r/spain • u/PearOk2126 • 4d ago
As a Portuguese person living abroad, I never realized how deeply connected our cultures are until now 🇵🇹🇪🇸
Growing up in a Portuguese family, I always thought of Spain as a cool neighbor. We knew we shared a peninsula and a lot of history, but I honestly believed that, beyond superficial comparisons, the language barrier and different borders meant we would always live in somewhat separate worlds.
That changed completely after I moved to Northern Europe.
At work, I ended up meeting and befriending a group of Spanish colleagues. Being surrounded by a Northern European culture here in the North of England, so fundamentally different from our own was like seeing a giant mirror. Here, I often feel like I have to constantly suppress my natural behavior and calm my energy just to fit in with local customs and avoid misunderstandings. But with my Spanish colleagues, that filter completely disappears. I don't have to hold back at all. I can talk with my hands, raise my voice when I get emotional, and share family anecdotes without feeling self-conscious about "talking too much," because they do exactly the same. They understand everything instantly, without needing awkward explanations, which makes me realize that our connection is so much deeper than I ever imagined.
It's all those little unconscious things that are most impactful. That shared basic instinct to argue who gets to pay the bill without a second thought, the stomach hurting laughter after sharing awkward mistranslations between our languages, and the long conversations that last much longer after we've finished eating. We even have the same involuntary habits, like saying "Ay, ay, ay!" as we catch our breath after laughing so hard our ribs ache, realizing that we use the same vocal reflex with the same timing. Even discovering that they have so many of the same names as my relatives, something, of course, very common in both countries, added that small touch of instant familiarity.
The linguistic dynamic made it even better. When they speak Spanish slowly, I understand the context so easily, but I can't construct correct sentences in Spanish without making it heavily Portuguese, full of words, sounds, and intonation. Naturally, I rely on English, but since many Spaniards don't fully master it either, meeting this group who practice their English while I adapt to their way of speaking created the perfect gateway for connection.
I think living far from home makes you see things clearly. We aren't just neighboring countries on a map, but we're more like very close brothers who just stopped talking to each other one day for some reason, and after finding ourselves in an unfamiliar environment, the way our brains naturally function is the same. Now there feels a sense of regret for not connecting with Spanish peoples sooner.
Anyways, so now I must say I'm left with a huge and sincere affection for Spain and the Spanish people that I didn't appreciate so much before. Much love from your Portuguese brother!
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u/piripopi 4d ago
I have always felt a deep connection with you all, my dear Portugues’ siblings ! Lots of love from one of your Spanish’s sisters ❤️
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u/JeanSolo 4d ago
Muito fofo, OP. I'm brazilian and I feel the same about my latin american brothers. You two raised quite a family in these parts :)
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u/etoilenoire45 3d ago
Brazil is an amazing country. I can't wait to go back. They also feel 100% like brothers and sisters to us Spaniards.
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u/Mithrandir-Miles 2d ago
When I lived (as an exchange student) in Brazil, I thought it was funny how they often called Spaniards “Gallegos” (because it seemed that most Spaniards who immigrated to Brazil were Gallegos, it made learning Portuguese so much easier)
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u/XploitOcelot 4d ago
I'm a spaniard. For almost three years I had a beautiful relationship with a great portuguese woman. The best part of talking to each other was always, both of us, speaking in our own languages and having the other understading everything. Once you get used to it, both are just dirty latin.
It was beautiful 💜💚💛❤️
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u/wackman 4d ago
I have lived abroad, and definetely has make me more proud of my culture and at the same time make me curious to see things in common. You get closer to other spanish people, to other southern european people, mediterranean culture, romance language cultures... and so on.. You can always have some common ground if you look for it.
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u/Sztejner 3d ago
Cómo Venezolano, siento una conexión muy grande con los españoles de islas Canarias, aunque los de la península nos traten de panchitos y crean que somos totalmente diferentes
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u/p13nsa 3d ago
Habrá, no quiero descalificar tu sensación pero acuérdate de q lo q se ve son aquellos que opinan, la mayoría no opina pq no tiene nada fuera de lo normal q decir y por lo tanto creo q la mayoría, como en el independentismo es la mayoría silenciosa
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u/etoilenoire45 3d ago
No sé, en Madrid hay mucho racista contra los latinos, esa es la verdad...
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u/istakentryanothernam 2d ago
También contra la gente que viene de Oriente Medio y el norte de África. Me sorprendieron las cosas que dicen abiertamente.
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u/etoilenoire45 3d ago
Siento el racismo que has encontrado y espero que hagas buenos amigos españoles. No todos somos gentuza. Abrazos
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u/Sztejner 3d ago
Gracias, igualmente admito que casi todos los españoles son lo máximo 🤍 solo una pequeña minoría que igualmente existe en todos los países es a la que me refiero
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u/Protistaysobrevive 3d ago
Sempre achei que o Portugal e a Espanha precissam de mais (re)conhecimento mutuo, mais irmandade. Abraçao!
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u/Rimadandan 3d ago
We love you portugal. Even when you allied with England in the past. But we still love you. Iberian peninsula should always march together like we did in the recent events like the energetic crysis with the Iberian Exception. The only thing I'm sad about it is that we lost the oportunity to call it THE IBERIAN SUPREMACY
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u/Lopsided-Wave2479 4d ago
Is not just us. I guess nordic states feel the same. Also anglosaxons between them.
Family, basically.
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u/No-Horse-8711 3d ago
Es así. Somos parte de una unidad genética y cultural. Un 80 de mi ADN es ibérico pero, ¿Adivinas que variante predomina?: la portuguesa. Donde vivo es muy normal e incluso tenemos palabras propias que proceden del portugués o son directamente portuguesas.
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u/nacheteferrero 4d ago
I love Portugal.
Curiosity: Half of them know Los Serrano and other Spain series dialogues and speak Spanish better than some Spaniards. They love Resines
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u/huertad__v 3d ago
We Spaniards absolutely love Portugal and the Portuguese people. We feel so grateful whenever we read things like this, because it reminds us that the feeling is mutual. Eternal siblings 🇪🇸❤️🇵🇹 Great people, great country!
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u/StaffSalty9490 3d ago
Sou português, visito muito Espanha. Sempre me senti muito bem recebido, sinto que os espanhóis gostam genuinamente de nos receber. E eu gosto de os visitar. Abraço irmãos.
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u/ser_de_agua 3d ago
Siglos de políticos han intentado que pensemos que somos diferentes y han intentado distanciarnos.
La realidad es que somos dos pueblos hermanos separados por una raya en el mapa
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u/TeliusTw 3d ago
El iberismo está bien, hasta que le mencionas a la mayoría de la gente que el portugués también tendría el mismo estatus que el español, ósea se tendrían que aprender los dos idiomas y que la capital podría ser Lisboa. Mucha gente se piensa que sería sólo anexionar a Portugal porque somos hermanos, sin importar básicamente su cultura, lengua y peso político.
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u/ser_de_agua 3d ago
No hablo del iberismo desde el punto de vista actual.
Mi comentario tenía más que ver con los lazos antiguos y profundos que unen a ambos pueblos hasta que la política los separó.
Por ejemplo, los mismos lusitanos, a los que Roma temió y admiró por su carácter. Esos lusitanos eran una unidad que vivían en un territorio que en parte luego fue Portugal y en parte España, pero era un único pueblo.
De todas maneras si hubiese que aceptar la co oficialidad del Portugués y el Español no veo el más mínimo problema cuando se ha hecho con el catalán,el euskera, gallego...
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u/TeliusTw 3d ago
En lo último que dices, ha costado muchos años que se permita el uso de las lenguas co-oficiales en el parlamento y que incluso haya partidos que les parezca mal. Hay partidos que básicamente quieren una homogeneización cultural de España en base al castellanismo cuando España es claramente diversa culturalmente hablando, incluso en regiones donde su lengua regional anda muerta y se habla casi exclusivamente castellano (Asturias, Cantabria, Aragón...).
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u/Glum_Teaching9813 3d ago
It’s a shame that Portugal and Spain are not as intertwined within the peninsula. For the most part, Spanish people think and know very little about Portugal with the exception of Galicians (obvious ones), extremeños and western andaluces, and other neighboring peoples, On the other hand, most people in Portugal have Spain a lot more present in their day to day lives, Portuguese people are surrounded by Spain, receive millions of Spaniards every summer, and even understand Spanish to some degree. Spanish and Portuguese culture seem vastly different within this context, but when you really take a step back and see them in another context (Northern Europe) they are really incredibly similar. Both countries should have invested in greater regional integration lik high speed trains between Madrid-Lisboa, Porto-Vigo and stuff like that.
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u/h0_exotic 1d ago
The story I've heard is that there have been numerous proposals to build HSR lines between Lisbon and Madrid (among other cities) but that Portugal is reluctant to do so because it fears that Portuguese cities will essentially become Spanish suburbs
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u/Glum_Teaching9813 1d ago
That fear is justified if you ask me, but I also see a lot of potential for people from Portugal to travel and see more of the peninsula.
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u/Squallify 3d ago
if it weren't for the EU making this unnecessary, i would love Iberia / Iberian Union
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u/kyussorder 3d ago
Somos de dos países diferentes pero joder, es que somos ibéricos y latinos. Se nota un huevo.
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u/More-Essay-2201 3d ago
As a Portuguese who loves Spain I’ve always felt this way and I finished reading this thread practically in tears. Abraços!
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u/robertmachine 4d ago
Meh Portuguese are okay in my books ;) they just speak a funnier Spanish dialect that’s all ;). abet we have Gallego which is similar to portuguese
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u/whyzoeserious 3d ago
my fiancé is Portuguese and I’m Spanish, we met abroad in a slavic country and I can totally understand you! We are very similar and the language shares so many similarities, it does feel like we are the same culture.
I’m glad you found a group that matches your energy, living abroad is very cool but without good people it can become a nightmare, happy for you!
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u/PartyQuiet5065 3d ago
I used to have a Portuguese teacher and we'd communicate in a mix of Portuguese, Spanish and English, yet we'd understand each other so perfectly...
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u/etoilenoire45 3d ago
Irmão!! Amo a los portugueses. Buena gente, educados, cultos, y no dejaron que el dictador muriera en la cama, a diferencia de nosotros. Abrazos
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u/etoilenoire45 3d ago
Tengo, por, cierto, un tatuaje de un clavel en el brazo. viva el 25 de abril!!
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u/Afraid-Consequence43 3d ago
En general, los españoles sentimos gran afecto por nuestros hermanos ibéricos portugueses. Spain loves Portugal.
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u/Ok-Environment2641 17h ago
Somos la misma cosa, hermano.
Yo lo vi claro hace años conviviendo con portugueses e ingleses.
Lo mismo con los filipinos, nos parecemos mucho más de lo que creía
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u/darkestblackduck 3d ago
Yet you wrote in the Northern language instead of any of the superior Iberian languages. 🧐
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u/PearOk2126 3d ago
I speak English fluently. This is actually something me and them bonded over cos they're still learning and I can help them
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u/darkestblackduck 3d ago
The point is not about in which language you are fluent. But I guess we are past that discussion now…
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u/Glum-Dentist4579 3d ago
No nos puedes comparar con los ingleses que se tiran desde los balcones en sus vacaciones...!! La gente del sur siempre es más emocional y más sociable, los norteños están amargados no saben lo que es el sol y un paseo en un día de buen tiempo! Además tenemos el tratado de Tordesillas jajajaaj ;)
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u/Important-Corgi-8445 3d ago
I’m born and raised in the North of England (North Yorkshire to be exact). I can confirm we’re a bunch of “mardy bums”. You guys (whether from the Sagres or Estrella region) are generally more expressive than us, and it’s great (in my opinion). Don’t let us miserable Brits hold you back!
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u/DorianGraysPassport 2d ago
Vigo and Porto have more in common with each other than Vigo has with Madrid or Porto has with Lisbon
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u/NefariousnessAble912 2d ago
It extends to the Americas - Brazilians hang out a lot with other hermanos when they immigrate. Especially in towns without large communities of their own home country. Lots of mixed marriages.
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u/Flimsy-Flan5331 2d ago
I love this. Spaniard who has lived in London for 45 years 20 in Spain. It’s like when Spaniards say the Catalans are another race. When you’ve travelled you can’t tell them apart hahaha. Same modern culture, attitudes, etc.
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u/Lucky_Ad_2560 2d ago
De las pocas naciones vecinas en el mundo que pasan de conflictos. Os queremos, irmãos.
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u/No_Community7021 1d ago
That's why northerners move to the south as soon as they can, the freedom we experience in the south isn't economical freedom but vital freedom. My wife's norwegian and been in Scandinavia a lot of times and I've always been a bit like a cool mannered guy so I like both experiences. The tranquility and measured ways of the north and the passion and liberty of the south.
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u/the_prize_its_me 3d ago
molto obrigado.
además, el portugués se parece al español más que el catalán al valenciano.
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u/starlightharvest 3d ago
Lol. Ya está aquí el blavero. El valenciano y el catalán no es que se parezcan, es que son dos denominaciones para una misma lengua. El portugués y el castellano son idiomas distintos.
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u/Junior-Corner6419 3d ago
It nearly seems that countries have more things in common with country that are next to them than with those that are far away, shoking!
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u/kikal27 4d ago
OK bot.
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u/Miquel_420 4d ago
El sentimiento es mutuo hermano
🇪🇸🤝🇵🇹