The Netherlands is an amazing place to visit as a tourist. You can find yourself lost in the narrow streets of Amsterdam, and at the same time fascinated by the orderliness of its cozy, fairytale-like buildings. Of course, visiting a new country means there is going to be a language barrier which begs the question:
Do Dutch people speak German and English? The short answer is yes, the Dutch speak both German and English but not everyone is proficient in both and it’s not obvious who knows what.
Read below to find out who amongst the Dutch speaks German and English and where you will likely encounter speakers of both in the Netherlands.
Do Dutch People speak German?
A study by the European Commission has shown that 71% of the Dutch population speak German. This comes as good news for all those German tourists in the Netherlands or just travelers who happen to speak German.
Because Germany and the Netherlands are neighboring countries and have a shared cultural and historical legacy that spans well over eight hundred years, their languages are both of Germanic origin, and they share many common words and phrases. While it’s not an official language of the Netherlands, it is very easy for Dutch people to learn German
Ironically, while the Dutch will understand similar words spoken by Germans rather easily, Germans might find it harder to understand Dutch pronunciations, as it is much more guttural in comparison.
Is German Taught in the Netherlands?
European nations will often require multiple languages to be taught in school. Luckily for German tourists, German is one of the foreign languages taught in the school system of the Netherlands.
Most of the Dutch population take German classes at a young age and should be able to communicate at a basic level. So if you only speak German and you ask for directions, or you need help finding the closest subway station, then you should be good to go for the most part.
Even if a Dutch person does not study German at any point in their lives, they will understand most of the things written or said in German, as most of the basic vocabulary in both languages are almost the same.
Again the major difference is in pronunciation which if you speak German in the Netherlands, should not hinder your ability to communicate with locals.
Where is German Spoken Most in the Netherlands?
While the average person should be able to speak German, this may not reflect the complete picture and can change depending on where you find yourself in the Netherlands.
Most of the time, you will be safe with your knowledge of German if you are in the parts of the Netherlands that are closely situated to the German border. For example, if you are in Maastricht or neighboring towns, you should not be surprised if you find people who speak German as well as native German speakers.
Contrarily, in the multicultural environment of Amsterdam, you might struggle to find many people who speak good German since most of Amsterdam is filled with tourists who speak a variety of languages, and it is hard to spot the locals amongst them. Don’t just assume that a major tourist destination will have a large German speaking population.
Who Speaks German the Most?
Apart from geographic trends, there are also demographic distinctions. For example, you are more likely to find a German speaker amongst the elderly Dutch people as the younger generation prefers to learn English as their second language.
Moreover, the working class involved in the tourism industry is likely going to speak German as well as English and maybe French. So, for the most part, you will easily find German speakers at hotels, cafes, boutiques, and various travel related agencies.
Still, knowing German is undoubtedly an advantage as a tourist in the Netherlands as the majority of the population knows the language.
Do Dutch People Speak English?
It should come as no surprise that almost 90% of the Dutch population speaks English, a far greater number than those that speak German, according to that same study conducted by the European Comission.
While English is not an official language, it is the second most spoken language right after Dutch. So knowing English is more than enough to successfully travel the width and breadth of the Netherlands without any major obstacles.
The Netherlands is uniquely positioned which makes it imperative that the Dutch speak English. The country is very much dependent on international trade, and as such, most of the international trade transactions take place in English.
Moreover, Dutch and English, much like Dutch and German, are part of the Germanic language group and again share a common vocabulary, which makes English for Dutch speakers both desirable and easy to learn.
When Is English Taught in the Netherlands?
Many elementary public schools have English language and literature as part of their curriculum in upper grades, and almost all secondary schools in the Netherlands teach English. Additionally, a student needs to have an above-average grade in English language and literature to be able to graduate successfully. This latter factor especially makes it mandatory for a student to learn English.
So English is a significant part of the Dutch education system, and nowadays the most important scholarly publications in the Netherlands come in English unless they are legal documents or government related.
Where is English Spoken Most in the Netherlands?
Most of the tourist destinations; The Hague, Amsterdam, and Rotterdam are all places where you can always find someone who knows and speak English well. In fact, Amsterdam has had an English-speaking community ever since the beginning of the 17th century, which later served as an essential hub in strengthening the cultural and economic ties between England and the Netherlands.
Unlike German, English is not so much dependent on the geographic location of the places you visit, and many older people, as well as younger generations, can converse in English at least at a basic level.
What Other Languages Can You Find in the Netherlands?
The Netherlands is a land of many languages, as the majority of the population is either duo-lingual or polyglot. The Dutch education system promoted the learning of a variety of languages apart from English and German. Students are encouraged to take courses in French or Spanish. The European Commission’s report states that 29% of the general population of the Netherlands knows French, while 5% is able to converse in Spanish.
The former is due to the once prestigious status of the French language. While, the latter is a result of the Netherlands being a province of the Spanish Habsburg Empire in the past, which left a decisive mark on the population.
According to Dutch News, in 2015, the Dutch Parliament agree that Dutch schools would begin conducting 15% of the studies in the primary schools in either German, French, or English in an effort to improve the language skills of the students.
How Many People Speak Dutch?
According to World Population Review, approximately 22 million people worldwide speak Dutch, but that number increases slightly by about 6 million when you factor in the estimated number of people speaking Dutch as a second language.
It may not be the most popular language to learn as a second language, but if you already know German, the leap is not so great.
With many Dutch people speaking at least 3 language, and many speaking more, we can say that the Netherlands is a center of international languages, where you can meet people with various backgrounds, and even if you encounter a variety of other languages in this small country generally, the population speaks German or English as their second language.