Duitsstalig

Duitsstalig is a Dutch-language adjective meaning German-speaking or German-language. It is used in Dutch to describe people, organizations, media, or instruction where German is the principal language. The term is common in the Netherlands and the Flemish part of Belgium to distinguish German-language contexts from Dutch-language or bilingual ones. The word is formed from Duits (German) and the suffix -stalig, which exists in several Dutch adjectives such as Engelstalig and Franstalig, to indicate the language of use. It agrees with the noun it modifies, e.g., een Duitsstalige school, Duitsstalige media, Duitsstalig onderwijs.

In practice, Duitsstalig appears in contexts such as education (Duitsstalig onderwijs or Duitsstalige scholen), media (Duitsstalige televisie, Duitsstalige kranten), and administration (Duitsstalige websites or public documents). The term is also encountered in reference to the German-speaking Community of Belgium, whose Dutch name is the Duitstalige Gemeenschap; this is the official political entity that covers the German-speaking minority in Belgium. Beyond Europe, many multinational settings use the term descriptively to indicate German-language content.

Note: While German-speaking regions exist in several countries (Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg, South Tyrol in Italy), the label Duitsstalig is specifically the Dutch-language way to describe German-language usage rather than a formal regional designation.