Belgium has three official languages – English, Dutch, and French.English, however, is not the primary language they speak in the country. But even if it is not, a large percentage of the population speaks English.As such, you can speak the language in many situations all over Belgium A large number of Flemish and French speakers can speak and understand a second language.
What languages are spoken in the Kingdom of Belgium?
The Kingdom of Belgium has three official languages: Dutch, French, and German. A number of non-official, minority languages and dialects are spoken as well.
What percentage of the population of Belgium speak a foreign language?
Of the inhabitants of Belgium, roughly 59% belong to the Flemish Community, 40% to the French Community and 1% to the German-speaking Community, though these figures relating to official Belgian languages include unknown numbers of immigrants and their children speaking a foreign language as primary language,
What is the language law in Belgium?
Language Legislation In Belgium. This country has had ongoing debates about which languages should be used officially since 1830. The language legislation of Belgium has changed over the years. During the 1800’s, courts and government were conducted in French, the language of the upper class.
Do the Dutch speak Dutch in Belgium?
However, the Dutch (and people who studied Dutch) can still easily understand Belgian-Dutch. Despite being surrounded by Flanders, the capital Brussels actually forms its own region and is officially bilingual. However, in practice, the number of people who can speak both French and Dutch in the city is dwindling.
What language do they mainly speak in Belgium?
The primary language in Belgium is Dutch, spoken by approximately 60% of the population. The Flemish dialect is almost identical to the Dutch spoken across the border in the Netherlands, but some differences in vocabulary have led some to refer to the language colloquially as ‘Flemish’.
Why does Belgium have 3 languages?
Historically speaking, the country has had quite a wide variety of rulers, influencing how multilingual and multicultural Belgians are today. Due to their close proximity to these three countries, they have three official languages that divide Belgium into three main regions.
Does Belgium speak French or German?
Official Languages of Belgium
Belgium has three official languages: Dutch, German, and French. About 55% of people speak Dutch as their mother tongue and 16% speak it as a second language. French is spoken by about 36% of people as a mother tongue and half of Belgians as a second language.
How do you say hello in Belgium?
Most people in Belgium speak French, with a small portion of the Belgian population speaking Dutch (Flemish).
Belgian Phrases.
Hello: Salut | Pronounced: Sal oo |
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Good Evening: Bonsoir | Pronounced: Bon swar |
Good Morning/Afternoon: Bonjor | Pronounced: Bon jor |
Thank You: Merci | Pronounced: Mer see |
Can I speak English in Belgium?
Based on these three regions, Belgium has three official languages – English, Dutch, and French. English is however not the primary language of the country. But even if it is not, a large percentage of the population speaks the English language. As such, you can speak it in different situations all over Belgium.
What is I love you in Belgium?
Ik hou van je.
What is Belgium famous for?
Belgium is world-famous for its chocolate, waffles, beer, and its national football team, the Red Devils. Belgium is also home to NATO headquarters and to the EU Commission and European Parliament. Brussels is often referred to as the capital of the EU.
What religion is in Belgium?
Catholicism has traditionally been Belgium’s majority religion, with particular strength in Flanders.
Which language is most spoken in the world?
The most spoken languages in the world
Is Brussels French or Dutch?
Brussels is bilingual: French and Dutch are the official languages there. Yet Brussels is home to only a minority of Flemish people. This may sound strange, but the reason is simple. For centuries, Brussels was a Dutch-speaking city and today it is still the capital of Flanders.
Is Dutch and German the same?
The languages: Dutch and German
Dutch is very similar to German, especially with regards to vocabulary, but the grammar is very different. It could be argued that Dutch has developed further and has become more simplified. The difference between the two languages is very clear when you look at the four cases.
How much English is spoken in Belgium?
Even though English isn’t an official language of Belgium, it is still spoken by 55% of its people.
Is Dutch hard to learn?
Dutch is probably the easiest language to learn for English speakers as it positions itself somewhere between German and English.
What are people from Belgium called?
Belgians (Dutch: Belgen, French: Belges, German: Belgier) are people identified with the Kingdom of Belgium, a federal state in Western Europe. As Belgium is a multinational state, this connection may be residential, legal, historical, or cultural rather than ethnic.
Is Flemish same as Dutch?
Belgium has three official languages: Dutch, French and German. In Flanders, the northern part of Belgium, people speak Dutch. Most of the time, this variant of Dutch is called Flemish.
Is Dutch and German the same?
The languages: Dutch and German
Dutch is very similar to German, especially with regards to vocabulary, but the grammar is very different. It could be argued that Dutch has developed further and has become more simplified. The difference between the two languages is very clear when you look at the four cases.
Is Belgian-Dutch different?
But what are the differences between Dutch in The Netherlands and in Belgium? Dutch is an official language in Belgium, but it’s not spoken throughout the whole country. Dutch is mainly spoken in Flanders (Vlaanderen), the Dutch speaking part of Belgium. The ‘Belgian Dutch’ is called Flemish (Vlaams).
Is Dutch hard to learn?
Dutch is probably the easiest language to learn for English speakers as it positions itself somewhere between German and English.
What is bad about Belgium?
It’s nowhere near as central as Germany or Switzerland, for example. And the weather is pretty bad on the whole, with lots of cold wind and rain, although there have been some good sunny spells here and there. On the whole, I think Belgium offers very few practical advantages.