A leading cognitive scientist reveals how language shapes your perception of gender, color, and justice
Chris Weller /
Business Insider
Boroditsky's research has found that the way people often describe objects correlates with the object's given gender in a language. In German, for instance, "bridge" carries a feminine pronoun, and Boroditsky said Germans are more likely to refer to bridges as "beautiful" or "elegant," both typically feminine traits. Spanish-speakers, meanwhile, will refer to bridges as "strong" or "sturdy," as the Spanish word is masculine.