Language

In The Netherlands the official language is Dutch, although most people speak English as well. Dutch is a mix between German and English (I didn’t believe you Dad, but I do now). For example, “wat is dat?” I’m sure you can guess what it means. Dutch is very guttural and sounds like a throat disease…the tour guide said it herself!

In Belgium, there are three official languages – Flemish, French and German. Flemish is exactly the same language as Dutch without the guttural sounds. It is more soft and smooth; that is the only difference. Belgium is divided into 3 major regions. The North is Flanders where they speak Flemish. The South is Wallonia where they speak French. The last region is Brussels, which is bilingual – Flemish and French. All the signs have to be in both languages. German is spoken among 5% of the population in the eastern part of the country.