what language do they speak in the netherlands ~~

Dutch is the primary language spoken in the Netherlands. It's the official language, used by nearly everyone in daily life, government, education, and media.

Official Language

Dutch, known locally as Nederlands , is a West Germanic language with about 25 million speakers worldwide, including in Belgium's Flanders region and former Dutch colonies like Suriname and the Caribbean islands (Aruba, Curaçao, etc.). It originated in the Early Middle Ages and shares roots with English, German, and Afrikaans, making it somewhat familiar to speakers of those tongues. Nearly 90% of the Dutch population speaks it as their first language.

Regional and Minority Languages

• Frisian (Frysk) : Spoken by around 350,000 people (2.2% of the population) mainly in Friesland province, where it's officially recognized alongside Dutch.

• Low Saxon dialects : Used regionally in the northeast and south.

• Limburgish : Another recognized regional tongue in the southeast.

These add cultural flavor but don't overshadow Dutch.

Everyday Multilingualism

The Dutch are famously multilingual. Over 90% speak excellent English , often fluently from school and media exposure—tourists rarely struggle. German and French are common too, especially near borders. Street interviews show many locals juggling 3-4 languages effortlessly: "English, yeah; Dutch, yeah; a little Spanish." In Amsterdam, you'll hear Turkish, Arabic, and immigrant languages amid the mix.

Imagine strolling Amsterdam's canals: signs in Dutch, but menus and chats switch to English seamlessly. This linguistic agility stems from small-country pragmatism and top-tier education.

Quick Facts Table

Aspect| Details
---|---
Official Language| Dutch (Nederlands) 15
Speakers| ~17 million native in Netherlands 3
Top Foreign Language| English (90%+ proficiency) 7
Regional Official| Frisian in Friesland 9
Dialects| Low Saxon, Limburgish 3

TL;DR: Dutch everywhere, but English gets you by anywhere.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.