E aí is one of the most popular informal greetings in Brazil these days. It simply means hello or hi.
Its main uses are as follows:
1.To answer the phone when you see that a friend is on the other side.
Example:
Paula sees that her friend Márcia is calling. She can answer the phone by saying:
- E aí, Márcia? Tudo bem com você?
Or she can simply say:
- E aí?
2. To greet a friend when you two meet.
Example:
Ronaldo is walking down street and runs into his friend José. The first one to greet the other will say:
- E aí, tudo certo?
3.To ask how an event went.
Example:
Fernanda calls Roberto to ask how his interview (party, concert, trip, you name it) went:
- Oi, Roberto. E aí, como foi a entrevista?
The use of E aí is:
- Not recommended for professional contacts
- Not recommend for written communications (except informal e-mails)
- Totally recommended for every day, informal use with friends
E aí, are you ready to start speaking real Brazilian Portuguese? Visit www.StreetSmartBrazil.com
E-mail me at luciana@StreetSmartBrazil.com
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4 comments:
Oi, Lu!
Faltou "E aí, beleza?"
Com certeza! Adorei a lembrança e vou certamente usar com os alunos.
Valeu! :-)
Oi Lu - Before I leave my comment: Parabéns pelo blog! I think this blog is a very helpful way to motivate anyone learning Portuguese as a second language. I will spread the word. I would like, if I can, to make a comment on the expression "E aí". I think that it strongly carries the meaning of the common American way of saying "What's up?" Also, since it functions as a conjunction when used as an introductory particle, it can also be translated as "So...?" I think "hello" or "hi" is a tad confusing when you try to link with the rest of the sentence. Good luck and keep up the great work!
Hi Ansham
Thanks for the great comment. I agree with "E aí" also meaning "What´s up". In my view, "E aí" has become so widespread that it has today a variety of uses, usually in greetings. So we say "E aí, tudo bem?" the same way that we say "Oi, tudo bem?" These two expressions have the same meaning and receive the same answer.
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