Vlaams

Vlaams is the Flemish variant of the Dutch language spoken in the Flemish Community of Belgium. It is not a separate language, but a regional form of Dutch within the West Germanic language family. In Belgium, Dutch is the official language of the Flemish Community and is used in education, government, media, and public life. The term Vlaams is commonly used to describe the language as it is spoken in Flanders, and it covers a continuum of speech varieties from regional dialects to the standardized written form used in schooling and media.

Geographically, Vlaams is concentrated in the Flemish Region and the Dutch-speaking part of Brussels, with dialects such as West Flemish, East Flemish, and Brabantian. The written standard in Belgium is generally based on General Dutch with Belgian spelling conventions. Vlaams is mutually intelligible with the Dutch spoken in the Netherlands, though it features phonological distinctions, vocabulary differences, and occasional grammatical preferences that reflect Belgian usage and local speech.

In daily life, speakers may use a spectrum from formal standard Dutch to strong regional Vlaams dialects, depending on context and audience. Education and media in Flanders promote Dutch while sustaining regional linguistic variety, contributing to a distinct Flemish linguistic and cultural identity within Belgium.