German FireBible

 

The German Language

German, the second most spoken language in Europe, is the official language of Germany. It also holds official status in Switzerland, Austria, and Liechtenstein. In the European Union, German is the most widely spoken language. More than 90 million people speak German as a first language and another 10-25 million as a second. As the third most-taught foreign language, an estimated 75-100 million others have learned the language as well.

Like the English alphabet, German also has 26 letters, an eszett, and a few that use an umlaut. Outside of Germany, German-speakers live in Belgium, Denmark, Poland, Hungary, Africa, South Africa, and throughout the United States. In North and South Dakota specifically, German is the 2nd most common language spoken at home.