Markiplier's "You're So Portuguese" — Split image of Markiplier reaction clip beside a TikTok selfie with caption about saying 'you're so Portuguese'

Markiplier's "You're So Portuguese"

2023catchphrasesemi-active

Published November 9, 2026

Markiplier's You're So Portuguese is a TikTok sound clipped from an August 2023 stream where the YouTuber spots a virtual kitty in a horror game and tells it, 'you're so Portuguese,' a nod to his producer Lixian, a native of Portugal. By November 2023, cat owners were dubbing the audio over videos of their real pets, making the odd line a viral TikTok format.

tiktok sound trends streamer memes cats pet video memes lets play memes

Overview

The audio comes from Markiplier's playthrough of the indie horror game Sinking Iron, developed in part by his longtime producer Lixian. When a stray cat appears on screen, Markiplier riffs on its appearance with the non sequitur 'you're so Portuguese,' a reference to Lixian's Portuguese heritage5. TikTok users stripped out the audio and repurposed it for videos of their own cats, with 'Portuguese' becoming a blanket descriptor for any feline on camera1.

A typical post shows a cat doing something ordinary, lounging, staring, or slinking around a corner, while Markiplier's voice plays over the clip2. Some uploaders paired the sound with the older Hello Everybody My Name Is Markiplier meme, stacking two separate Markiplier catchphrases on one video3. Animated edits also appeared, redrawing the moment in cartoon form4.

Origin & Background

Platform
Twitch stream (source clip) / TikTok (viral spread)
Creator
@be10andwithered; line spoken by Markiplier
Date
2023

On August 11, 2023, TikTok user @be10andwithered uploaded a clip from Markiplier's Sinking Iron playthrough that captured the line, 'Kitty what are you doing out here! Did I not see you before? You're so Portuguese'1. The post reached more than 1.3 million plays and 395,000 likes over the following three months5.

Sinking Iron and the earlier Iron Lung horror game were co-developed by Lixian, Markiplier's editor and producer since 2018 and a native of Portugal5. Markiplier threw the 'Portuguese' descriptor at the virtual cat for no obvious reason, which is why the line travelled well out of context.

How It Spread

An animated reinterpretation by @moon_moondrop1 appeared on September 14, 2023, redrawing the Markiplier moment in cartoon form with around 54,000 plays4. Sound usage picked up through early November, when TikTokers began overlaying the audio on videos of their own cats.

@awleli posted a cat video using the sound on November 10, 2023, which climbed past 2.4 million plays and 846,000 likes within a week2. Six days later, @hoventhehypnotist uploaded a bit about being unable to stop playing the audio, logging over 562,000 plays and 187,000 likes in a day3. Later posts from users like @rabbitfart39 recirculated the sound through mid-November6, while cat-themed uploads from @smugcat214 extended the trend into the same window7.

Timeline

2023-08-11

TikTok user @be10andwithered posts the Sinking Iron clip of Markiplier calling a cat 'Portuguese,' the earliest known viral posting of the line.

2023-09-14

@moon_moondrop1 uploads an animated version redrawing the Markiplier moment in cartoon form.

2023-11-10

@awleli posts a cat video using the sound that climbs past 2.4 million plays and 846,000 likes within a week.

2023-11-16

@hoventhehypnotist uploads a video about being hooked on the audio, logging over 562,000 plays and 187,000 likes in a day.

How to Use This Meme

A typical video plays the Markiplier audio over footage of someone's cat, using 'you're so Portuguese' as a stand-in for any cat description. Posts often add the Hello Everybody My Name Is Markiplier catchphrase at the start, or layer the sound into other indoor pet jokes3.

Frequently Asked Questions