Some Things Are Communicated Differently: The Haircut Issue

When I first moved to the U.S., I had the hardest time saying that I had a haircut. In Brazil we say:

• Cortei meu cabelo.

That translates to: "I cut my hair". And then people would invariably ask me if I had cut it myself! No, I had not done it myself. This is just the way Brazilians say "I had a haircut."

Here is how you ask if someone had a haircut:

• Você cortou o cabelo?

Which translates to: "Did you cut your hair?"

I cannot tell you how many times I asked friends: "Hey, did you cut your hair? It looks great." They would look quite puzzled and reply that they did not cut it themselves. It all sounded pretty funny to all of us, I guess :)