E aí
ee ah-EE
How to say itPart of: Greetings
“What’s up? Hey.”
E aí (literally “and there?”) is the casual hello between friends in Brazil, usually with a how-are-you on the end: e aí, beleza? e aí, tudo bem? The answer is the word itself back: beleza, tudo. It also opens a question, “so?”: e aí, vai ou não vai? In texts it is typed eai or eae.
Looking for all the ways to say hello? Hello in Portuguese: the guide
InformalAll Brazilalso: eai, eae, e aêReply: Beleza!
How Brazilians use it
“E aí, beleza?”
“Hey, all good?”
Meeting a friend.
“E aí, tudo certo?”
“What’s up, all good?”
Opening a call or a text.
“E aí, vai ou não vai?”
“So, are you going or not?”
Pressing for an answer.
“Eai, bora almoçar?”
“Hey, lunch?”
Typed; eai is e aí.
How to reply
- Beleza!Cool, all good.
- Tudo, e você?All good, and you?
- E aí!The same back.
Similar expressions
Brazil vs Portugal
Brazilian. Portugal opens with olá, or então? between friends; e aí sounds Brazilian there.
Common mistakes
- Don’t use e aí with your boss’s boss or an older stranger: oi, bom dia.
- Don’t translate it: it is not “and there”, it is “what’s up”.
- Don’t confuse it with aí on its own, which is “there” or “then”.
Frequently asked questions
What does e aí mean?
“What’s up?” or “hey”: the casual hello between friends in Brazil, literally “and there?”. It usually comes with beleza? or tudo bem? on the end.
How do you respond to e aí?
With the question’s own word: beleza to e aí, beleza?, tudo or tudo bem to e aí, tudo bem?, or just e aí! back.
What does eai mean in a text?
It is e aí typed without the space or the accent: hey, what’s up. Eae and e aê are the same thing.
Is e aí rude?
No, just informal. It is for friends, colleagues your age and people you know. To an older stranger or a client, use oi or the time of day, bom dia.