What languages are spoken in Germany? The official language of Germany is Standard German, and it is the most commonly used language throughout the country.
According to Britannica.com, the recorded history of the German language dates back to the 1st century BCE. The language belongs to the West Germanic group of the Indo-European language family.
With approximately 95 million native speakers and an additional 85 million non-native speakers worldwide, German ranks as the third most widely spoken language globally.
Beyond Germany’s borders, it’s the official language of Austria, and one of the official languages of Switzerland, Luxembourg, Belgium, and Lichtenstein.
While standard German is commonly employed in written communication due to its inclusion in school curricula and media usage, spoken language often varies across regions. Each area within Germany has its dialect, leading people to converse using their local linguistic variations.
The Language Diversity of Germany
According to Wikipedia, around 100 million people speak German as their first language, and another 30 million speak it as a second language. Many immigrants come to Germany because it’s a strong economy, and they often learn German. Even among Germans, 67% speak a foreign language, and 27% speak two.
Germany is a multicultural place with people from different backgrounds. So, what other languages are spoken in Germany?
Top Four Languages Spoken in Germany
Germany is a safe and nice place to live because of its strong economy. People from Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas move to Germany for work, live, and learn the language and culture.
As a result, big cities like Berlin, Frankfurt, Cologne, and Hamburg have a diverse population of multilingual residents.
Below are for of the most spoken languages in Germany:
1. English Language
In Germany, 56% of the people speak English. The rise of English as the official language of business has led to an increasing number of German businesses officially adopting it as their primary language.
Although English has been taught as a second language in schools for a long time, its significance as a second language for young people has surpassed that of French in recent years.
Moreover, a substantial number of native English speakers and businesses from Ireland, the UK, Australia, and the U.S. are currently based in Germany. This linguistic shift reflects the growing influence of English in various aspects of German society, especially in the business world.
2. French Language
Approximately 15% of the population can speak French. Many students choose French as their second language in school. The strong bond between Germany and France leads to numerous young Germans visiting the French countryside after school.
Additionally, several French individuals move to Berlin and other parts of Germany for work, contributing to the exchange of international cultures between neighbours. This mutual connection promotes language learning and cultural understanding, fostering a dynamic relationship between the two countries.
Also Read: What Languages Are Spoken in Switzerland?
3. Russian Language
In Germany, about 5% of the people speak Russian. After the Soviet Union fell apart in 1991, a lot of Russians moved to Europe, and many of them decided to stay in Germany. Currently, Russians form the third-largest group of migrants in Germany.
The Russian language is significant in Germany because of the people who use it. Since the 1990s, when the Soviet Union dissolved, a good number of Russians came to live in Europe. Germany became a popular choice for them, and now, Russian is spoken by 5% of the population there. Many Russians decided to stay in Germany, making them the third-largest group of migrants in the country.
This migration of Russians to Germany started after the Soviet Union broke up. Since then, the Russian language has become an important part of the cultural and linguistic diversity in Germany.
4. Turkish Language
About 1.8% of the people in Germany speak Turkish. There are around 4 million Turkish individuals living in Germany. However, not all Turkish speakers are from Turkey. People from different countries also speak Turkish.
Turkish is spoken in many communities in Southeastern Europe, such as Greece, Macedonia, Bosnia Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Romania, and Cyprus. Many members or descendants of these communities reside in Germany. Additionally, Germany has recently accepted many refugees from Syria and Iraq who also speak Turkish.
Other Languages Spoken in Germany
In Germany, there are languages besides German that people speak. Some of these languages are not very common and are spoken by only a small number of people.
One language is Low German. It’s spoken in the northern part of Germany. Even though not many people know about it, there are 5 million native speakers. That’s a lot when you think about how many people live in some countries.
The other two languages are Upper and Lower Sorbian. They’re spoken in Saxony and Brandenburg. Only 0.09% of the population speak these dialects. Lower Sorbian, which is a Slavic language, is at risk of disappearing because most of its speakers are old.
Lastly, there’s Frisian, spoken in the North Frisia region. About 10,000 people speak it right now.
