Politeness / Register
What relationship and tone are we using?
Maana
The social layer of language: formal, informal, polite, intimate, respectful, rude, professional, child-directed, or peer-like.
Jinsi ya kuitambua
Notice whether the wording changes depending on who speaks to whom.
Mifano
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
Mtazamo wa lugha
Katika lugha yako
MSA politeness is strongly tied to formality, set phrases and respectful vocabulary, not a Japanese-style honorific system.
من فضلك، هل يمكنك مساعدتي؟
Please, can you help me?
Katika lugha unayojifunza
Bengali has important respect distinctions in pronouns and verb endings: তুই, তুমি, আপনি.
আপনি কেমন আছেন?
How are you?
Learners may choose the wrong pronoun level and sound rude or distant.
Same block, different coding
Both languages use this block strongly, but they signal it differently. Focus on form changes, not only meaning.