Our neighbor hosts Foreign exchange students and we’ve had the pleasure of spending a lot of time with them. My husband tends to be quite sarcastic and their last exchange student (from Japan) did not understand his humor. While English is not his native language, he is most definitely fluent. We discussed it with him and he seemed to think that sarcasm in spoken language was an “American thing”.
However, they now have a Dutch exchange student who tells us that sarcasm is very much a part of their language/culture, but it is “different” than American sarcasm. He really wasn’t able to articulate what he meant by different and it’s made me very curious.
Unfortunately I don’t speak any other languages fluently, but my German brother in law does not seem to understand sarcasm. But all the native Spanish speakers I know (all from Mexico) completely understand & embrace sarcasm. That said, however, I am not sure if it is part of their native language or if it is something they have learned along with English.
IME British people use sarcasm as much as Americans, but what about other languages & cultures? I imagine a lot could be lost in translation, but in other countries, do the locals use sarcasm as part of their communications?
Yeah, Japan doesn’t really do sarcasm. When I was first learning Japanese I asked on here how to be sarcastic and was told “Don’t do that. Ever. For any reason. People will call you a liar or think you’re being very rude.”
There may be some niche comedy that uses sarcasm (or something resembling it), but in general you do not use sarcasm in Japanese.
ETA: As a barely educated WAG, I wonder if Japan’s lack of sarcasm stems from the cultural conception of honne and tatemae, or “inner and outer reality.” The reality you project to the world through what you say and do, and your inner thoughts. Japanese people culturally perceive both of them as “equally real”, so it might jumble their radar a little if suddenly you’re outwardly projecting a statement that you don’t intend to be your real outward reality. But again, that’s something of a WAG.
In my experience, I think sarcasm actually is pretty universal.
To give an example, a Peace Corps friend of mine asked some Cameroonian village ladies what it’s like to give birth. The ladies smiled and one said “Oh, it’s kind of like falling asleep. You just fall asleep, and then the baby’s there!” This provoked much laugher.
What I think does vary is how sarcasm is signaled. Some places play it very straight, while other areas make it quite clear when a comment is meant to be sarcastic.
There was a good quote buried in one of those threads, which boiled down to the fact that sarcasm is very culturally dependent. In order for it to work, you have to not only have an expert understanding of the language, but you have to
There was a good quote buried in one of those threads, which boiled down to the fact that sarcasm is very culturally dependent. In order for it to work, you have to not only have an expert understanding of the language, but you have to have a very nuanced and complete understanding of expected and unexpected social interactions, how tone is used, body language cues, and the social norms being subtlety mocked. Sarcasm relies on plausible but slightly-off statements, something that an outsider might not have the language and cultural knowledge to distinguish. It also relies on tone and body language cues that are going to vary a lot from culture to culture, and may take some time to really understand.
It’s not at all surprising that foreigners tend not to pick it up, and walk away with the impression that “they don’t get sarcasm.” Indeed, it’s not uncommon to hear newcomers to an area say “Oh, they have no subtle humor, it’s all just slapstick and obvious wordplay.” In reality, that’s probably a reflection of what the foreigner is able to identify and understand. We just have a cognitive tendency to think that because our communication with a person is simple, that person must actually be simple.
Above and in one of the links it is put forth that " Germans …don’t have sarcasm."
Certainly the Germans have sarcasm. Hitler was very sarcastic in references to America and roosevelt in public address, which comments were greatly appreciated by his audience.
My German friend (German raised and born, first language, moved to the US as an adult) is the most sarcastic person I’ve ever met. And I mean that as a huge compliment (really.) She’s an absolute riot. And very, very German. She’s a German psychologist, fer goodness’ sake. A *vegetarian *German psychologist. The woman could not be more of a stereotype.
She’s so very sarcastic, in fact, that a lot of people miss her sarcasm entirely. They just think she’s a bitch with no sense of humor, or chalk it up to a language barrier.
I don’t actually think of Germans as particualrly sarcastic (although as noted above I am sure they are), as vegetarians or as psychologists. How is this woman a stereotype and of what?
I’m a native speaker of Dutch and English, and would say that there is a subtle difference between Dutch and English sarcasm, and it is hard to put your finger on it.
Maybe it’s just kinda the conventions of tone and words…? I think English (UK) sarcasm can be more subtle. Sometimes. Dutch people do often struggle with it. They absolutely adore it though, they’re always on the look out for subtle English sarcasm.
On the whole, the difference isn’t huge. If it’s sarcastic in Dutch it will also be sarcastic in English, using a translation and the same tone and of course the same situation.
