Fática

Fática, in linguistics, refers to the phatic function of language, whose primary purpose is to establish, maintain, or terminate social contact rather than to convey substantive information. It focuses on the act of communication itself and the relationship between speakers, rather than on the content of what is being said.

The term is closely associated with Roman Jakobson and his model of the six functions of language: referential, emotive, conative, phatic, metalinguistic, and poetic. The fática function is activated when speakers or writers use utterances to open channels, check that the other person is present and attentive, or signal that the conversation can continue or end without transmitting new content.

Common examples include greetings, questions about well-being, turn-taking cues, and phrases that keep a conversation going or smooth its progression: “Oi, tudo bem?” “Você me ouve?” “Pode falar.” These expressions do not aim to inform or persuade; they serve to maintain social contact and politeness, regulate access to the floor, or confirm mutual awareness of the communication channel.

In discourse analysis, fática is seen as a social lubricant that helps manage relationships, reduce potential face threats, and facilitate interaction across contexts—informal conversations, public speeches, or digital communication. Phatic use varies across languages and cultures, reflecting different norms for starting, sustaining, or ending conversations and for signaling politeness or solidarity.