--- language: en title: "Asking in Portuguese doesn’t limit searches to that language: a Peec AI analysis" description: "Peec AI investigated the use of English searches after questions in other languages. Learn about the denominators, limitations, and how to test relevance for Brazil." canonical: "https://tropk.ai/en/resources/research/asking-in-portuguese-doesn-t-limit-searches-to-that-language-a-peec-ai-analysis" last_modified: "2026-10-12T16:14:17.389Z" --- # Asking in Portuguese doesn’t limit searches to that language: a Peec AI analysis Reviewed on 2026-10-06. ## The language of the answer doesn’t reveal every search This Tropk editorial analysis was reviewed on October 6, 2026, and examines Peec AI research published on February 12. The data collection and results are from Peec AI. The central question is whether [ChatGPT](/en/resources/glossary/chatgpt) searches in English when it receives questions in other languages. The findings suggest that the language of the question alone does not determine the language of the auxiliary queries used to search for information. For a Brazilian team, the point isn’t to abandon content in Portuguese. It’s to investigate whether the sources found address local needs. An answer may be written in Portuguese and rely on appropriate global documentation. It may also present options unavailable in the country or omit important conditions. The difference lies in how well the content matches the buyer’s context, not just the language of the cited page. ## Key points - Peec AI observed English searches after questions in other languages, without publishing a specific Brazilian Portuguese breakdown. - 78% of cases included English; 43% of subqueries were in English — the figures use different denominators. - Source language, target market, and product availability must be assessed separately. - The study does not show that translating an entire content library into English increases the visibility of Brazilian brands. - Test comparable local questions and record answers, sources, and auxiliary queries only when observable. ## What the data observes The [original article](https://peec.ai/blog/chatgpt-searches-in-english-even-when-you-don-t) reports more than ten million [prompts](/en/resources/glossary/prompt) and twenty million query fan-out queries. The analysis filters for cases where the question’s language matches the user’s location. Peec reports English use in 78% of cases involving non-English questions and in 43% of the subqueries in that group. The text refers to recent months but does not provide the exact data collection period, model version, or a Brazilian Portuguese breakdown. The percentages answer different questions: how many cases include English and how many individual queries are in English. A question may generate several searches, some local and others in English. Mixing the two denominators leads to incorrect conclusions about frequency and the extent to which the original language is replaced. ## What still needs clarification The article makes a broad claim that all non-English sessions contained at least one English subquery, which does not directly align with the reported 78% of cases. This analysis preserves the figures with their denominators and does not repeat a universal rule. It also treats proposed explanations for this behavior as hypotheses, without claiming access to ChatGPT’s internal selection mechanism. The published examples illustrate questions in German, Polish, and Spanish. They help identify a type of problem but do not provide a controlled comparison of the Brazilian market. The study is from February, and interfaces and models may change. Practical validity in October requires current observation; a recent date within the year does not mean every detail remains the same. ## Language, location, and availability are different variables An English-language source may document a feature available in Brazil. A Portuguese-language page may discuss a product that does not meet the stated need. Therefore, classify the source language, the market it refers to, and the solution’s availability separately. Confusing these dimensions can turn a relevance audit into a simple count of languages. Also distinguish the auxiliary query from the reference shown. Seeing a foreign domain at the end does not prove that an English search took place. When fan-out is available, it lets you observe part of the process. When it isn’t, record only the sources and the answer. Don’t attribute behavior described for ChatGPT to all search engines, or treat an apparent translation as evidence of an internal query. This perspective helps identify the gap. If the AI retrieves a correct global source but the answer misses a local condition, the available information may lack context. If the option doesn’t serve Brazil, there may be a problem with the answer’s suitability. If the local site isn’t cited, you still need to check access, content, and external sources before concluding that language was the cause. ## What to do with your brand’s content Keep Portuguese pages that serve the people who buy and use the solution well. Specify the country, conditions, integrations, currency where applicable, and actual limits on availability. Local clarity helps people regardless of how AI expands the question. Adding words such as Brazil to every title without corresponding information does not resolve a lack of context. An English version makes sense when there’s an audience, documentation, or operation to justify it, and you can keep the versions aligned. The study does not show that translating your entire content library increases visibility in Brazil. Translating outdated or inaccurate content expands the maintenance problem. Before creating new versions, assess which questions need answers and who will be responsible for updates. Partner documentation and external references also deserve review. A global listing may omit important local availability; an integration may exist but not be described publicly. Correcting verifiable information at these destinations may be more useful than producing a generic article in another language. Any action should respect what each source can actually claim about the offering. ## A relevance test for questions from Brazil Choose real commercial needs and write natural questions in Portuguese. Define one variant that explicitly mentions Brazil when relevant and another without the geographic condition. Keep the rest of the intent comparable, and don’t include the brand if the goal is discovery. These variants test sensitivity to context; they do not estimate how many people use each wording. Repeat the data collection on the same search engine and record the date, question, available location, sources, and options presented. When auxiliary queries are observable, record their language and text separately. Have someone familiar with the market review whether each option meets the requirements. The main result could be the proportion of suitable answers in that sample, using an explicit definition, rather than just the number of Portuguese references. If the variant mentioning Brazil improves suitability, that suggests that making the context explicit helps in this configuration. It does not prove that all Brazilian users receive the same result or that a website change will have the same effect. Use the finding to investigate which conditions are missing from the sources, then make a small, verifiable intervention and monitor it. ## Conclusions the team should avoid - Don’t present 78% as a result for Brazilian questions: the article does not publish that segment. - Don’t conclude that every auxiliary search happens in English or that a foreign source is necessarily unsuitable. - Don’t promise gains from translating pages. Prioritize relevance, verifiable information, and maintenance, and treat the local test as a new sample. ## Further reading to deepen the investigation See [query fan-out](/en/resources/glossary/query-fan-out), [AI search](/en/resources/glossary/ai-search) and [search intent](/en/resources/glossary/search-intent). The [research prompt and benchmark](/en/resources/prompts/prompt-for-writing-a-research-study-or-benchmark) helps record language, location, and suitability criteria. [Monitoring](/en/product/monitoring) and [Market Intelligence](/en/product/market-intelligence) organize questions and evidence from sources. Conclusions should describe what was observed, preserving the distinction between a local result and Peec AI’s [original research](/en/resources/glossary/original-research). ## Sources and references - [ChatGPT searches in English — even when you don’t]() — Peec AI — Tomek Rudzki ## Frequently asked questions ### When you ask ChatGPT in Portuguese, are all auxiliary searches limited to Portuguese? There is no guarantee that all auxiliary searches use the language of the question. Peec AI’s analysis of non-English questions reports English use in some cases and subqueries. The study does not publish a specific Brazilian Portuguese breakdown, so its percentages should not be presented as results exclusive to Brazil. ### What is the difference between the 78% and 43% reported in Peec AI’s research on search language? In Peec AI’s research, 78% refers to cases involving non-English questions that included the use of English, while 43% refers to individual subqueries in that group that were in English. A question may generate several searches in different languages. The percentages have different denominators and cannot be treated as equivalent measures. ### Is an English-language source in an AI response necessarily unsuitable for Brazilian buyers? No. An English-language source may document a solution available in Brazil, while a Portuguese-language page may omit important local conditions. The assessment needs to separate the source’s language, the market it refers to, and the offering’s availability. It should also check whether the answer meets the Brazilian buyer’s actual requirements. ### Does Peec AI’s research justify translating all of a Brazilian brand’s content into English? No. Peec AI’s research does not show that translating an entire content library increases a brand’s visibility in Brazil. An English version should have an audience or purpose to justify it, along with the capacity to maintain it. To investigate local relevance, compare equivalent questions with and without Brazilian context, recording sources, answers, and data collection limitations. ## Continue a leitura - [AI search]() - [Primary source]() - [Search intent]() - [Prompt for writing a research study or benchmark]() - [Query fan-out]() - [AI response monitoring]() - [Market intelligence]() ## About the author [Luiz Gardelin]() Luiz Gardelin is the founder of Tropk.ai and works in GEO/AEO, product vision, strategy, and growth, helping brands understand and improve their presence in AI responses. --- [All pages in Markdown]()