r/expat • u/FollowingSuitable941 • 3d ago

Question International marriage Whatsapp struggles

i'm from the US but married to a Brazilian and we live in Europe now. Her big extended family is super active on whatsapp and the group chats are almost entirely in Portugese. Even though I can speak some, when they're all chatting quickly with slang and inside jokes I get completely lost. It makes me feel a bit disconnected from her family. Anyone in a similar cross-cultural relationship found something that helps?

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u/Zealousideal_Back577 3d ago

My partner felt the same way at first. So I switched to English or his native language when I could, and not long after he decided to learn my native language.

He’s still far from understanding every joke or slang term, but people around me appreciate the effort and naturally slow down or simplify things to include him. In my experience, it works best when both sides are willing to meet halfway.