Abstract This paper discusses the extent to which mindreading capability is culture-dependent, and to determine if differences between cultures impose systematic differences in the trajectory of mindreading development. We start with the ways in which mindreading is defined within the framework of modern psychological research. Second, we will present the idea that human theory of mind is universal, together with the assumptions that can be derived from that idea. Next, arguments in favor of the hypothesis of the key cognitive capabilities being determined by social and linguistic factors will be provided. To show the influence of culture-specific factors on mindreading, three examples of empirical research allowing the formulation of a few fundamental hypotheses will be discussed. A set of the arguments given with the conclusions drawn from them indicate that the ability to read other people's mental states is shaped by socially-specific factors, including the specificity of a particular language.