Is Luxembourg French or German?

Ethnic groups, languages, and religion Luxembourgish is the national language; German and French are both languages of administration. There is a strong sense of national identity among Luxembourgers despite the prevalence of foreign influences.

Can people in Luxembourg understand German?

Surrounding languages Spoken Luxembourgish is relatively hard to understand for speakers of German who are generally not familiar with Moselle Franconian dialects (or at least other West Central German dialects). However, they can usually read the language to some degree.

Which is more widely used French or German?

At a global level, many more people speak French than German. I’ve read many articles and posts that claim German is more widely spoken than French. This is true in Europe, but not globally. In Europe there are about 100 million native German speakers and ~80 million French speakers.

Is French or German more common in Luxembourg?

According to a 2018 study of the Ministry of National Education, 98\% of the Luxembourg population speaks French, 80\% speaks English, and 78\% speaks German. Luxembourgish is used by 77\% of the population. French is the main communication language, followed by Luxembourgish, German, English and Portuguese.

Why is French spoken in Luxembourg?

Upon the founding of the country, French enjoyed the greatest prestige, and therefore gained preferential use as the official and administrative language. German was used in the political field to comment on the laws and the ordinances in order to make them comprehensible to everyone.

What percent of Luxembourg is bilingual?

Furthermore, French is commonly used in the hospitality industry. Most newspapers and printed media are in Standard German. Approximately 98\% of Luxemburgians can use at least one second language.

Does Germany speak French?

The official language of Germany is Standard German, with over 95 percent of the country speaking Standard German or German dialects as their first language….

Languages of Germany
Foreign	English (56\%) French (18\%) Dutch (9\%) Italian (7\%) Russian (6\%) Spanish (6\%) Danish (2\%)
Signed	German Sign Language

Why didn’t Luxembourg join Germany?

Because, in the 19th century, when the modern German state was coalescing under Prussian leadership as part of the kleindeutsch (lesser German) solution to German unity (as opposed to the großdeutsch – greater German – solution under Austrian leadership), Luxembourg as an independent grand-duchy (Großherzogtum) decided …

Did Luxembourg used to be part of Germany?

It was occupied by Germany from 1914 until 1918 and again from 1940 until 1944. Since the end of the Second World War, Luxembourg has become one of the world’s richest countries, buoyed by a booming financial services sector, political stability, and European integration.

Why is French still the official language of Luxembourg?

French remains the language of legislation, due to the application of the Napoleonic civil code in Luxembourg. Sign in a supermarket in French and Luxembourgish. Both, articles labeled in Standard German as well as in French, are displayed.

What is the difference between Luxembourgish and German?

As every Luxembouger knows, German is a dialect of Luxembourgish. As such, German is preferred by most Luxembourgish natives. Luxembourg City, however, is located a mere 11 km from the French border, and is also geographically much closer to Belgium than to Germany.

Should I learn French or German when moving to Luxembourg?

It can feel overwhelming, but the best way to get connected with a culture is to learn some kind of relevant language. Whether you choose French, German, or Luxembourgish will depend on where you live in Luxembourg, your work, which school your children are at, and how long you plan to live in the country.

What is the official language of Luxem?

The official languages of Luxembourg are Luxembourgish, French, and German.