How close do you feel to countries that speak the same language?

23 comments

1. Italy obviously doesn’t have that kind of language connection,to a great extent.

   However there is a little.A part of Switzerland speaks Italian,for example.

   Then there are other connections with Italian in a few countries.For example in Argentina there are a fair number of people who can speak or understand some Italian.Italian singers are very popular there.

   The only place I have ever been where I spoke more Italian than English was Albania.There are a LOT of Albanians who have spent some time in Italy,watched Italian tv and know something about the culture here.

   I wouldn’t say I personally feel a greater ‘connection’ with any of those.They are places I visited,among many others.

   It’s nice (and unusual) to be in a place where you see or hear reminders of home though!

2. We feel closer to Latin America than to other countries outside of Europe. We have a lot of cultural connection and lot of Latin Americans come to live to Spain.

   I would say specially Argentinians, when they come they integrate very well and they are similar to us in many ways (but with an Italian flavour).

   Lot of songs from there are popular in Spain too. Movies and series not so much, altough there are some exceptions like “el chavo del ocho” that was popular in the past.

   I think we used to be more segregated on the internet in the past with different forums, websites, etc. But nowadays there are a lot more of intermixing with Spanish kids watching Latin America youtubers/streamers and viceversa.

3. I couldn’t care less. I have much more in common with an Irish than with any of them. That may be because I’m Galician and we are already quite distinct in the country; we mostly identify as being our own.

4. The “Anglosphere” is an intresting topic that can really divide people’s opinions. Pretty much everyone feels *some* connection to other English speaking countries with most people ranking their connection to New Zealand and Australia above Canada and the USA because those countries are closer to us culturally. Ireland is a little different because of the unique and sensitive history due to our past actions but they are still by far the closest country culturally to the UK and most people have an affinity for Ireland and it’s people.

   What divides people is whether their cultural connection to other English speaking countries is stronger than their cultural connection to other European countries. For me personally, I feel closer to the rest of Europe (which can feel foreign at the first but you notice the similarities the longer you are there) than Canada or the USA (which can feel like very foreign places the longer you spend there). Even in Australia the language being the same can be deceptive and many aspects of daily life are different to the point where it’s possible to experience culture shock. But it’s hard to deny the cultural bond between the UK and Australia/New Zealand and a lot of that does come down to a shared language.

5. As a Dutch-speaking Belgian, there definitely is connection between Flanders and The Netherlands. However, I personally don’t know anything nor feel a strong connection with the Dutch-speaking Caribbean nations and colonies. Belgium (more specifically Flanders) has historically always been very close, if not part from The Netherlands. There are differences, and a lot of stereotypes from both sides, but I don’t think you’ll find a lot of people saying we have nothing to do with eachother

6. I feel like we like to joke around about our mutual stereotypes in French speaking Switzerland, France, Wallony and Québec. We get along fairly well I feel. But each country has its own quirks and cultural specificities so we are obviously not the same.

   With French-speaking african countries it’s more complicated. We have many immigrants in metropolitan France but there can be a strong disconnect because cultures are very different + racism + France used to literally colonize these countries. French government can be patronizing when dealing with french French-speaking Africa so it adds to the disconnect.

7. There are some close ties with countries that do still speak Dutch, like Suriname, Belgium, Aruba and Curacao. The latter two are still part of the Dutch Kingdom as well.

   Afrikaans is also very close to Dutch, but there isn’t much of a bond with South Africa.

8. There is a bond with Brazil surely. Now that the maniac is out and Lula is back, I hope we deepen the relationship with Brazil. There is already easy paths established for them to enter in Portugal or achieve citzenship easier than other countries (even if the EU does not like that much, or least I heard anyway). On a cultural level, its much more one-sided though as Brazilians musics are much known here, wheres most in Brazil dont know any pop-media from Portugal. That said, with social media today, its easier for them to know Portuguese youtubers for example, or interact easily with other Portuguese people etc..

9. Close. They are brothers. If I hear Portuguese when abroad I will start a conversation. I consume their literature and music. My antennae will tremble if they are in the news. I contribute money if there is a call, because of some disaster.

10. I’m part of the Swedish-speaking minority. I think I can speak for most of us “Moomins” when I say that we tend to feel close to Sweden and Swedish people. It’s very common to watch Swedish tv shows and movies, listen to Swedish music (in Swedish), read Swedish books, and to follow Swedish news to some degree. Personally, I could probably list off more Swedish actors, authors, musicians, and comedians than Finnish ones if I had to… Many of us also go to Sweden to study or to work. We share many traditions and cultural practices with Sweden too. The upcoming [Lucia tradition](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Lucy%27s_Day) in a couple of weeks is one such example, complete with Swedish [lussekatter](https://i.imgur.com/nhj8OH4.jpeg) of course.

11. Obviously we feel very close to Germany and Switzerland. The DACH zone is real and cherished <3

    This obviously also includes Südtirol, Liechtenstein, and any other places where German is still spoken, but for me personally, also includes Countries with other Germanic languages.

12. I personally feel very close to other Serbo-Croatian speaking countries, especially Bosnia and Serbia (sorry, Montenegro) because I have a lot of family there and travel there quite often.

    In Croatia in general, Serbian and Bosnian pop culture is extremely popular, especially music (for example, the Billboard Croatia chart is dominated by Serbian and Bosnian artists). Their movies, TV shows, YouTubers, etc. are also really popular.

    Not to mention all the movies, etc. from Yugoslav times that are considered classics (for example, Ko to tamo peva? (Who’s that singing over there?)).

    Also, you might think we all hate each other based on what you read on the internet, but that’s not true. Many of us have families and friends in other former Yugoslav countries, people travel for tourism, and when we meet(especially in a foreign country such as Germany), we get along great.

13. Basically I feel we are of the same “nation” or cultural sphere even if our specific identities may differ. People from northern Catalonia, Valencia, the Balearic Islands, Sardinia and Andorra, if they are Catalan speakers they feel almost the same as my own country.

    I wonder if spanish or German native speakers feel the same with other countries.

14. I feel quite close to Ireland because there’s so much that’s similar in infrastructure and urban layout, common slang, architecture, gardens and country houses, the parliamentary system, landscapes, drinking culture, pub culture, tea culture, complaining (lol), food, weather.

    I feel somewhat close to Australia because they also share our spelling and a lot of our slang, share the monarchy, the parliamentary system, lots of Brits travel to Australia or emigrated there, our food shares some similarities, both are multicultural societies, schools have uniforms, etc. Australia feels like a newer Britain in a lot of ways. Same with Canada and New Zealand.

    I don’t feel so close to America because it feels like they’ve diverged more significantly from us in a lot of ways even though we have a lot of common heritage. They drive on the opposite side of the road, streets are far wider, urban layouts are completely different, everything is much bigger, the cultures across the country vary widely due to a range of Native American and international influences, the system of government is completely different, the politics are also a totally different realm with a focus on issues like religion, guns and abortion (that no one else in the English-speaking world seems to care about).

15. Brazilian Portuguese kind of grinds my gears. I prefer to consume content in English than in Brazilian Portuguese. I don’t personally feel any connection with Brazil at all just because we speak the same language.

    I feel like I easily connect with a Spaniard than with a Brazilian.

16. My observations: The relationship between Portugal and Brazil is somewhat like that of the UK and USA. They are the largest Portuguese speaking country in the world and a big reason why Portuguese is one of the most spoken languages in the world (in the top 5 if we go by native speakers). They are responsible for the vast majority of media produced in Portuguese, a lot of which is consumed in Portugal. That being said, it’s more on the music, telenovela, and internet side of things. The USA is still the biggest exporter of media in the world, and I find that it does have more of a presence in Portugal than Brazilian media does (though in terms of music BR music is very popular, and social media such as TikTok has helped a lot in that respect). But there is also a bigger divide between European Portuguese and Brazilian Portuguese compared to that of British English and American English, so much so that people prefer translations produced in Portugal versus ones produced in Brazil. There was a time in which Brazilian translations and dubs were common, but nowadays that’s not really the case, and some people even go so far to choose English over Brazilian Portuguese whenever there’s a language option, but no European Portuguese. This might be because Brazilian Portuguese is something we associate a lot with Brazil itself, so it can result in suspension of disbelief. Maybe it would be like a product/service/media property only having the option of Swiss German, which I imagine most German nationals wouldn’t choose over English?

    There are definitely differences between both countries, and of course some culture shock, but for the most part there is a sense of familiarity between them. But it’s also lopsided, with Portuguese having more familiarity with Brazilian than the other way round, so much so that there are examples of Brazilian dubs of media produced in European Portuguese 😅. This is just a question of exposure I think, because Brazilians who have relocated to Portugal do end up getting used to. I will say that for myself, I generally have no issues understanding proper Brazilian Portuguese, but once the language starts getting more colloquial it becomes harder for me to breach. I follow some BR humour pages and youtube channels, and there are times where I recognize words but don’t understand what’s being said.

    I will also say that I think there is a closer connection between Portugal and Brazil versus any of Portugal’s other former colonies. While there are communities here of people from and/or descended from those places, and their culture has permeated and influenced European Portuguese culture and language, we generally are less exposed to what goes on in them.

17. Part of russia (Kuban) is inhabited by people who identified as Ukrainians a century ago. They saved their traditions and still speak Ukrainian, that is called “a dialect” in russians view, but they can’t understand it even a bit, judging by local news reporters.

    I don’t feel close to them.

18. why do people here forget the fact that nearly 70 million people speak it in angola and mozambique?

    as a spaniard, i think that the relations with latin america are very close, we share a single youtube ecosystem, and we intermarry very often, both in the peninsula and in latam

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    Ecuatorial guinea is forgotten however, which is a huge shame in my opinion, as i think we should forge closer bonds and to open ties, borders and trade with the rest of africa

19. Not a Spaniard (I’m Panamanian) but my native language is Spanish.

    Can’t speak for locals but from my POV, when I stayed in Madrid for 3 months it basically felt like home (not literally, since urban and weather-wise both countries look completely different), like I’ve lived there and interacted with Spaniards all my life. Maybe the reason is that I’ve always watched many Spanish content creators (among other nationalities) and got used to some of their accents and manners. Also had the opportunity to meet other people from other Spanish speaking countries and it felt somewhat similar.

    Generally, I think that despite certain cases, people from different Spanish speaking countries feel close to each other and get along pretty well.

20. As there are no other Finnish speaking countries, i’m going to talk about countries with large Finnish speaking populations and the countries whose languages are related to ours.

    Sweden has a lot of Finns living there but that’s not the reason why i’d feel close. They are just culturally and politically close to us, so i would say i feel a connection with them.

    Estonia’s language is rather closely related to Finnish, and shares a lot of culture so the same feeling with them.

    Hungarian is also related but not mutually understandable at all. Don’t really feel any connection with them as our relation is a technicality at best. Also their government is trash so i really don’t care about them.

21. Swedish and Norwegian are so equal that you could ay it is almost the sam language with some exception. So would have to talk about the relations between norway and sweden. Guess norway and sweden has europes longest common border. Once upon a time back in time sweden was a bit for norwegian what usa is for many today. All the cool stuff, you got it in sweden. Norwegians also only back then only had 1 foreign channel and that was swedish. People in norway has also been heavily influenced by swedish culture.. maybe more than everybody else. It’s for no reason that the first IKEA opened outside sweden was opened in Oslo, Norway.. While Volvo being for many years the arche-type of being a family-guy in norway. Swedish bands becoming popular in norway than before world-wide. Also a lot of the same within sports/wintersports, friendly rivalery. A lot of the names are also almost identical.. In Sweden they would be Hanson, while in Norway Hansen etc. The royals closely related. Mother of current norwegian king were son of swedish princess(daughter of swedish king). A lot of people in norway having summerhouses on the swedish west coast .. Norwegian doing bordershoping for billions in Sweden. Norwegian TV sends a lot of swedish-stuff while kids growing up with Astrid Lindgren and that kind of stuff..

    Norway and Sweden has a habit of sending a disney-cavalcade on tv during christmas. It doesn’t get christmas until that one is shown.. And many norwegian rather watch that one on swedish tv because the swedish narrator voice sounds cooler..

22. what coutries?

    but i feel little closer to countries which speak understandable languages then to Russians (their language is literally slavic base but easier + English and French words + lot of grammar which is not need for BECAUSE YOUR SCRIPT IS DESIGNED FOR SLAVIC LANGUAGES AND YOU STILL MAKE NONSENSE OUT OF IT)

23. there are 2 countries where the majority language is romanian – romania and moldova. i’m from southern romania and i have family from transylvania and i wouldn’t say i feel culturally closer to moldovans than to bulgarians, serbs, or hungarians, but i don’t feel completely alien to them either. i do think of moldovans as romanians, and i hope one day they will manage to join the EU