What Languages Are Spoken in Germany?

Germany is a culturally rich country with a diverse population. While German is the national language spoken by the majority of its residents, the country is home to a variety of dialects and minority languages.

From the bustling cities to the idyllic countryside, the linguistic landscape of Germany offers a fascinating glimpse into its history and contemporary society.

The Official Language of Germany

Germany is a very productive nation with a lot of economic advantages. Europeans and other people are relocating here in large numbers. As a result, German major cities such as Berlin, Frankfurt, Karlsruhe, and Hamburg are home to multilingual communities. German is the official language of Germany and is spoken by approximately 95% of the population.

However, due to the high number of immigrants in recent years, a growing number of people in Germany can speak at least one other language.

First, we must know that Standard German is the official language in Germany, and Standard German is the most widely spoken language in Germany.

The standard German language was developed over a long period. It first started to develop in the 8th century. Moreover, German is spoken by about 95 million local speakers and around 85 million non-native speakers worldwide.

The official language of Germany is Standard German, the third most widespread language on Earth. German is the third most spoken language in North Dakota. Thanks to online German courses, all people with internet access may study German online.

German is spoken in neighboring countries such as Austria, Switzerland, and Luxembourg / Belgium / Lichtenstein, each with a separate German-speaking community.

Standard German is almost always used in writing because it is taught at schools and in the German media. But every region of Germany has its dialect – so when people talk, they usually speak their local dialect.

Thus, most people speak German as their mother tongue. But some regions also have other languages or dialects spoken alongside or instead of it.

See Related: German-Speaking Countries Around the World

German Dialects

In Bavaria (south-eastern region): Bavarian language. A West Germanic language spoken in parts of Bavaria and Austria dates back to the 12th century. Bavaria is a region in southeastern Germany. Inhabited by the Bavarians until 955, it was united with the rest of the Frankish kingdom as a duchy.

During World War II, Bavaria was a refuge from persecution for many artists and scientists, notably for those denounced as non-Aryan because of their Jewish or leftist political views.

Bavarian was formerly spoken in southern Czech Republic and western Hungary. Bavarian is a continuum of more or less mutually intelligible local and regional variants, some of which are mutually unintelligible with Standard German.

Its limited intelligibility with Standard German makes it difficult for most people to code-switch, but many speakers can code-switch to Standard German when necessary.

Currently, there are 14,000,000 native speakers of this dialect. In Baden-Württemberg (southwestern region): Swabian German. Swabian is a dialect cluster of Alemannic German that belongs to the High German linguistic continuum.

It is spoken in Swabia, located in western and central Baden-Württemberg (including Stuttgart) and southeastern Bavaria (Bavarian Swabia).

Swabia was home to many famous poets in the Middle Ages. The Swabian dialect has more of a lilting rhythm than standard German, so it sounds especially beautiful when spoken. It is mainly used in informal situations.

About 5 million native speakers are estimated to live in Upper Swabia, and about 6 million native speakers are estimated to live in total. Due to its pronunciation and partly different syntax and lexicon, Swabian might be difficult for speakers of Standard German to comprehend.

In North Rhine-Westphalia (northwestern region): Westphalian dialect, commonly known as Westfalish, is one of the major dialect groups of West Low German.

Westphalia was formerly an independent kingdom, now a region in northwestern Germany. The language is mainly used in rural areas.

There are about 6 million native speakers of Westphalian. It has much in common with Dutch and Afrikaans, as they are all Low German languages. The dialect of the German Westphalian region is now primarily spoken by the elderly.

In Saarland (southwest region): Saarland dialect, French and German are both official languages in Saarland. And Saarland dialect is a mixture of Alemannic and Lorraine Franconian dialects.

Saarland is a small region between France and Germany. It was formed after World War I from land that had been part of Prussia and Bavaria.

The dialect is mainly used in the family, but it strongly influences the dialects of east Luxembourg and east Belgium. The Saarland dialect sounds melodic to the ears because it has a lot of French words in it.

It is spoken by about 330,000 people (as of 2006) in the German state of Saarland. While some features make it unique, it is mutually intelligible with the dialects of the surrounding German regions.

In some parts of eastern Germany, notably in Saxony-Anhalt, Sorbian is also recognized as a member of the minority languages. It belongs to the West Slavic Minority language group and is spoken by about 60,000 people.

Saxony is a state in eastern Germany and Saxony-Anhalt is a state in Germany. Together, they’re both located on the border between East and West. Sorbian belongs to the Lechitic group of West Slavic languages.

The language was nearly extinct by 1990 as most children were no longer learning it as a first language. However, there are some efforts to keep it alive—language immersion schools and a few radio stations now broadcast in Sorbian.

So, as you can see, there are a variety of dialects spoken throughout Germany – some similar to each other and some with their unique features.

While most people in the country understand Standard German, it’s interesting to note the various dialects that make up the German language landscape.

What languages are taught in German schools?

Most schools in Germany teach Standard German, but many also offer the opportunity to learn one or more of the country’s other languages. These include French, Spanish, Italian, Russian, and Turkish. In some cases, a school may also offer classes in a local dialect.

At school, German children learn English for five years. And then, aged 11 or 12, begin to learn French. At age 16, they start learning Spanish, Italian, or Russian. They can choose between Turkish and Indonesian if they want to learn a fourth language.

English as a second foreign language

Many people in Germany also speak English due to the large number of Anglophone tourists and business people who visit or do business there. German is the second most popular language for English speakers to learn.

English is taught in most schools from a young age so that people have a basic understanding of the language. There are also a number of English-language schools in Germany that offer more intensive and specialized classes.

So, while German is the predominant language spoken in Germany, other languages and dialects are also spoken there. And many Germans do know at least some English. Due to the increasing popularity of English as a second foreign language in schools, many Germans are learning English.

See Related: Postage to Germany: Everything You Need to Know

Other foreign languages spoken

Aside from German and English, other languages are spoken in different parts of Germany. Some of these include Danish (in North Schleswig). Danish is spoken in this region because of the historical ties between Schleswig and Denmark.

Frisian is also spoken in some areas in the northwest of Germany. Luxembourgish is spoken in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, which borders Germany.

Yiddish is the Jewish language still spoken by some in Germany and Austria. Romani, a language of the Romani people, is also spoken in Germany.

Flemish is also spoken in the north of Belgium, close to the German border. French is also spoken in some parts of Germany, particularly in the south near the French border.

Conclusion: What Languages Are Spoken in Germany?

In conclusion, Standard German is the official language among all of the languages spoken in Germany. Besides their native languages, English and other foreign languages are spoken in different parts of the country. This makes Germany very rich in culture and a very diverse country.

With so many languages being spoken, visitors traveling to different parts of the country can be slightly confusing. But with a little effort and maybe a few helpful phrases, anyone can get by in Germany.

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Related Resources

• Books to Learn German
• Postage to Germany: Everything You Need to Know
• Is Germany Socialist? The Debate Ends Here