Germany is one of the world’s best countries to expand your business into. Of course, for good reasons too. The country currently ranks as the 4th largest economy across the globe. It’s the biggest one in Europe.
The strategic location of Germany as well as its stable legal environment also make it a lucrative place for businesses and entrepreneurs.
Moreover, the country has a diverse consumer market with a population of 83,285,968 as of September 14, 2023.
These are some of the strong points why businesses, looking to create a global impact, are flocking there. This also shows why the demand for German translation services is increasing these days.
If you also want to branch out to Germany, you can’t ignore the importance of speaking to customers in their local language. Consequently, you will need to have a better understanding of the common languages spoken in Germany.
Why Should I Learn About The Languages Spoken in Germany?
Languages basically tell us about the various traits and characteristics present among their speakers. When multiple languages are spoken in a country or community, you get to realize how diverse a culture is.
Knowing the diversity of cultures allows you to respect the societal norms, beliefs, and traditions of each culture during communication.
Let’s say you don’t know how many languages are present in Germany. At first look, you may think that all countrymen speak German. Therefore, the only thing I need is professional German translation services to break the language barriers on my way.
This way you won’t be reaching out to thousands of other potential customers who speak a different language than German.
What’s the Official Language in Germany?
The answer is: German.
More than 95% of people in the country speak this official language. They either speak standard German or one of the German dialects as their mother tongue.
For writing purposes, people commonly use standard German. German schools and media also teach standard German.
When you go to different regions in the country, you will find out that people in each region talk in their local dialect.
What are The Different Dialects of German?
German, the country’s official language, comes in various varieties.
Some Language experts suggest there are roughly 250 of them.
The scope of this blog doesn’t allow me to cover all of them. So, let’s just go over the names of important dialects out there:
- Standard German (Hochdeutsch), also called High German
- Low German (Plattdeutsch)
- The Berlin German (Berlinerisch)
- Swiss German (Schwiizerdütsch)
- Bavarian German (Bayerisch)
- Austrian German (Österreichisches Deutsch)
What Other Countries Speak German?
Germany isn’t the only nation where German boasts widespread use. In fact, German is popular across various geographies both in Europe and across the globe.
People in Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, Lichtenstein, and Luxembourg speak this language. It’s spoken as a minority language in Italy, Denmark, and the Czech Republic.
Plenty of German speakers also live in the United States of America.
That said, when you adapt your products or services using German translation services, you’ll be attracting customers from Germany as well as from way beyond that.
Is German the Only Language Spoken in Germany?
Of course, not.
Since the major cities in Germany like Berlin, Hamburg, and Frankfurt are home to so many multilingual residents, you’re sure to come across plenty of other languages when interacting with people in Germany.
Here’s a list of 6 foreign languages that are highly popular in Germany.
Polish
More than 50 million people in the world speak the Polish language. Out of which 800,000 Polish speakers reside in Germany.
Keep these statistics in mind and you will understand why so many companies also consider Polish translation services when they plan to step in Germany.
As a language, Polish is pretty complex. Belonging to the Slavic language family, it presents a plethora of linguistic challenges that only experts in Polish translation services can get along with. Therefore, your best bet is to rely on experienced agencies.
English
Nearly 56% of the total population in Germany can converse in English. Local schools commonly teach this as a second language.
Moreover, since English has become the official language of the business world, this is also one of the reasons the corporate sector in Germany is adopting English as a primary means of communication.
Russian
Russian is one of the largest migrant languages present in Germany. The Russian migrants came to Germany after the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.
Many of them decided to settle in Germany with no turning back. Today, about 5% of people in Germany can speak Russian.
French
French is another popular foreign language in Germany. Approximately 14% of Germans understand this language.
Turkish
According to estimates, Germany is home to 3 million Turkish speakers. This makes Turkish one of those foreign languages which are highly popular in the country.
Arabic
Arabic is not as popular as other languages like English, Polish, French, and Turkish. However, it’s become prevalent more recently due to the vast amounts of migrants and refugees from the MENA region (short for Middle East and North Africa).
Concluding Remarks
Since Germany is a melting pot of different cultures and languages, it’s clear that not all people in the country speak German. As a result, you should not confine your localization strategy to only German translation services.
You must incorporate other languages as well. However, it largely depends on where your target audience lives in Germany.
For example, if your audience lives in eastern Germany, chances are they will be Polish speakers, requiring you to get Polish translation services for your business.
Thus, do proper research about your intended audience and tweak your strategy accordingly.