Politeness / Register
What relationship and tone are we using?
معنا
The social layer of language: formal, informal, polite, intimate, respectful, rude, professional, child-directed, or peer-like.
چطور آن را تشخیص دهید
Notice whether the wording changes depending on who speaks to whom.
نمونهها
please|sir|formal you|informal you|honorific
Could you please|tu vs usted|Mr. Smith
Could you help me, please?
Visual guide
message: help me
^
social layer:
who talks to whom?
formal / polite / peer / rude
Could you help me, please?
How languages mark E11: pronoun: tu vs usted verb form: polite ending word: sir / Mr. Smith particle: please style: direct -> indirect
نمای زبان
در زبان مادری شما
Politeness is visible in شما, plural/formal endings, honorific verbs and set phrases.
شما بفرمایید.
you-formal please-go-ahead.
در زبانی که یاد میگیرید
English politeness is often encoded through modal choice, indirectness, intonation, and formulaic phrases.
Could you help me, please?
could you please = polite request
Learners may translate polite forms literally and sound too blunt or too formal.
Same block, different coding
Both languages use this block strongly, but they signal it differently. Focus on form changes, not only meaning.