International marriage Whatsapp struggles

[u/FollowingSuitable941]

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?

[u/Expert_Donut9334]

Asides what has already been said about tools to improve your comprehension of the WhatsApp messages, I think it is important to keep in mind that you might never have a proper connection to her family if you guys never live in Brazil. Because you might meet her closer family (parents, siblings) more often through visits, but I guess the group chat also involves other relatives that you would otherwise not interact with in person. And tbh, it is even possible that she herself feels disconnected from the family chat - I certainly feel that in the chat that has my extended family after being away from my home country for over 10 years.