{"id":26926,"date":"2021-05-27T09:35:58","date_gmt":"2021-05-27T13:35:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.pimsleur.com\/?p=26926"},"modified":"2025-03-11T14:10:47","modified_gmt":"2025-03-11T18:10:47","slug":"languages-in-belgium","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pimsleur.com\/blog\/languages-in-belgium\/","title":{"rendered":"What Languages are Spoken in Belgium?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Belgium\u2019s a wonderful little country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Similar in size to the state of Maryland, and with 11 million people living there, our favorite diminutive country has brought many joys to the world. Belgians through history have invented such things as the beloved comic strip Tintin, the saxophone, and a whole host of culinary delights including French fries, pralines, and waffles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And like many other small countries that share borders with larger ones (here\u2019s looking at you, Monaco, Liechtenstein, Northern Cyprus, Luxembourg, and others), the language situation can be varied. So, is there an official Belgian language? If there\u2019s not one official, dominant language, what are the languages of Belgium?

Let\u2019s delve into the question that visitors to the country (and, truth be told, probably some natives as well) often ask\u2026what do Belgians speak?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Multilingual Landscape of Belgium<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What language do Belgians speak?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belgium doesn\u2019t have one official language. Given the country\u2019s centuries-long influence from larger, more powerful countries, it\u2019s only natural that one single tongue isn\u2019t spoken everywhere within Belgium\u2019s relatively small borders.

There are actually three official languages in Belgium: Dutch (also known as Flemish in Belgium) is spoken by more than half the population. Another 40% speak French, while a small percentage of the population speaks German. So, the \u201cBelgian language\u201d is actually a trio of more common languages spoken in Western and Central Europe<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s Behind the Multiple Languages of Belgium?<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Belgium is made up of two distinct cultural and linguistic groups: the French-speaking Walloons and the Flemish-speaking inhabitants of Flanders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The differences between the two peoples reflect centuries of various European powers ruling over Belgium: Spanish, Dutch, and French rulers have all presided over the country at one point or another, passing control of the territory among them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Belgian Revolution in 1830 \u2013 where the Flemish and the Walloon groups rebelled against their Dutch rulers \u2013 finally led to the country\u2019s independence, and the Kingdom of Belgium was born in 1831, uniting the two linguistic groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following the end of World War I and the Treaty of Versailles, the German-speaking territory of Eupen-Malmedy was annexed by Belgium from Germany. This brought thousands of German speakers under Belgian rule.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Language Regions and Their Cultural Significance <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s also no single Belgian language because of the country\u2019s main historical and geographical regions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Flanders Region<\/strong>: Roughly the northern half of the country, the Flanders region has more than 7 million Flemish (Dutch) speakers.

Wallonia Region<\/strong>: The southern half of Belgium has nearly 4 million French speakers.

Brussels Region<\/strong>: The next most populous region is the Brussels capital region, with another 1 million people who speak both French and Flemish.

Eupen-Malmedy Region<\/strong>: Nestled in the eastern outskirts of Wallonia, the Eupen-Malmedy region contains less than 100,000 people who speak German. However, many people within Eupen-Malmedy can speak Dutch and French.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Language Influences Belgian Identity<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Language politics is a huge source of friction in Belgium, with both French and Flemish speakers complaining that their language is not given priority by the authorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The language border \u2013 the demarcation between French- and Flemish-speaking communities \u2013 is fixed by federal law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And although Brussels is officially bilingual, it\u2019s become majority French-speaking due to its central role in international politics. The influx of foreigners today are more likely to speak French than Flemish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the capital has expanded, the number of French speakers outside the city\u2019s boundaries has expanded into neighboring Flanders. This can lead to tension between French and Flemish speakers, who each just want to speak their own languages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This must sound a little daunting to anyone wanting to visit Belgium. After all, no one wants to offend the locals!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But don\u2019t be put off by the politics, just keep these simple tips in mind when you\u2019re wondering which language to use in Belgium:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Three Tips For Choosing Which Language to Use in Belgium<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    \n
  1. Never speak French to locals in Flanders.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Never speak Flemish to locals in Wallonia.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. When in doubt, start the conversation in English (particularly in Brussels) and then ask which language you should continue in.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    How is Belgian French Different?<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Any French speaker who\u2019s visited Belgium will know that the biggest differences between Belgian French and French from France are in the small, everyday words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Numbers are the most obvious difference!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Most French learners have likely spent years proudly mastering lightning-quick mental arithmetic in order to fluently recall the complicated French numbering system, featuring numbers like soixante-dix, quatre-vingt-huit <\/em>and even quatre-vingt-treize<\/em>. Way to go \u2013 that\u2019s no mean feat!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Except, Belgian French uses different numbers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u2026 Quoi?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Yes, that\u2019s right. Belgian French has dropped the vigesimal numbering system (i.e., the system based on the number twenty), and instead uses the really simple system below for anything over 60:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n Number\n <\/td>\n France\n <\/td>\n Belgium\n <\/td><\/tr>
    \n 60\n <\/td>\n soixante<\/em>\n <\/td>\n soixante<\/em>\n <\/td><\/tr>
    \n 70\n <\/td>\n soixante-dix<\/em>\n <\/td>\n septante<\/em>\n <\/td><\/tr>
    \n 80\n <\/td>\n quatre-vingt<\/em>\n <\/td>\n huitante<\/em>\n <\/td><\/tr>
    \n 90\n <\/td>\n quatre-vingt-dix<\/em>\n <\/td>\n nonante<\/em>\n <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Phew!  That is so much simpler, isn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If you\u2019re worried that you\u2019ve wasted time learning the French numbering system, fear not. You\u2019ll still be perfectly well understood if you say quatre-vingt-quinze<\/em> instead of nonante-cinq<\/em>. It\u2019s still French, after all, just a different version.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Here are a couple of smaller vocabulary differences in Belgian French:<\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    S\u2019il vous pla\u00eet<\/em><\/strong> <\/strong>is really common in Belgian French, but not how you\u2019d think.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    It still means \u2018please,\u2019 but it\u2019s also a synonym for the French voil\u00e0. <\/em>So you might hear s\u2019il vous pla\u00eet<\/em> from a waiter as he brings your food to your table, for example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This is a great example of how Belgian French has borrowed from Flemish, as the Flemish word alstublieft<\/em><\/strong> <\/em>(please) is used in the same way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The way that Belgians say they like something is \u00e7a me go\u00fbte,<\/em> literally, that it tastes good. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This is different from the French way, \u00e7a me pla\u00eet<\/em><\/strong>, <\/em>that something is pleasing. This is likely another borrowing from Flemish, where the phrase is dat smaakt<\/em><\/strong>,<\/strong> again, literally, that it tastes good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    What is the Flemish Language \u2013 Vlaams<\/em> Dutch?<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    As we mentioned, Flemish is actually a variant of Dutch. Called vlaams<\/em><\/strong> in Flemish, it\u2019s similar to Netherlands Dutch (called nederlands<\/em><\/strong>), with just a few differences.

    Although Flemish and Dutch are incredibly similar, it\u2019s important not to refer to a Flemish person<\/em> as Dutch. The Flemish are ethnically and culturally a different people who have a turbulent history with their northern neighbors, so it\u2019s offensive to suggest that they are one large group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Here are some linguistic differences between vlaams <\/em>and nederlands Dutch:<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n