Many beginners miss this and say it like the Spanish word, but getting the stress right will help you sound much more natural in Portuguese.
Fun fact: I’ve personally never used “olá” 😄 It’s just not my style, but many people do! If you’re not sure which greeting to use, pay attention to what your Brazilian friends are saying and follow their lead. When in doubt, you can’t go wrong with the more casual “oi”, the greeting you’ll hear everywhere in Brazil.