Linguistic Perception: How Language Shapes Thought

Last year I decided to commit to learning Spanish, officially.

It's something I've pieced together over the years, yet never gave myself a reason to follow through. Once a bilingual opportunity presented itself, I hired a Spanish tutor from Guatemala, Danilo Garcia, and off to the races I went.

We Zoom 3x per week, but the cadence is unimportant.
What is, are the mental models that differentiate English from Spanish.

If life is our perception of it, and language is an external manifestation of internal thoughts, then the language you speak dictates what you think, how you act and why you feel the way you do – this is why similarities congregate.

This is known as linguistic relativity or the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis:
Where the structure of language determines a native speaker's perception and categorization of experience.

I first discovered this when Danilo share with me how time is perceived.
In Spanish, El reloj camina (The clock walks). In English, The clock is running or time flies.

This suggests things in Spanish-speaking countries move at a slower, more relaxed pace...

Here are a few more:

Object Gender

Spanish: Objects have gender, nouns are masculine or feminine. For example, “la mesa” (the table) is feminine, and “el coche” (the car) is masculine. This leads to personifying objects in gendered ways, influencing relations.

English: Objects are gender-neutral, which might result in a more abstract and less personalized view of objects.

Politeness and Formality

Spanish: The use of formal (usted) and informal (tú) forms of “you” create strong distinction in social relationships, affecting perceived respect and familiarity. The choice between changes how relationships are navigated.

English: The word “you” is used for both formal and informal situations, leading to a more egalitarian, less hierarchical perception of social interactions. It also stimulates perceived ability leading to a more entrepreneurial society.

Describing Events

Spanish: Events are described with a focus on the outcome or end state. For example, Se rompió el vaso (The glass broke) focuses on the result rather than who or what caused it.

English: There is more emphasis on the agent causing the action, such as “I broke the glass,” which leads to agency.

Emphasis on Actions vs. States

Spanish: The distinction between “ser” (to be, enduring) and “estar” (to be, temporary) allows speakers to differentiate between permanent and temporary states explicitly. This leads to nuanced understanding of identity and conditions.

English: The verb “to be” is used universally, which has no distinction between temporary and permanent states.

Directionality in Space

Spanish: Directionality is described with reference to the speaker, such as “aquí” (here) and “allí” (there). This egocentric perspective emphasizes the speaker’s location as the central point of reference.

English: While also egocentric, English uses “here” and “there” but relies on directions (north, south, etc.) leading to an emphasis on spatial awareness not individual. This removes speakers proprioceptive connection.

Use of Diminutives

Spanish: Diminutives (e.g., “-ito,” “-ita”) are commonly used to convey affection, smallness, or endearment (e.g., “casita” for little house). This linguistic tool allows for an emotionally nuanced way of referring to people and objects.

English: Diminutives exist but are less prevalent, which results in a straightforward, less affectionate speech.

Color Perception

Spanish: Some colors are categorized differently, such as “celeste” (light blue) being a separate color from “azul” (blue). This distinction influences how Spanish speakers perceive and categorize colors as individual.

English: The color spectrum is simplified, with light and dark shades being seen as variations of the same color, which leads to a broader, less detailed color perception. Modifiers are more common in UK English than US English which could be why many of the best written works are translations or of old-English origin.

I'd be curious to know your experience on this if English is your second language... send me an email.

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In last weeks edition, I wrote about — Cultivating Equal Parts: Striving & Surrender

I've figured it out... this pesky being vs. doing belief I wrote about here and here.
Perceived opposing forces that have kept me in contemplation for years.