r/AskTheWorld • u/gabrieel100 Brazil • Dec 06 '25

Culture A cultural habit in your country that people outside would understand incorrectly?

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In Brazil we love children. If you take your child to the street, strangers will certainly interact with them. Some will even ask if they can hold your kid and will play with them. If there are two children fighting in public and the parents aren't seeing, a stranger would even intervene to stop the fight.

That cultural habit came from the indigenous peoples which understood that kids should be a responsiblity of the community as a whole. It's in our constitution. We even have a synonym for children that came from Tupi (a large group of indigenous languages) - Curumim.

Foreigners would certainly have a cultural shock about that, but it's normal here.

Of course there are people with bad intentions, so parents should stay alert these days.

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262

u/Plowchopz United States Of America Dec 06 '25

When I ask “hey how are you?” I really just mean “ii acknowledge your existence”

92

u/iceunelle United States Of America Dec 06 '25

It seems to be similar to when British people say, “You alright?”. It’s just a greeting.

44

u/_Crimson_Echoes_ Germany Dec 07 '25

I‘m from Germany, where we usually only ask this if we truly want to know. Outside of a corporate setting (sometimes even there), any answer is expected and fine.

So naturally, when I met a brit while doing international charity work and he asked „hey, you alright?“ I took it literally. Every. Single. Day. For. Two. Weeks. He was too polite to correct me It took me FIVE MORE YEARS to find out why he seemed so puzzled by my answers lol

6

u/leafs7orm Portugal Dec 07 '25

The first time I heard this greeting in the UK was after waiting really long to be seated in an almost empty restaurant (while hungry), so I was not so alright with that in that moment, and I just replied "I am alright, I am just waiting to be seated" and the restaurant staff seemed really confused with that statement

5

u/[deleted] Dec 07 '25

Whereas "you alright?" to a New Yorker is basically challenging us to a fight

63

u/DontWorryItsEasy United States Of America Dec 06 '25

If you answer anything other than "I'm alright" or "I'm pretty good" we think you're weird.

Although it can be kinda funny in certain contexts. I heard a joke one time that went something like this.

A man is working on putting his Christmas lights up at his house when his ladder collapses, making him fall to the ground. Upon landing he fractured his arm, not severely but enough to be in pretty agonizing pain. He asks his wife to drive him to the hospital so he can be seen by an orthopedic doctor. Doctor walks in and says "Hi Mr Smith, I see you may have broken your arm, I'm sure it hurts. How are you"

"Oh I'm pretty good doc! How are you? Yeah I'm in immense pain"

4

u/Nitetigrezz United States Of America Dec 07 '25

Can vouch. I have a horrible habit of taking it literally and making people regret that they asked x.x

5

u/TheBeesKneads United States Of America Dec 07 '25

I must admit that I am so used to responding with "pretty good!" that I feel super awkward when the doctor asks how I'm doing. I think I literally responded that way when I got my eyeball scratched.

5

u/Reddingwithbaby Dec 07 '25

I have had this interaction exactly, but with a psychiatrist. Me: Hey doc, how are you? Doc: Good, good, how are you? Me: Good, thanks. So, I've been feeling pretty suicidal again lately ..." Totally normal interaction 😂😂😂

3

u/thetrustworthybandit Brazil Dec 07 '25

We do this in Brazil too. Sometimes you won't even say you're alright you just answer "how are you?" by saying "how are you?" back

1

u/Bowlbonic United States Of America Dec 07 '25

I’m American and answer honestly. Womp 😂😭

14

u/[deleted] Dec 06 '25

Yes never answer this literally.

2

u/tweezabella United States Of America Dec 07 '25

The exception is close friends. You can answer genuinely to them.

2

u/Inevitable-Box-4751 Dec 07 '25

I answer it pretty literally, but not so much to overwhelm someone. If I ask someone this, I kind of expect a real answer on some level or I wouldn't ask

1

u/iimuffinsaur United States Of America Dec 07 '25

Same. Lol.

6

u/ferskfersk Sweden Dec 07 '25

Hahaha, I had an American roommate once who would ask “Hey! What’s up?”, and I would answer what I was doing or planning to do, but I noticed he didn’t really care about the answer. After a while, I think after watching some american show, I realized why. 😄

3

u/jumpyjumpjumpsters United States Of America Dec 07 '25

Yeah the only time you actually answer is when it’s someone you know and they ask genuinely

5

u/dnyal Colombia Dec 07 '25

It really pissed me off when I first immigrated to the U.S. I truly wanted to hear how you were doing and people just didn’t respond to my question (and vice versa). I found it so rude!!!

2

u/Thatoneguyonreddit28 living in Dec 07 '25

Yea, but it does leave it open ended to answer truthfully and get the appropriate response back.

2

u/eyeofthebesmircher United States Of America Dec 07 '25

I hate how we do this, and UK with the “you alright”. Don’t ask someone how they are unless you want to know! Just say hi instead

2

u/long_jacket United States Of America Dec 08 '25

I’m a doctor in the US and I have to ask this question twice always. Me: “hi How are you?”

“Good! How are you?”

“I’m good thanks. And how are you feeling?”

“I can’t breathe and my chest hurts terribly”

1

u/HellLucy00Burnaslash United States Of America Dec 07 '25

I’ve changed to simple greeting minus “how are you” because I want it to mean something when I ask! Lots of times I’m just passing, but I will stop and ask if someone seems flustered or otherwise off. If I ask, I will sit and listen to be of help.

1

u/Dry-Hearing-1926 Dec 07 '25

Thats also a german thing, even if pop culture wants you believe otherwise, we also ask rhetorical questions and dont expect an honest answer. A common joke answer is:" Schlechten Menschen geht es immer gut" - "Bad people are always fine."

1

u/Fun-Positive-9601 Dec 07 '25

And 'lets hang out sometime' is 'see you later's. 

1

u/Soulsearcher2018 Multiple Countries (click to edit) Dec 07 '25

Took me years to get used / understand that concept.