Languages of Germany

The official language of Germany is German. Most people in Germany speak German, either Standard German or one of its dialects, as their first language.

Besides German, there are also minority languages in Germany. In some areas, these languages have official status and are used in schools, signs, and government offices alongside German. These languages help keep the traditions of different groups of people living in Germany alive.

Language spoken at home

In Germany, most families speak German at home. A survey in 2020 found that about 90% of households use German. Some families speak other languages like Turkish or Arabic.

The survey did not separate Standard German from different German dialects spoken in various areas.

German dialects

Main article: German dialects

Germany has many different ways of speaking German. There is one main way to write and speak German, but people often use their own local way in everyday talk. After big changes in the middle of the last century, many places that used to be far apart now talk more alike.

In northern Germany, people mostly use the standard way to speak German, with only a few local words left. In central Germany, local ways of speaking are also disappearing. But in southern Germany, especially in Bavaria, many people still use their Bavarian way of speaking in their daily lives.

Minority languages

Germany's main language is German. Most people speak it. There are also some minority languages in different parts of the country. These include Romani, Danish, North Frisian, Saterland Frisian, Upper Sorbian, and Lower Sorbian.

Some other languages, like Yiddish and Yenish, have been talked about for official recognition but are not recognized yet. Different areas in Germany support these languages in different ways. Germany joined the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages in 1998 to help protect these languages.

Immigrant languages

Germany has many people who came from other countries. They make up about one-fifth to one-fourth of the population. Besides German and English, many other languages are spoken there. These languages come from people moving to Germany from different places. Some of these languages include:

This list shows the different languages spoken by immigrants in Germany.

Second languages

In 2017, most students in Germany learned English as their first foreign language. Some schools taught French or Latin first instead.

After English, the most common foreign languages in German schools were French, Spanish, and Russian. In East Germany, Russian was the most popular second language. In West Germany, English and French were more common. Today, many kindergartens and schools in Germany teach children German with other languages like English, French, Spanish, Japanese, Turkish, and more.