Most interesting post! I had no idea about the repetition in the Portuguese language, but I think I would react exactly the way you did. And perhaps I would begin to wonder if I looked a bit stupid and they thought I needed to be told the same thing several times due to a most “vacant” look in my eye. I am glad you have explained this as, should I move and encounter this, I will now understand!
Haha, excellent observation. I am living here since 2019 but, yes, i agree, never been aware of the repetation compared with English or other languages. So funny.
I lived in Bulgaria before. There, when you say "Yes, yes" the second yes cancels the first one.
Very interesting insight, thanks for sharing! I have noticed some of that repetitive speaking and assumed it was because I am clearly a foreigner and they were trying to help me understand. The more I learn, the more I realize there are many nuances that are different from English. For instance, I thought it was cute/funny when the car dealer called our car “he” when speaking to us in English. Then I learned that there is no “it” in Portuguese so every inanimate object is he or she. Now I call the car him too!
Yep, you did it again. Hit the nail. Like, pounding the broad part of the nail with a hammer. Using force to advance the nail into the wall, board or floor. Nail on the head. And be wary of that 'chat' feature. I saw that Carol turned it on and predict she has moved to the precipice of a full-time job responding to the same questions innumerable times.
I really have a problem when foreigners living with an international wage say Portugal is affordable. Don’t get me wrong,but Portugal is a complete mess right now because it’s just too ridiculous expensive for the Portuguese! Houses are impossible to afford, gas electricity fuel... 25% of the population lives on minimum wage which is 740 euros a month! And your teacher may earn only a bit more than 1000 euros a month! It’s just impossible! We the Portuguese are mad! As for the language , I don’t see that repetition happening, maybe because you’re a foreigner... I don’t know.
Araci, please understand I am in no way suggesting that living expenses are in line with wages here. Utilities are quite high…rents in Algarve are out of reach for many, driven up by people like us. perhaps we hear the repeating of the language here more because we are so hurried in our speech and mannerisms. Or perhaps the ever kind Portuguese speakers are just making sure we understand.
Yes I think it’s perhaps that. People may want to be sure you get it. It’s a problem the other topic. We should figure out a way for everyone to have the right to visit a place and locals having the right to their land. As a Portuguese I can’t believe I am saying this, but sometimes we wish we would be more like Spain. It seems Portugal can’t move forward. It’s in a cycle of repeated crisis, maybe this i feed the thing we most repeat. I don’t want to come out as agressive, but I believe we are all a bit tired :/ sorry it’s not about you, I love the way you write about my country. And if you need any help or tips let me know.
I just started portuguese lessons with a tutor here in Porto. First class I answered a question with yes. She told, you must always answer with the verb or the same phrase. Is the car black? Yes, it is black. Do you go to the market? Yes, I go, or just I go.
Honestly this is because it’s the Portuguese from books. As a teacher myself I also teach that. But natives speak the Portuguese from the street. We even say “ya” . And that’s it.
Nancy what you are wonderfully illustrating here is direct-low context and indirect-high context communication. These are just diffrent learned styles of expression. In summary the direct communicators like you, are less emotional, brief, and to the point and more focused on the achievement of a task w/o the need to understand the broad context where the situation happens. Is like an arrow, fast reaching an aim. Indirect-contextual communicators, like many of the Portuguese (many Latin based, Arab, etc. countries do), present a larger context where the situation belongs. The description is broader, more emotional and wordy. Takes more time. Redundant and circular. More focus on the human connection. Both styles have different impact. In many societies, direct is seen as the preferred style (big on job interviews) and indirect is looked down upon. Or the opposite, direct is seen as aggressive, impatient, and insensitive. Unpolished and cold. They have been attached to traditional gender conforming preferences too. I have been teaching this subject to corporations around the world for many years and it is fascinating and complex. WARNING: it can cause many conflicts if not understood. It almost cost me my marriage! :-)
Thank you Rosanna…this is fascinating. I have slowly adopted the indirect high context approach in my emails. Instead if just hitting reply my emails now say Dom Dia senhor X…I now begin with thanking them for their email and of course end with that and my name as well.. it is a little thing…but I am trying to fit in.
Nancy, I commend your effort. Thanks for being open to my comments. I forgot to mention also the high content of non verbal hints (mannerisms, hand, face, touching: body language in general) that high context culture use to deliver communication.The opposite for low context. And just to add to this subject, mastering both styles and knowing when to use each is more the aim than changing a human being from their preferred styles. It takes a lot of awareness and practiced skills.
It’s probably the portuguese paternalism towards foreigners. They (we) repeat words so that the expats would “get it”. But living abroad for so many years, I feel really funny when people say: sim sim... And have you never heard “thank you very nice”?
Very informative. I look forward to reading more. I'm 66 yrs. old and I repeat things regularly so it'll probably benefit me! LOL
Most interesting post! I had no idea about the repetition in the Portuguese language, but I think I would react exactly the way you did. And perhaps I would begin to wonder if I looked a bit stupid and they thought I needed to be told the same thing several times due to a most “vacant” look in my eye. I am glad you have explained this as, should I move and encounter this, I will now understand!
Haha, excellent observation. I am living here since 2019 but, yes, i agree, never been aware of the repetation compared with English or other languages. So funny.
I lived in Bulgaria before. There, when you say "Yes, yes" the second yes cancels the first one.
Very interesting insight, thanks for sharing! I have noticed some of that repetitive speaking and assumed it was because I am clearly a foreigner and they were trying to help me understand. The more I learn, the more I realize there are many nuances that are different from English. For instance, I thought it was cute/funny when the car dealer called our car “he” when speaking to us in English. Then I learned that there is no “it” in Portuguese so every inanimate object is he or she. Now I call the car him too!
Have a boa semana!
And I continue to learn from you. Thanks for sharing, Nancy.
Yep, you did it again. Hit the nail. Like, pounding the broad part of the nail with a hammer. Using force to advance the nail into the wall, board or floor. Nail on the head. And be wary of that 'chat' feature. I saw that Carol turned it on and predict she has moved to the precipice of a full-time job responding to the same questions innumerable times.
Thank you for another informative, insightful article. I appreciate the research and time you obviously put into your posts.
I really have a problem when foreigners living with an international wage say Portugal is affordable. Don’t get me wrong,but Portugal is a complete mess right now because it’s just too ridiculous expensive for the Portuguese! Houses are impossible to afford, gas electricity fuel... 25% of the population lives on minimum wage which is 740 euros a month! And your teacher may earn only a bit more than 1000 euros a month! It’s just impossible! We the Portuguese are mad! As for the language , I don’t see that repetition happening, maybe because you’re a foreigner... I don’t know.
Araci, please understand I am in no way suggesting that living expenses are in line with wages here. Utilities are quite high…rents in Algarve are out of reach for many, driven up by people like us. perhaps we hear the repeating of the language here more because we are so hurried in our speech and mannerisms. Or perhaps the ever kind Portuguese speakers are just making sure we understand.
Yes I think it’s perhaps that. People may want to be sure you get it. It’s a problem the other topic. We should figure out a way for everyone to have the right to visit a place and locals having the right to their land. As a Portuguese I can’t believe I am saying this, but sometimes we wish we would be more like Spain. It seems Portugal can’t move forward. It’s in a cycle of repeated crisis, maybe this i feed the thing we most repeat. I don’t want to come out as agressive, but I believe we are all a bit tired :/ sorry it’s not about you, I love the way you write about my country. And if you need any help or tips let me know.
Thank you!
I just started portuguese lessons with a tutor here in Porto. First class I answered a question with yes. She told, you must always answer with the verb or the same phrase. Is the car black? Yes, it is black. Do you go to the market? Yes, I go, or just I go.
Yes, yes you must say the verb.
Honestly this is because it’s the Portuguese from books. As a teacher myself I also teach that. But natives speak the Portuguese from the street. We even say “ya” . And that’s it.
We had class tonight and our teacher agrees with you. She teaches us the correct way to speak, but said one word answers are commonly used.
Nancy what you are wonderfully illustrating here is direct-low context and indirect-high context communication. These are just diffrent learned styles of expression. In summary the direct communicators like you, are less emotional, brief, and to the point and more focused on the achievement of a task w/o the need to understand the broad context where the situation happens. Is like an arrow, fast reaching an aim. Indirect-contextual communicators, like many of the Portuguese (many Latin based, Arab, etc. countries do), present a larger context where the situation belongs. The description is broader, more emotional and wordy. Takes more time. Redundant and circular. More focus on the human connection. Both styles have different impact. In many societies, direct is seen as the preferred style (big on job interviews) and indirect is looked down upon. Or the opposite, direct is seen as aggressive, impatient, and insensitive. Unpolished and cold. They have been attached to traditional gender conforming preferences too. I have been teaching this subject to corporations around the world for many years and it is fascinating and complex. WARNING: it can cause many conflicts if not understood. It almost cost me my marriage! :-)
Welcome to cross-cultural communication!
Obrigada,
Rossana
Thank you Rosanna…this is fascinating. I have slowly adopted the indirect high context approach in my emails. Instead if just hitting reply my emails now say Dom Dia senhor X…I now begin with thanking them for their email and of course end with that and my name as well.. it is a little thing…but I am trying to fit in.
Nancy, I commend your effort. Thanks for being open to my comments. I forgot to mention also the high content of non verbal hints (mannerisms, hand, face, touching: body language in general) that high context culture use to deliver communication.The opposite for low context. And just to add to this subject, mastering both styles and knowing when to use each is more the aim than changing a human being from their preferred styles. It takes a lot of awareness and practiced skills.
It’s probably the portuguese paternalism towards foreigners. They (we) repeat words so that the expats would “get it”. But living abroad for so many years, I feel really funny when people say: sim sim... And have you never heard “thank you very nice”?