Politeness / Register
What relationship and tone are we using?
Significato
The social layer of language: formal, informal, polite, intimate, respectful, rude, professional, child-directed, or peer-like.
Come riconoscerlo
Notice whether the wording changes depending on who speaks to whom.
Esempi
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
Panoramica per lingua
Nella tua lingua madre
Register is strongly shaped by tu/Lei, titles, conditional, and indirectness.
Mi potrebbe aiutare, per favore?
Could you help me, please?
Nella tua lingua di studio
In inglese la cortesia passa spesso dalla scelta del verbo modale, da richieste indirette, dall'intonazione e da formule fisse come please.
Could you help me, please?
could you please = richiesta cortese
Chi studia può tradurre alla lettera le forme cortesi della propria lingua e risultare troppo brusco o troppo formale.
Same block, different coding
Both languages use this block strongly, but they signal it differently. Focus on form changes, not only meaning.