What Languages Do They Speak In Belgium?
Flemish (Dutch)
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 is the difference between the Dutch and French languages in Belgium?
The Dutch and French spoken in Belgium have minor differences in vocabulary and semantic nuances from the varieties spoken in the Netherlands and France. Dutch dialects are common but dialects such as the Walloon language, Picard or Limburgish are not used in public life any longer.
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 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.
What 3 language are spoken in Belgium?
There isn’t just one official language of Belgium, but three: Flemish Dutch, French and German. That’s despite fewer than 1% of Belgians speaking German as their primary tongue. Belgians are, as a nation, extremely committed to language learning.
Why does Belgium speak 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 English spoken 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.
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.
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.
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.
Why is Belgium not a country?
As it is, Belgium is no longer a nation-state in any functional sense, but rather a “federation” of three different regions (Flanders, Wallonia and Greater Brussels) and of three different “linguistic communities” (Dutch, French and German).
What are Belgium people 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 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.
Is Belgium considered a poor country?
Although Belgium is a wealthy country, public expenditures far exceeded income for many years, and taxes were not diligently pursued.
How cold is Belgium in winter?
The average winter temperatures in Belgium are around 1 to 7°C (34-44° F). You can expect rain for about half of your stay if visiting Belgium between the end of November and February. It can rain every day, but you may also get lucky and it will be dry during your entire stay…
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.
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.
Is Flemish and Dutch the same?
Although speakers of English usually call the language of the Netherlands “Dutch” and the language of Belgium “Flemish,” they are actually the same language.
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).
What are the official languages of Belgium?
Belgium has three official languages: Dutch, French and German. A number of non-official minority languages are spoken as well. As no census exists, there are no official statistical data regarding the distribution or usage of Belgium’s three official languages or their dialects. However, various criteria, including the language(s) of parents
Which language do they speak in Belgium?
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.
Do they speak English in Belgium?
The capital region of Brussels is bilingual, so Belgians normally speak French and Flemish fluently. Normally locals also speak English. Belgium has three official languages: French, Dutch and German. In Belgian schools the official two languages taught are French and Dutch, so the majority of Belgians are bilingual.