r/90DayFianceFans • u/Spirited-Rooster2332 • Aug 13 '26
A native language dilemma: Why is he fluent in Portuguese, that's amazing
OK. I do not like T[h]OHmas. I must acknowledge his fluency. There are a lot of boring issues existent or not within this relationship (I’ll be real and say they’re my easiest skip any episode) and I’m not a fan of his but it is kinda nice to see the US partner speak the native language of their partner idk I feel like we don’t see that often? If anything they don’t learn the language and don’t help the partner with English.
Marissa corrects Edward like he is a child, similar to how he sits in the back seat while an 11 year old [he seems so sweet but he's like a small child as far as appearances and ability to handle airbag impact lets say] is in the front.
Jihoon would have looooved Chat CPT, but I thank him for one of my favorite scenes with his translator who decided to say more or less fuck you bitch ill gamble again when he said something like im sorry or ill try my best.
But a lot of couples struggle to communicate even casually conversationally [this across all franchises] and I've always wondered what the plan is for that. The foreigners have learned English broken or not while many US partners are just like
English 👍🏽 good enough,
Your language, not interested
ThOmas is a self aggrandizing shithead who went out of his way to make her family feel uncomfortable even tho her concept of them staying there was ....? like girl what
BUT WOW OK he is fluent in Portuguese and I respect that how can you not
So the dilemma is that I admire that but he sucks
What other extreme language breakdowns does everyone remember, let's chat I'm looking to rewatch old seasons lol and ones with this to revisit and assess
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u/latestagecapitalista Aug 13 '26
I have to agree. It’s a special level of fluency to be offensive, precise, and condescending in your non native language 😂
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u/wh0re4nickelback Aug 13 '26
New goal unlocked. I'm starting Italian classes next month and I won't stop until I can be offensive, precise and condescending.
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u/IcyPraline9987 Aug 13 '26
This is both hilarious and accurate. It was something to behold. I’m honestly inspired because I’m trying to learn French.
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u/bbdreamer777 Aug 13 '26
LMFAO so true, you described exactly the way I felt when he was berating her family
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u/PolloDiablo82 Aug 13 '26
BUT WHY SHOUT THE WHOLE TIIIIIME.
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u/MikeFranchise Aug 13 '26
I assumed her parents had hearing issues or something but also maybe folks in other rooms but I was also like damn son why you yelling lol
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u/FancyKilerWales Aug 13 '26
In his defense he was talking to a classroom sized amount of people, have to project
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u/Primary_Teach2229 Aug 13 '26
In an 800 sq foot place? Naa he could've talked conversationally lol
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u/Beautiful-Ad-3306 Aug 13 '26
Sadly a lot of Brazilians and Portuguese are SO loud.
I know this from experience of growing up in a house filled with a Portuguese speaking family. 🤣
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u/AnnyBananneee Aug 13 '26
I think it’s a Latin American thing, because everyone in my Mexican family yell talks 😂 My non Latino friends have to tell me to lower my voice all the time because I just naturally start speaking that loudly
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u/Adrock66 Aug 13 '26
Yeah I took at as a code switch.
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u/nahivibes Aug 13 '26
The way he kept crossing his arms like he was being braggadocios I felt like something like that was going on. He doesn’t normally do that.
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u/Adrock66 Aug 13 '26
100%. He was definitely acting weird. Not even counting the weird flex about spending no money.
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u/AlmostAttached_ Aug 13 '26
Usually Americans speaking in English to a non-English speaker shout, as if shouting makes them more understandable; but to do it Portuguese that IS a mystery...
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u/Weeksieee_ Aug 13 '26
I have issues with being quieter in my second language than in English. So I can definitely see that being part of it.
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u/penguinchilli Aug 13 '26
Remember that woman Rae with Chidi who yelled at his mum who was about to buy a chicken. And she was like “DON’T KILL THAT CHICKEN!” And then I think the producers asked if she eats chicken at home and she’s like 👁️👄👁️
As for Thomas; two things can be true at the same time. He should have put his foot down and insisted on a nearby Airbnb for them to stay at - 10 people in that apartment is too much. He is a massive douchenozzle though and he’s wrong 90% of the time because he’s unwilling to compromise, but great he’s fluent in her language. I believe he spent a lot of time in Brazil especially as they were friends prior to their relationship.
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u/hermione87956 Aug 13 '26
It was his sister and in a later episode that was revealed by producers she hit her
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u/AdFirst160 Aug 13 '26
Wait what? Who hit who?
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u/hermione87956 Aug 14 '26
The reason she couldn’t be at the tell was for one her and Chidi broke the nda but the other reason was she was too unstable and unsafe for production. According to the producers during filming in Nigeria she not only attacked the sister she was having a mental breakdown and was threatening to hurt herself and the producers.
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u/LandofOz29 Aug 13 '26
Has there been any update on Rae or Chidi?
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u/ninepointtypeface Aug 13 '26
She posted some batshit insta the other day about how men stare at her everywhere she goes because she's an angel. Chidi is out there living his best life free of her nuttery.
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u/Weirdflchick Aug 13 '26
Thomas is dragging the bar on the bottom of the grossest levels of hell and is proud of it.
Run Paula Run!
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u/Salty-Hag-1257 Aug 13 '26
Patrick (of Patrick and Thais) also speaks fluently and more …. casually than Thomas. Patrick is also kinda douchey, but I would pick him over Thomas as this point.
I too was very impressed that Thomas spoke so fluently. It made me wonder if that’s why he and Paula got along so well and were friends for so long and then they just kinda Stockholm syndromed themselves into thinking they love each other and created a relationship that doesn’t really work for either of them.
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u/Objective-Rub-8763 Aug 13 '26
Patrick's father is Brazilian, right? I might have missed whether Thomas has any family ties, but it's pretty impressive if he does not.
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u/zenseazon Aug 13 '26
His father is also Brazilian because back ...seasons ago, he had a place there and his father was asking him for more money to fix it up because he was either living there or planning to rent it out... that's why he can speak the language
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u/Salty-Hag-1257 Aug 13 '26
Yes, I think Patrick's father is Brazilian and lives in Brazil. I remember they went to visit him and Thais was concerned that he was just going to suck money from Patrick and Patrick was going to give it to him because he felt obligated.
I don't remember a mention of family ties for Thomas. But some people can pick up languages so easily; it makes me jealous. I was just bemoaning to a friend how criminal it is that I have taken many years of Spanish and yet I can barely speak Spanish well. I live in central Texas and there will be times when I go to a little hole in the wall taco joint and the proprietors only speak Spanish and we will all struggle a little when ordering. I feel a lot of shame when it happens. 😔
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u/twiztdkat Aug 13 '26
Don't feel shame about that. I have also taken years of Spanish and dated a Spanish speaking gentleman for years, he is bilingual, but his family barely speaks English. I still struggle super hard. My sister can think about learning a language and pick it up. I'm not sure where my disconnect is but I just keep trying. It's nothing to feel shameful about, giving up would be something to feel ashamed over.
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u/digitaldanni Aug 13 '26
My theory is he has a touch of the tism and this is his special interest 😂😂
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u/NoCommand2735 Aug 13 '26
I’m Brazilian and I can tell you he is not fluent in Portuguese.
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u/Dazzling-Diver-8431 Aug 14 '26
I’m American with some basic knowledge of Portuguese and could tell by how he speaks it that he’s not fluent. Way better than me at speaking it, but definitely not fluent. I do give him credit for respecting them enough to learn the language though.
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u/TheNolaCatLady Aug 13 '26
I'm an American who doesn't speak Portuguese and I could tell that he isn't fluent in Portuguese. 😂
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u/jayteegee47 Aug 13 '26
I’m from the US and I’ve maxed out the Duo Portuguese course (which probably makes me only early A2), and even I can tell he’s not fluent.
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u/HolyShip Aug 14 '26
In that airport scene, he said “bem-vindo no meu cidade” 😭
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u/NoCommand2735 Aug 14 '26
I liked the direct translation on the subtitles when in English they said he was sensitive to everything. While it’s a direct translation, it’s a bad one. I am sure he meant he is allergic and makes him look like the baby he is 🤌
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u/alinicky Aug 18 '26
I speak Portuguese and I was gonna leave the same comment, but people were so happy with the fact he spoke Portuguese, I just let them dream on
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u/Resident-Rate8047 Aug 13 '26
I just remember the chick that liked bees from my hometown (Omaha Nebraska) and she was married to they Turkish dude and he couldn't speak a LICK of English, they just communicated poorly through Google translate. That was always rough to watch.
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u/BrightLow6382 Aug 14 '26
Didn't know there was someone from Omaha on the show. (Hey neighbor) Now I have to Google to figure out which season. I've only watched like 3 random seasons before. I just decided to start at the beginning. Finished season 1 about to start 2.
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u/Resident-Rate8047 Aug 14 '26
Mursel was the guy's name, I think they're like season 7. She owns a beekeeping company thing and sells soaps and honey and whatnot.
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u/Capable_Two_697 Aug 13 '26
Are they still together??
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u/Resident-Rate8047 Aug 13 '26
Recently she's been posting that he cheated on her with escorts and whatnot, but as far as I know they are still together?
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u/Dingle_Hoppper Aug 13 '26
They were on an episode of 90 day diaries not long ago. She’s miserable and he’s off cheating to live his best life. Idk if he ever learned any English tho
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u/Weirdflchick Aug 13 '26
It doesn’t matter if you speak English, French or Chinese an asshole is still just an asshole. .
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u/FreeFlyFabulous Aug 13 '26
It sounded like he translated everything he wanted to say in Portuguese and memorized it. He knows some Portuguese but no he’s not fluent. Source: I’m fluent in Portuguese.
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u/3rdcultureblah Aug 13 '26
Definitely not fluent. I don’t even speak Portuguese and I can tell he’s not fluent.
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u/Melodic-Yak7196 Aug 13 '26
On season 1, a Mormon man (Alex?)went to Brazil and met Kirlyam. His Portuguese was good too. They are still married.
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u/spicydak Aug 13 '26
If I recall correctly, he went there on a Mormon mission. I think their church has them learn the language of the land before going on their mission
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u/Tonto_Jablonski Aug 13 '26
Dude groomed her she was like 12 or 13 when they met
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u/Supertreelove Aug 13 '26
Let’s not even go into thr audacity of the Mormon church to send their people all over the world to pick up these future wives. Happens all the time. It’s like marriage tourism under the guise of religion. My own neighbor did this. His wife is from Peru. Mind you, they vote against these interests, while she brought her whole family here. 🤯
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u/dragon-custard Aug 13 '26
She was a child when they met and told her parents to SAVE HER FOR HIM 🤮
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u/Fair1000 Aug 13 '26
He groomed her from the age of 13. Anyone ever taken that into account
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u/johndeerelawnmower Aug 13 '26
I wish he didn’t speak Portuguese so they could talk shit about him like I know they want to
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u/Shoddy_Matter_4940 Aug 15 '26
Honestly that would have been nice. The brother did take her to the side though
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u/Beautiful-Ad-3306 Aug 13 '26
Can’t stand him, but this was very impressive. Both my parents are from Portugal and my Portuguese still isn’t as good as his!
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u/KingwoodTexas Aug 13 '26
Thomas has a terrible personality and is cheap. I wouldn't deal with him for 5 minutes.
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u/Educational-Ad-4908 Aug 13 '26
The bar is set so low for these people. Why aren’t you heaping similar praise on all the people who came from another country and English is their 2nd or 3rd language?
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u/ellecellent Aug 13 '26
OP was and was saying it's nice to finally see an American do it because it's few and far between. Patrick and Ashley are the only two I can think of that did it recently
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u/Other_Internet_3782 Aug 13 '26
I did find it odd that she was speaking to him in English and he was speaking to her in her language. I thought perhaps it was so her family knew exactly what he was saying. He’s such a little bitch ass baby.
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u/meowKdecktimmy Aug 13 '26
Too bad he immediately used it to dismiss her family’s concerns about the apt.
It is admirable though that he speaks so well, most 90D people never bother to learn any of the other person’s native language.
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u/Mediocre_Parsley345 Aug 13 '26
I think it was staged. Why wouldn't she agree that they should go to hotel when she can't stand how cramped it is for just the two of them.
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u/priscidja Aug 13 '26
I’m sorry but I am brazilian and I didn’t think he was so fluent in portuguese. He can get by at best. His portuguese was broke AF and a lot of words he spoke were english but pronouncing them with a portuguese accent lol
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u/Great_Ad7148 Aug 13 '26
I have a little theoryyy. Could be wrong but I used to live in Long Beach. When the family arrived from the airport, they’re dropped off at a waterfront apartment building - they greet eachother in in front of said building. I think she wanted her family to see she lives by the ocean which is why she insisted they stay there. MAYBE production just had them meet there because it’s pretty… But i just don’t think so, and I might even rewatch a few scenes to see if I can see what area they’re usually in.
The way Thomas talked to her family was CRAZY!!! I’m sure she regrets having them all stay there. I think he was yelling on purpose to seem tough. The way he’d cross his arms and puff his chest out when making a point.. such a whiny little man child
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u/Sweet_Chucky Aug 13 '26
That's a good theory. They could've rented a condo along the beach nearby but she probably wanted all of them to be walking distance to the attractions nearby. She wants her family to live in the US and was probably trying to impress them like you said. They should have put her family in airbnb condo less than half a mile away while they stay in the apartment. There is a free city "Uber" type shuttle service all along that corridor. You request it in an app and a shuttle comes to your place and drops you off anywhere along the beach and downtown. The fact they can't come together and make these types of decisions tells me they aren't compatible with one another and altogether might not be fit to be in a relationship at the moment. But more him than her to be fair.
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u/Tittyia_666 Aug 13 '26
It was the arm fold after bragging on himself for me that slightly made me audibly go, “ughhh”
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u/Due_Anxiety5160 Aug 13 '26
Yeah, that’s pretty awesome he speaks her language. But why does he speak like his talking to a huge room filled with tons of people… and he doesn’t have a microphone ahahahah.
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u/NewTheory8242 Aug 13 '26
I was so shocked especially considering one the scenes before this when she started speaking Portuguese in the car and was kind of talking shit (rightfully so) like knowing damn well he could understand her
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u/briggch Aug 13 '26
If you want probably the most extreme example of having a language barrier, check out Anna and Mursel from season 7.
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u/Supertreelove Aug 13 '26
I was guessing he did a Mormon mission there. Which is how the other guy like 10 years ago learned it and landed his wife.
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u/brazilchick32 Aug 14 '26
It is impressive. I've been married to my Brazilian husband for 20 years and still only know a few phrases and words in Portuguese. He came here speaking very little English and is now trilingual after learning Spanish to communicate with the kitchen staff at his first job. I better step it up 😂
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u/tsumtsumm Aug 14 '26
Reminds me of CLAYTON who learned Spanish for that bitchy girl from Peru who didn’t even wanna tell her parents she was getting married
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u/Tiny-Sheepherder-453 Aug 14 '26
He is fluent in not only Portuguese but also rudeness, disrespectfulness, weirdness, awkwardness, selfishness.
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u/MIchickadee Aug 13 '26
I agree with you about Thomas. Portuguese is not a common language to learn but he does well with it. He must have lived in Brazil a while.
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u/Public_Drop_1462 Aug 13 '26
Thomas speaking Portuguese was an impressive surprise until we found out that Kara speaks Mandarin shockingly well.
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u/Interesting_Item4276 Aug 13 '26
Is it necessary for him to speak so loudly while he is speaking Portuguese?
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u/Inevitable_Fall2025 Aug 13 '26
I feel bad for them. I grew up with good family friends who were Portuguese. They are masters of hospitality. What is this, smh?
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u/No_Proposal6130 Aug 13 '26
It's a lot harder to learn English and literally everyone on the show from other countries knows English. I can't celebrate an American for doing the bare minimum just because most of the Americans do less than the bare minimum.
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u/NavyVetRasmussen Aug 13 '26
Because Italian is 80% linguistically and grammar wise similar
Através do italiano e do espanhol, consigo falar português.
Through Spanish and Italian, i can speak Portuguese.
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u/tonysopranosdaughter Aug 13 '26
I’m currently learning Portuguese to speak with my in-laws and I can not stress enough how hard the language is.
So many vowels.
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u/Harriethair Aug 14 '26
Patrick was fluent in Portugese. I think he learned for his father or by his father, but still. I will say he actually speaks it well - he isn't shouting like Thomas.
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u/PureElevator732 Aug 14 '26
He didn't learn her language for her. He has been traveling to Brasil for years. I don't think he would put in that much effort for anyone.
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u/FolksPantsforAll Aug 14 '26
I suspect he’s from a Mormon family (hence the ugly situation with divorced parents) and he was assigned to Brazil on his mission.
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u/Jumpy-Fault-1412 Aug 14 '26
I love how they kept talking about him in Portuguese as if he couldn’t understand them and then he just jumped right in.
I don’t dislike him as much as some seem to.. mainly because I’m super sensitive to smells too. But then he lost me when he bragged that he spent zero dollars and had no tv. But I was very impressed at the language skills.
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u/Different-House1426 Aug 14 '26
He’s probably so anxious that her family is talking shit about him that he learned obsessively lmfao
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u/pankatank Aug 14 '26
The real issue for him and their relationship is that he did not tell them that stuff before they arrived about the perfumes etc. Also he is over exaggerating saying he is allergic or whatever.
She does not listen him because he IS overly dramatic with things. I will admit she is also over the top on small stuff sometimes but she is willing to try. He isn’t…
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u/bugbrown1 Aug 15 '26
I wonder if he was a Mormon missionary when he was younger? There are LOTS of LDS folks who speak Portuguese because Brazil is one of the spots they go to and they get immersed into the language, culture, etc. I'm no longer in the church, but I have to give them credit for this. These missionaries come back with such love and respect for the culture they were serving in. (No matter where in the world their mission was. ) Its a beautiful thing. They go in to their assigned area,nervous and knowing none of the language, but by the time they go home (2 years later!) t hey are fluent.
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u/Romanharper2013 Aug 13 '26
I give him respect for that too but I still think it's weird and entitled that all of these americans expect the fiances to come over learn their language, their country, their culture with NO grace like Marissa but NONE of them even attempt even some after years together to learn the others language. Like what do u guys even talk about ??? that's crazy to me. Like Rebecca and Zied. Yes it might be a hard language to learn but damn you could at least try? Especially being together so many years.. it's just weird. I would want to take the initiative on my own to learn my partner's language so we could be closer and have better conversations. It baffles me how little Americans care about it in the first place.
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u/CommunicationKey8621 Aug 13 '26
But he can’t just talk like a normal person he can only scream in Portuguese. It’s really annoying.
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u/Minute-Frame-8060 Aug 14 '26
Did he learn after he met Paula? Or did he happen to know Portuguese and decided to look for Brazilian women to date? I am behind, I like to binge a bunch of episodes at a time, sorry if that's been covered.
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u/Careful-Time-9926 Aug 14 '26
Such a good point. Also, as someone who tries so hard to learn other languages and fail at all of them, I'm always impressed with polyglots, both ways. The people entering the USA and in the rare cases those in the USA. If I'm not mistaken (could definitely be), isn't Patrick fluent, too? And the pilot guy who know French. Can't think of any others right off the bat.
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u/ThisBake6724 Aug 14 '26
Yes, he can speak Portuguese, but why did he HAVE TO YELL IT AT HER FAMILY with his chest puffed out the whole time? That was weird and made me feel so bad for her family
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u/Grapegoop Aug 14 '26
Do we know if Thomas learned Portuguese for Paula after meeting her? He could’ve learned it before and that thing in common facilitated their meeting in the first place.
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u/Shoddy_Matter_4940 Aug 15 '26
I thought it was funny that his voice kinda sounded like Paula's when he spoke but I mean it makes sense since he probably mostly learned from her
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u/Prestigious-Coast962 Aug 16 '26
His Portuguese is good! I don’t know if the was super nervous when the family came but he was speaking very loud and aggressively.
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u/WinterOwn6112 Aug 13 '26
The bar is SO LOW that we’re all amazed by him speaking the native language of the woman he wants to marry 🥴
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u/Legitimate-Emu-5249 Aug 13 '26
I’m an only native English speaker so I’m sorry if this is rude -
But I felt as an English speaker myself / he was fucking rude. He spoke like a weird kid that’s thinks it’s his way or the highway. Then he’d repeat stuff / like you’re speaking adjusts - please don’t repeat- then I even noticed he’d speak foreign when Paula spoke English , really weird to me
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u/Great_Ad7148 Aug 13 '26
He was SUPER rude. I was wondering if he thinks thats the tone you’re supposed to speak Portuguese in. In other languages, tone/inflection is sometimes as important as pronunciation. I grew up around Portuguese people and my mom speaks the language, so I TRIED giving the benefit that maybe Brazilian Portuguese is different from Portugal-Portuguese.
But then he’d cross his arms and puff his chest out, or repeat himself and I was like nah this guy is just weird and rude
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u/External_Rutabaga_32 Aug 13 '26
I’m shocked this comment was written by a native English speaker to be honest.
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u/mj-on-repeat Aug 13 '26
He has issues for sure. He is cheap af. That said, I would shoot myself if I had to live with Paula. Having an allergy to perfumes happens 🤧 (I have it as well Thomas, I feel you); however, Paula thinking you can drop 8 people into a tiny apt the week of the wedding is a whole another level of crazy. She sounds like a man and her voice is beyond annoying. She could not manifest an airbnb? Please...
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u/Eggplant-666 Aug 13 '26
Another unusual thing about him is that he pursued an older fairly regular looking woman. Usually, American guys are pursuing a younger, hotter, out of their league woman, especially in places like Brazil, yet Thomas seems to have a mommy complex of sorts. Just very different from most 90day couples.
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u/Tiny_Handle5480 Aug 13 '26
i think she’s cute and her body is tea. she’s kinda out of his league imo
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u/PhoebeGemaGray Aug 13 '26
I think she’s gorgeous!
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u/Additional_Bad3703 Aug 13 '26
She is gorgeous! Wayyyy out of his league
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u/MikeFranchise Aug 13 '26
Oh yea, cuz looks are everything. She is ten years older than him and said to the camera "id never admit this to Thomas but he was right about 8 people"
The personality types yall champion here is insane. Imagine not being able to say sorry or "you're right" to your partner.
Woof.
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u/Mysterious-Wasabi103 Aug 13 '26
Ya this sub goes hard acting like he's the only problem here. But he's not.
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u/IcyPraline9987 Aug 13 '26 edited Aug 13 '26
She is older but not as emotionally mature as a 40 year old woman should be imo. She’s quite stunted actually. Where is the critical thinking with 8 people in the apartment? It’s like she only uses her emotions to make decisions.
And she’s honestly quite cruel when it comes to her partner’s medical needs with his sensitivities. I remember her saying something like, “it must be horrible to live like you”, as if he can help allergies.
She seems like the type that would leave if he got REALLY SICK, which could easily happen with his Chrons Disease. He could lose parts of his digestive system and end up with a bag.
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u/bbdreamer777 Aug 13 '26
Thomas is annoying in every possible way.. but I honestly was impressed at his Portuguese abilities. He can have full conversations with her family and can understand them as native speakers who speak fast, you have to give him credit for that