Mehrsprachige

Mehrsprachige is a German adjective meaning multilingual. It describes people, communities, or materials that use or involve several languages. In contemporary contexts it is commonly applied to education, media, and public services that are offered in more than one language, as well as to individuals who speak and operate in several tongues. The noun form Mehrsprachigkeit expresses multilingualism—the ability to use multiple languages—or a social-linguistic condition in a population.

The word is formed from mehr (more) and sprachig (language-related) and is written as a closed compound. As an attributive adjective it declines with the noun: eine mehrsprachige Person, mehrere mehrsprachige Webseiten, das mehrsprachige Angebot.

In use, mehrsprachige describes both people and things. Examples include mehrsprachige Schulen or Bildungseinrichtungen that provide instruction in several languages; mehrsprachige Inhalte, such as websites, publications, or broadcasts available in multiple languages; and mehrsprachige Kundschaft, referring to customers who speak different languages. The term is often contrasted with zweisprachig (bilingual) or monolingual contexts, and is connected to broader discussions of Mehrsprachigkeit, intercultural communication, and integration.

See also: Mehrsprachigkeit, Zweisprachigkeit, Polyglott.