Do you know the difference between British English and American English? A common dilemma is which language variation to choose. The most popular are: American and British, but there are more variations: Australian, Canadian, Irish, among several other countries that have English as an official language.
The structure of the language does not change, the grammatical rules remain, but according to the “type” of English you want to study, it will be necessary to make adaptations, especially in terms of expressions and accents.
In this article, we will study in depth the main expressions of American and British English, which are the most discussed among students during classes, because they are the most present in series, movies and in most grammatical content that are sold in language institutions. and also in the didactic materials that are available in the market.
American English
Undoubtedly, American English has the most impact in Latin America, and for a very simple matter: geography. As the United States is in America, the country will exert more influence, much more than Canada, which does not share a border with Latin countries. This makes English from the US, which is Mexico's neighbor, more popular.
A proof of American popularity is the content that is consumed, most young Brazilians know how American schools work and know various ceremonies, for example, prom, which is different from the Brazilian style. Because of the constant consumption of American content, some expressions have become very famous, for example: What's Up?. It is a very informal expression and should only be used among friends.
my bad, is also very well known, is a way of apologizing in an informal way, it is usually used between friends or people who have a high level of intimacy. Hang Out, is another expression used among friends, it means to go out and have fun, spend time together “Let's hang out”. All informal expressions are well known in series and movies, especially if they are aimed at young audiences.
i got it or I got you/I gotchu, is another way of saying I understand/I understood and can also be used I feel you. These are popular and informal ways of saying that information has been understood or that you understand what the person wants to tell you: “I feel so bad when I'm late for my appointments", "I gotchu“.
British English
British English, called Classical English by some people, has more influence in Europe, for the same reasons that American English has more influence in America: geography. But even in other continents, British English is very popular, because it was the base or the first contact that other countries had with the language. And the fact that the most famous royal family in the world speaks British English is also a factor of extreme importance.
But many people had contact with British English not through the royal family, but through Harry Potter, the core of actors and actresses was made up almost exclusively of English people or artists who were born in the UK, so some expressions like bloody hell became popular. But bloody can be used alone, it serves exclusively to emphasize something or show surprise.
Hey it also became very popular, but not because it was strange or different, but because it closely resembled the greeting in Portuguese. However, using this expression in England and other countries in the United Kingdom doesn't mean something very cool. Hey is a rude way to get someone's attention or to announce something to friends, usually in a euphoric tone. Not for use with the elderly or others in the workplace.
