The official and overwhelmingly dominant language spoken in Germany is German (Deutsch), the native tongue of almost all of the country's 83 million people and the most widely spoken first language in the European Union. If you are travelling, studying, or doing business in Germany, German is what you will hear in shops, schools, courts, and parliament, though English is widely understood in cities and among younger people.
German: The National Language
German is the sole official language at the federal level, even though it is not formally enshrined in the constitution as such. It serves as the language of government, education, broadcasting, and the legal system. Around 95 percent of residents speak German as their mother tongue, and the language unites a population spread across 16 federal states with very different regional histories.
Linguistically, German belongs to the West Germanic branch of the Indo-European family, making it a close cousin of English, Dutch, Frisian, and the Scandinavian languages. That shared heritage is why English speakers often recognise words like Haus (house), Wasser (water), and Mutter (mother). Worldwide, roughly 130 million people speak German as a first or second language, and it holds official status not only in Germany but also in Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, and parts of Belgium and Italy.
How German Works
German is famous for features that intrigue and occasionally frustrate learners. Every noun carries one of three grammatical genders, masculine (der), feminine (die), or neuter (das), and there is no reliable shortcut for guessing which is which. The language also uses four cases, nominative, accusative, dative, and genitive, that change the endings of articles and adjectives depending on a word's role in a sentence.
Perhaps its most distinctive trait is the compound noun. German happily glues several words together to form a single long term, so Handschuh literally means "hand shoe" (glove) and Fernseher means "far-seer" (television). In legal and administrative writing these compounds can grow remarkably long. German is also the only major world language that capitalises every noun, not just proper names, a rule that makes written German instantly recognisable on the page.
Standard German and Regional Dialects
The variety taught in schools and used by national media is Hochdeutsch, or Standard German. Its rise owes much to Martin Luther's 16th-century translation of the Bible, which circulated widely thanks to the printing press and helped knit together a common written language across fragmented German-speaking lands.
Beneath that standard lies an extraordinary patchwork of dialects, often grouped into three broad families:
- Low German (Plattdeutsch) spoken across the flat northern plains near the North and Baltic Seas.
- Central German in the middle of the country, the dialect zone closest to modern Standard German.
- Upper German in the south, including Bavarian, Swabian, and Alemannic varieties.
These dialects can differ so sharply that a speaker from Hamburg and one from rural Bavaria may struggle to follow each other in broad local speech. In daily life, however, almost everyone can switch into Standard German when needed.
Minority and Foreign Languages
Germany is more multilingual than its single official language suggests. Several minority languages enjoy legal recognition and protection, including Danish near the Danish border, Sorbian (a Slavic language) in the southeast, North and Saterland Frisian along the northwest coast, and Romani. Low German is also recognised as a regional language.
Decades of immigration have added further linguistic diversity. Turkish is one of the most widely spoken community languages, alongside Russian, Polish, Arabic, Kurdish, and Italian, reflecting waves of guest workers, refugees, and EU migration. English, meanwhile, is the most commonly studied foreign language, and a large share of Germans, especially in business, tourism, and academia, speak it confidently. For deeper context on the country itself, see our germany country guide.
Useful German Phrases for Travellers
A few words go a long way and are warmly appreciated by locals:
- Hallo / Guten Tag – hello / good day
- Danke / Bitte – thank you / please (also "you're welcome")
- Ja / Nein – yes / no
- Sprechen Sie Englisch? – Do you speak English?
- Was kostet das? – How much does this cost?
- Entschuldigung – excuse me / sorry
In most tourist hubs you can manage with English alone, but venturing into smaller towns or rural areas makes a little German genuinely useful.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is English widely spoken in Germany?
Yes. English is the leading foreign language taught in schools, and a large proportion of Germans, particularly younger people and those in cities, tourism, and business, speak it well. In rural areas, though, German remains far more useful.
Is German hard to learn?
German has a reputation for difficulty because of its grammatical genders, four cases, and long compound words. That said, its close kinship with English means thousands of words look familiar, and its spelling is highly consistent once you learn the rules, which helps learners read and pronounce new words.
How many people speak German worldwide?
About 130 million people speak German as a first or second language. With roughly 83 million native speakers in Germany alone, it is the most widely spoken native language in the European Union.
What other languages are spoken in Germany?
Beyond German, recognised minority languages include Danish, Sorbian, Frisian, and Romani. Immigration has also made Turkish, Russian, Polish, and Arabic common community languages in many cities.