Official languages
Flemish (Dutch) First off,there’s the Dutch-speaking Flemish community mostly found in the northern region of Flanders.
How many official languages are spoken in Belgium?
Two bilingual signs (both in Dutch and French) on a street in Brussels. The Kingdom of Belgium has three official languages: Dutch, French, and German.
What language do they speak in Brussels?
Marols, also known as Brusseleir, is a nearly extinct dialect spoken in Brussels, and used primarily in informal contexts. It is mostly a mixture of French and Dutch influences. Marols originated from the Brabantian dialect and gained greater French influences after the Kingdom of Belgium was established in 1830 following the Belgian Revolution.
What are the main Dutch dialects in Belgium?
The main Dutch dialects in Belgium are Brabantian and East Flemish. Standard Dutch, as spoken in Belgium, is mostly influenced by Brabantian. There are literary traditions in both the East Flemish and West Flemish dialects.
What languages are spoken in the Netherlands?
The Flemish Region, Flemish Community, and the Capital Region all speak Dutch as their official language, making it the most widely spoken language in the country. This is followed by French, which is spoken by the French Community, the region of Wallonia, and the Capital Region. It is the native language of 40% of the population.
Which language is most popular in Belgium?
Dutch is the most spoken primary language of Belgium and the official language of the Flemish Community and the Flemish Region (merged to Flanders). Along with French, it is an official language of the Brussels-Capital Region.
Is English widely spoken in Belgium?
Even though English isn’t an official language of Belgium, it is still spoken by 55% of its people. When visiting Brussels, you can see by their bilingual street signs that both Dutch and French are widely used, therefore there is no risk of offending someone when opening a conversation in either language.
Does everyone in Belgium speak 3 languages?
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 |
|---|---|
| Good Evening: Bonsoir | Pronounced: Bon swar |
| Good Morning/Afternoon: Bonjor | Pronounced: Bon jor |
| Thank You: Merci | Pronounced: Mer see |
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.
Is Belgium more French or Dutch?
Belgium’s Linguistic Makeup
Technically, they speak Belgian-Dutch, which is usually referred to as Flemish. Flemish is pretty close to the Dutch spoken in the Netherlands. In Brussels and the south — what’s called the Wallonia region — you’ll mostly hear French.
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.
Is English spoken in Brussels?
Brussels is officially bilingual (Dutch-French), but in reality French is the dominant language. It is also an international city, so English (and a lot of other languages) are common. In parts of the town where you encounter a lot of tourists both languages should be equally fine.
Is Belgium safe to visit?
OVERALL RISK : MEDIUM. Overall, Belgium is a safe country to travel to. Crime rates are low and anything happening to you on the streets of Belgium is unlikely. The only issue to keep an eye on, apart from being vigilant for terrorist attacks, is petty theft and pickpocketing.
Is Belgium a good place to live?
Belgium is a very family-friendly country to live in. It has good educational, healthcare, and cultural facilities in all the main cities. Belgium is generally quite a safe place to live. Brussels has many municipalities popular with young families and the city has some of the best international schools.
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.
What religion is in Belgium?
Catholicism has traditionally been Belgium’s majority religion, with particular strength in Flanders.
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.
Which language is most spoken in the world?
The most spoken languages in the world
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.
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.
What other languages are spoken in Belgium?
These are Dutch, French and German. These three languages are spoken in areas that are more or less delineated.
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.
What Langauge do they speak in Belgium?
What Language Do Belgium People Speak? French, Dutch, and German are the official languages. 33% of the population uses Wallon, the local version of French. More than 60% of the population speaks Flemish, which is spoken in the northern part of the country. French and Dutch are the official languages of school.
Do people in Belgium speak English?
In Belgium, most of the citizens speak English, this is mostly because this language of international communication is taught in schools and universities. The information centers for tourists offer maps in English and directions to the main attractions of Belgium.