Germanic Languages Comparison

Germanic languages are spoken natively by about 515 million people and by 2 billion globally, including both native and second-language speakers. This video provides a comparison of various Germanic languages:

English (0:00): Widely spoken around the world, English is the global lingua franca used in international business, science, and diplomacy.
German (Deutsch) (0:24): The primary language in Germany and Austria, known for its complex grammar and rich literary tradition.
Dutch (Nederlands) (0:47): Spoken in the Netherlands and parts of Belgium, Dutch is known for its close relationship to both English and German.
Swedish (Svenska) (1:16): The language of Sweden, characterized by its melodic intonation and a strong influence from Old Norse.
Afrikaans (Afrikaans) (1:47): Derived from Dutch, Afrikaans is spoken in South Africa and Namibia and is known for its simplified grammar.
Danish (Dansk) (2:14): The language of Denmark, Danish is noted for its pronunciation challenges and historical ties to Old Norse.
Norwegian (Norsk) (2:37): Spoken in Norway, Norwegian is closely related to both Danish and Swedish, with two written standards: Bokmål and Nynorsk.
Yiddish (ייִדיש) (3:01): A High German-derived language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews, using the Hebrew alphabet and influenced by Slavic languages.
Luxembourgish (Lëtzebuergesch) (3:30): The national language of Luxembourg, Luxembourgish is a blend of German, French, and Dutch elements.
Icelandic (Íslenska) (3:57): Known for its preservation of Old Norse, Icelandic is spoken in Iceland and has remained relatively unchanged over centuries.
Faroese (Føroyskt) (4:22): Spoken in the Faroe Islands, Faroese is closely related to Icelandic and is known for its unique phonology and grammar.

This video showcases the unique features and differences of these Germanic languages.

[randomcomment]

To me as a German, Luxembourgish sounds like a really really drunk Grandma.

[erichherb]

As a german native speaker I understand german quite well!

[mayoneso]

Romance languages speakers about themselves :
*Lmao I can understand what this guy’s saying*
Germanic languages speakers about themselves:
*U sound like a “insert nationality” trying to speak “insert language” with “insert accent” and also drunk*

[gagetolinwrites]

As an English-speaker, Dutch is like the uncanny valley of languages

[Slobber]

Swedish sounds like the speaker is surprised to find a particular syllable there about every third word, but just continues speaking.

[leea]

As an English speaker Luxembourg’s sounds like someone speaking German and French at the same time while not being very good at either.

[heinoobermeyer]

As a Afrikaans speaker, Dutch is how i imagine a doctor's handwriting would sound

[Tomungru]

It’s weird that as a German speaker, I understand Afrikaans better than I could understand Dutch despite the fact that Dutch is so similar to German.

[Daniel-mrbi]

Dutch sounds like they're speaking backwards

[PixelBytesPixelArtist]

danish sounds like a german trying really hard to learn chinese but they just can’t

[jarmen]

As a German speaker, I can make out the content of Germanic languages if I can SEE the words.

[bronson]

As someone from Brazil, I understand:
Dutch: 0%
Danish: 0%
English: 0%
Afrikaans: 0%
German: 0%
Yiddish: 0%
Norwegian: 0%
Swedish: 0%
Luxembourgish: 0%
Faroese: 0%
Icelandic: 0%

I am deaf...

[Jojo-lryc]

Why does Swedish sound like 📈📉📈📈📉📉📈📈📈📉📈📉📈

[emmanuelmartinez-zuviria]

When she said “øtëgærûqžčmnœ” I felt that

[woodwardscreditcard]

As a Swede i understood:
1: 100 % Swedish & Enlish
3: 95% Norweigian
4: 25% German
5: 5% Icelandic / Farsoe
6: 5% Dutch
7: 4% Yiddish / Luxemburg / Africaans
8: 0% Danish

[echobless]

Danish sounds like she is stopping in the middle of each word.

[martindouge]

As a French who learnt a bit of German, Luxemburgish sounds like a French student putting random words in French in his German sentence because he didn't remember his vocabulary

[WalterFalter]

Natürlich hat der Hsv verloren, hätte mich auch gewundert

[TheFearlessDave]

As an Afrikaans & English speaker - I find Dutch similar to a way a modern English speaker hearing Shakespeare for the first time. I understand the words, but the pronunciation of it and the way it is used in a sentence sounds like someone saying "Alas, I shalt be venturing off thine vicinity to proceed to mine humble abode" instead of saying "I'm going home" lol

[larslars]

As a German I understand:
German: 100%
English: 100%
Yiddish: 80%
Luxemburgish: 60%
Dutch: 30%
Afrikaans: 20%
Rest: 0-5%
Danish: -100%