Politeness / Register
What relationship and tone are we using?
Significado
The social layer of language: formal, informal, polite, intimate, respectful, rude, professional, child-directed, or peer-like.
Como identificar
Notice whether the wording changes depending on who speaks to whom.
Exemplos
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
Vista por língua
Na tua língua materna
Register is marked by você, tu, o senhor/a senhora, titles, verb choices, and polite phrasing.
O senhor pode esperar um minuto?
Can sir wait a minute?
Na tua língua de aprendizagem
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.