I even saw German kids speaking amongst themselves in English...
Which is more important, Dutch or Swedish?
Knock it off guys but when a Dutch speaking Francophone uses his knowledge of the Dutch language in Netherlands, the same treatment that they receive, they insist in speaking to them in French no matter how good their Dutch is.
<< Dutch by far. Dutch has over double the number of native speakers, is spoken by over half of Belgium, is official in one South America country, is a useful lingua franca in Indonesia and is very close to Afrikaans, so is also usable as a lingua franca in South Africa. It also has a lot more academic value than Swedish.
>>
Swedish is also official in Finland. If you combine the speakers of Sweden Swedish and Finland Swedish, that will be 16 million.
In addition, Swedish is mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish, meaning speakers of one of the languages understand the other two as much as Dutch and Afrikaans are mutually intelligible. Almost 20% of Norwegians and Danes speak fluent Swedish.
Swedish is also widely spoken in Estonia.
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Swedish is also official in Finland. If you combine the speakers of Sweden Swedish and Finland Swedish, that will be 16 million.
In addition, Swedish is mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish, meaning speakers of one of the languages understand the other two as much as Dutch and Afrikaans are mutually intelligible. Almost 20% of Norwegians and Danes speak fluent Swedish.
Swedish is also widely spoken in Estonia.
Really? I would imagine that Finnish is of more use and popularity in Estonia than Swedish, just because of geographical and linguistic proximity of the two nations.
And Swedish is confined to Northern Europe, there is no country outside of Europe that speaks or understands Swedish.
Dutch on the other hand is the official language of Suriname (a country in South America), Dutch antilles (Carribean), spoken by some older generations of Indonisian (Indonesia) and Dutch could be understood by Afrikaans speakers in South Africa and Namibia. I think about 16 million people in South Africa can understand or speak Afrikaans as a first or second language.
Dutch on the other hand is the official language of Suriname (a country in South America), Dutch antilles (Carribean), spoken by some older generations of Indonisian (Indonesia) and Dutch could be understood by Afrikaans speakers in South Africa and Namibia. I think about 16 million people in South Africa can understand or speak Afrikaans as a first or second language.
So not only is it useful for Belgium and The Netherlands but also outside of Europe.
<< Really? I would imagine that Finnish is of more use and popularity in Estonia than Swedish, just because of geographical and linguistic proximity of the two nations. >>
Finnish is not widely spoken in Estonia but understood. By using their respective languages, Finns and Estonians can communicate with each other.
Swedish is spoken in Estonia.
<< So not only is it useful for Belgium and The Netherlands but also outside of Europe. >>
But the territory where Swedish is spoken or fully understood is huge.
Sweden 175,000 square miles
Finland 130,000 square miles
Norway 125,000 square miles
Iceland 39,000 square miles
Denmark 20,000 square miles
Estonia 16,000 square miles
Total of 500,000 square miles
Finnish is not widely spoken in Estonia but understood. By using their respective languages, Finns and Estonians can communicate with each other.
Swedish is spoken in Estonia.
<< So not only is it useful for Belgium and The Netherlands but also outside of Europe. >>
But the territory where Swedish is spoken or fully understood is huge.
Sweden 175,000 square miles
Finland 130,000 square miles
Norway 125,000 square miles
Iceland 39,000 square miles
Denmark 20,000 square miles
Estonia 16,000 square miles
Total of 500,000 square miles
Finish and Swedish people can't understand each other... they are two totally different languages.
Nor can Estonians understand Swedish..
Nor can Estonians understand Swedish..
Sweden, Finland, Norway, Iceland and Denmark combined will only just fit into South Africa alone.
South Africa is bout 471, 443 square miles
Sorry Swedish loses hands down.
South Africa is bout 471, 443 square miles
Sorry Swedish loses hands down.
<< There are English people who would like to improve their Dutch but are prevented from doing so by the Dutch people's insistence on always speaking English with a foreigner. >>
-- I've found a way of preventing that unpleasant but indeed widespread Dutch behaviour: addressing them with the thickest Flemish accent I'm able of. Thus they take for granted that I speak lousy Dutch and refrain from routinely switching to English. I swear it works.
-- I've found a way of preventing that unpleasant but indeed widespread Dutch behaviour: addressing them with the thickest Flemish accent I'm able of. Thus they take for granted that I speak lousy Dutch and refrain from routinely switching to English. I swear it works.
<<Dutch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQWjmHl7U9Y
Swedish: http://www.aftonbladet.se/webbtv/nyheter/inrikes/article7114073.ab>>
In other words, both Dutch and Swedish are spineless, Muslim loving pansies?
Swedish: http://www.aftonbladet.se/webbtv/nyheter/inrikes/article7114073.ab>>
In other words, both Dutch and Swedish are spineless, Muslim loving pansies?
<< Sweden, Finland, Norway, Iceland and Denmark combined will only just fit into South Africa alone.
South Africa is bout 471, 443 square miles
Sorry Swedish loses hands down. >>
I forgot to include Greenland with an area of 840,00 square miles.
<< Nor can Estonians understand Swedish. >>
Swedish is more likely to be spoken in Estonia than Dutch/Flemish in Zaire.
South Africa is bout 471, 443 square miles
Sorry Swedish loses hands down. >>
I forgot to include Greenland with an area of 840,00 square miles.
<< Nor can Estonians understand Swedish. >>
Swedish is more likely to be spoken in Estonia than Dutch/Flemish in Zaire.
Estonia? Very VERY COLD, same as Sweden, 6 months of the year is bloody freezing your arse off!
No thank you, I will pass.
No thank you, I will pass.