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Official Languages Spoken in the Most Countries

Which 30 languages are the official or de-facto national languages of two or more different countries?
National languages, not regional languages
Bolivia has 37 official languages and Zimbabwe 16 - this quiz considers only the 3 most prominent
Quiz by Quizzer6794
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Last updated: October 7, 2021
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First submittedFebruary 28, 2016
Times taken139,518
Average score70.0%
Rating4.95
6:00
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0
 / 30 guessed
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#
Countries
Language
60
Canada, South Africa, ...
English
29
France, Canada, ...
French
22
Egypt, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, ...
Arabic
20
Spain, Peru, ...
Spanish
9
Portugal, Brazil, ...
Portuguese
6
Germany, Austria, Switzerland, ...
German
5
Bosnia, Croatia, Kosovo,
Montenegro, Serbia
Serbo-Croatian
4
Brunei, Malaysia, Indonesia,
Singapore
Malay /
Indonesian
4
Italy, San Marino, Switzerland,
Vatican City
Italian
4
Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan
Russian
3
Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia
Albanian
3
Belgium, Netherlands, Suriname
Dutch
3
China, Taiwan, Singapore
Mandarin
3
Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan
Persian
3
Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda
Swahili
#
Countries
Language
2
Algeria, Morocco
Berber
2
Bolivia, Peru
Aymara
2
Bolivia, Peru
Quechua
2
Cyprus, Greece
Greek
2
Eritrea, Ethiopia
Tigrinya
2
Fiji, India
Hindi
2
Moldova, Romania
Romanian
2
North Korea, South Korea
Korean
2
Somalia, Ethiopia
Somali
2
South Africa, Botswana
Tswana
2
South Africa, Eswatini
Swazi
2
South Africa, Lesotho
Sotho
2
Sri Lanka, Singapore
Tamil
2
Sweden, Finland
Swedish
2
Turkey, Cyprus
Turkish
+3
Level 37
Sep 29, 2016
Dutch is spoken in the Netherlands, Belgium, Suriname, Curacao, Aruba and St. Maarten If you consider speaking the language the official language of the land, in which laws are written and school instruction is given. (I left our Bonaire, Saba and Statia (St. Eustatius because they are now considered part of mainland Netherlands, though geographically separated) Crazy system if

you ask me.

+7
Level 58
Apr 4, 2020
but curacao, aruba and st. maarten aren't countries. they're part of the kingdom of the netherlands.
+1
Level 74
Oct 24, 2016
Cantonese? Ndebele?
+1
Level 67
Jan 13, 2017
Got Tswana but forgot Russian go figure.
+1
Level 63
Jun 11, 2017
Aymara, Quechua, Guarani are official languages in two or more countries.
+2
Level 41
Oct 30, 2017
Hi Quiz creator! Great quiz, but I'd like to plug what several others have said here regarding possible additions:

In Bolivia there are many official languages, but you could restrict it based on, say, languages with more than 10% of the population actually speaking it to make it manageable. This would leave you with Quechua and Aymara to add (both official in Peru and Bolivia). Now that I did a bit more research, lowering the threshold to any aboriginal language official in Bolivia regardless of population would actually only add one more language, Guarani, which is official in both Bolivia and Paraguay.

Another great addition would be Berber/Tamazight, which is a really cool language that was the precursor to Arabic in the North Africa region and is now official and gaining popularity in both Morocco and Algeria.

I see a lot of suggestions of Indian languages and I don't think any of those should be put on seeing as only Hindi and English are official languages in Indi

+1
Level 43
Nov 21, 2017
Tamazight is an official language in both Morocco and Algeria
+1
Level 44
Feb 27, 2018
dang it should have guessed Swazi and Sotho.. lol
+4
Level 22
Feb 27, 2018
There is no such language as serbo-croatian. There is serbian and croatian.
+5
Level 63
Mar 23, 2018
Its actually Serbian, Croatian, Bosnian, and Montenegrin.
+8
Level 47
Aug 4, 2020
There is in fact Serbo-Croatian language, and 20 million people spoke and still speak it.
+9
Level 60
Feb 1, 2021
There is no significant difference between the languages. This is plainly evident to anyone who's ever been to Bosnia. There are a number of regional dialects( Shtokavian, Kajkavian, Chakavian, Torlakian...) but they all belong to a single language.
+3
Level 50
Feb 27, 2018
Serbo-Croatian as a language does not exist! Instead you should put Serbian in 3 countries (Serbia, Kosovo and Bosnia) and Croatian in 2 countries (Croatia and Bosnia).
+4
Level 41
Oct 14, 2021
Serbian, Croatian, Bosnian, Montenegrin etc are all the same language with more than 95% mutual intelligibility. It's foolish to politicise it.
+1
Level 85
Feb 27, 2018
Belarus has two official languages -- Russian and Belarusian,
+1
Level 34
May 13, 2018
I can't believe I missed Swazi- I've known it for a while *facepalm*
+1
Level 15
May 18, 2018
Albanian is not on this list even though kosovo, albania, and macedonia speak it.
+2
Level 59
Apr 16, 2021
it is
+1
Level 72
May 15, 2023
Maybe it wasn't back in 2018.
+1
Level 66
Jan 15, 2019
esotho is what is given on the language quizes I have seen so far, so that is what I tried here. Have only learned the language here, so you'd expect the answer to be correct.
+1
Level 66
Jan 15, 2019
Pardon me I see sesotho is the name used, there is a slight chance that was what I have been seeing on this site ( though I sort of still think it might ve been esotho, but could ve beeen sesotho)

anyway i thought several of the african languages had part of their countryname cut of and a "e" put in front. But I guess it was "se"

+2
Level 47
Jan 24, 2019
Literally my first try. How did I win 97.6% of players?
+6
Level 70
Sep 26, 2019
You got the answers right.
+1
Level 82
Mar 13, 2019
According to Wikipedia, the official languages of the Indian government are Hindi and English. However, individual states in India are allowed to designate their own official languages. As a result, throughout the country there are 22 languages with some official status, including Tamil, Bengali (also official in Bangladesh), and Punjabi (also official in Pakistan).
+1
Level 82
Mar 13, 2019
As well as Nepali
+1
Level 60
Mar 13, 2019
Punjabi is not an official language in Pakistan. English and Urdu are official languages, and unlike India, Pakistan does not allow provinces to designate their own official languages.
+1
Level 82
Mar 13, 2019
Then the Wikipedia article is wrong. It indicates that Punjabi is the official language of the Pakistani province of Punjab.
+8
Level ∞
Sep 25, 2019
Wikipedia isn't wrong in this case. You are asking for regional languages to be included, @kalbahamut, in which case we'd have to add many more languages to this quiz.
+4
Level 80
Mar 13, 2019
If you're from Eswatini(Swaziland) then you're Swazi, and you speak "swati". The official language in SA/Eswatini is Swati
+2
Level 70
Mar 13, 2019
Like a couple of other quizzes on this site, this quiz is wrong to say that English is the official language of the UK. The "official languages of the world" quiz does at least get it right, but I think there should be a consistent policy recognising that the UK doesn't have official languages.
+2
Level ∞
Mar 13, 2019
Wikipedia says otherwise. Wikipedia can be wrong of course, but unless someone posts a better source (such as an official statement by the government) the quiz will stay as is:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom

+8
Level 70
Mar 13, 2019
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_the_United_Kingdom

Also Wikipedia, saying that the although the de facto official language is English, the only de jure official language in any part of the UK is Welsh. Given that we are talking about official languages and accepting that it is possible for a country not to have an official language, I think this makes it reasonable to say that the UK has no official languages as a whole. The USA is usually listed as having no official languages and it says basically the same thing about the USA and the UK here: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_territorial_entities_where_English_is_an_official_language

+1
Level ∞
Mar 14, 2019
Thanks, I'll look into it next time I edit the quiz.
+2
Level 68
Oct 12, 2020
One could make the case that Norman French also has some sort of official status in the UK, since that's the language the proceedings of Parliament are still partially conducted in - but I would advise against including this in the quiz!
+1
Level 80
Mar 13, 2019
Mexico doesn't have an official language
+2
Level ∞
Mar 13, 2019
Updated.
+1
Level 60
Mar 13, 2019
Hindi is official in both India and Fiji
+2
Level ∞
Sep 25, 2019
Added
+1
Level 62
Mar 13, 2019
Xhosa (or isiXhosa) is an official language in both South Africa and Zimbabwe. Tswana is also an official language in Zimbabwe, as well as in South Africa and Botswana. (Zimbabwe has 16 official languages.)
+1
Level ∞
Sep 25, 2019
Thanks. We'd have to add two relatively unknown languages (in addition to Xhosa). Instead I added a note that Zimbabwe is not considered for the purposes of this quiz.
+1
Level 50
Mar 13, 2019
17! Not bad for someone who can only speak English, Spanish, French and a bit of Polish.
+1
Level 50
Mar 13, 2019
In Finland and Sweden, they both have Finnish and Swedish as official languages. Maybe you could accept both?
+2
Level 70
Sep 25, 2019
Finnish is only official in Finland.
+3
Level 59
May 5, 2020
As a (fellow?) Finn I got interested and looked into it. Based on a quick google, it seems like Finnish is an official minority language in Sweden, but only in certain regions, making it not qualify for this quiz of official languages at national level.
+1
Level 57
Mar 14, 2019
Super easy!
+2
Level 63
Mar 15, 2019
Yes! Got them all with 1:55 remaining at 5:00:33 PM on March 15, 2019. I played a round without signing in so that I could find out what the four less obvious answers were, then I memorized them and played on my account.
+5
Level 69
Sep 26, 2019
Um… congrats?
+1
Level 88
Mar 16, 2019
I never see the clues on a phone. I mean they are there, I just never notice them because they don't come into view without scrolling down. So I guess away blindly.
+2
Level 25
Mar 17, 2019
Hello Serbo-Croatian is not the main or widely used in Bosnia or Montenegro
+1
Level 72
Mar 6, 2024
Serbo-Croatian also includes Bosnian and Montenegrin.
+1
Level 74
Jul 23, 2019
great quiz
+1
Level 65
Sep 9, 2019
Thanks :)
+2
Level 69
Sep 6, 2019
How can only 41% guess Albanian and only 55% Romanian when Albania and Romania are listed as countries where these language are spoken is beyond me. :)
+1
Level 66
Jan 31, 2020
You must have taken it right after reset, because it is at 82 and 85% currently.

Edit: or more likely, right after the clues were added, but nó reset, and one of the first to take it with the clues, while the stats still reflect quiztakers that played without the clues.

+1
Level 69
Sep 5, 2021
That would make sense.
+1
Level 60
Nov 23, 2021
You assume it's a tricky question and never even think about trying the obvious answer. I've done it many times.
+1
Level 51
Sep 9, 2019
what about quecha and aymara they are official languages in both bolivia and peru
+1
Level 65
Sep 9, 2019
Peru's only official language is Spanish
+1
Level ∞
Sep 25, 2019
I think Quechua is an official language too so added that. There's not always good information available so Wikipedia probably used to say that Peru was only Spanish.
+1
Level 65
Sep 26, 2019
Okay, thanks for the update!
+1
Level 70
Sep 16, 2019
+2
Level 65
Sep 25, 2019
Alright, it's been updated :)
+1
Level 84
Dec 2, 2019
Why is Bolivia in one of the answers then?

also i remembered the South African ones as part of the other countrys name but I kept trying the wrong ones. I tried babne mbabane, maseru, gaborone. but not with the country names

+1
Level 62
Jan 2, 2020
Your notes say Bolivia doesn't count but one of the questions is for Bolivia.
+2
Level 66
Jan 31, 2020
16 of the answers are basicaly given. I would leave out the countries where the language originated from the clues, so dont show albania for albanian, romania for romanian, germany for german etc. Most of the quiz is simply repeating what is said..

The netherlands eventhough it is the country of origin could perhaps stay, Since it is not almost literally the same as the name if the language, like the others.

+2
Level 56
Mar 14, 2020
Tamil is also official in India
+3
Level 56
Jul 30, 2020
Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, not the whole country.
+2
Level 60
Apr 16, 2021
Not exactly official, it's a scheduled language
+2
Level 55
Jul 25, 2020
That time that two countries as different as North and South Korea, as unique as India and Fiji, have the same language...
+1
Level 64
Dec 17, 2020
1:06

Thanks!

+3
Level 46
Apr 14, 2021
Spelling 'Quechua' is hard :(
+1
Level 62
Apr 16, 2021
There is a difference between national and official language.(See here ). India has no national language. Since this quiz uses national languages only , India should be removed from this quiz.

India has 23 official languages, which consists of the 22 regional ( Schedule 8) languages + Hindi.

+1
Level ∞
Apr 16, 2021
The official languages of India are Hindi and English.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Part_XVII_of_the_Constitution_of_India

+1
Level 42
Apr 16, 2021
LMAO i got 20/27, missing english. Canada and South Africa really threw me off.
+2
Level 59
Apr 16, 2021
why didnt you think of english are you braindead LOL
+1
Level 28
Apr 17, 2021
I believe Hausa has official status in 2, if not 3 countries
+1
Level 53
Apr 18, 2021
i got everything except quecha

i didn't know how to spell it :(

+1
Level 75
Oct 15, 2021
Very odd that you'd know Aymara but not Quechua, since it's spoken by significantly fewer people in both Peru and Bolivia. You must've had a very specific holiday at one point :)
+1
Level 26
Apr 20, 2021
Afghanistan is majority pashto
+1
Level 59
Apr 21, 2021
I believe Afrikaans is an official language in Namibia and South-Africa
+1
Level 89
Jul 15, 2021
Hindi is sometimes grouped together with Urdu as Hindustani, which would add Pakistan to that list.
+1
Level 70
Oct 9, 2021
It makes sense since Malay/Indonesian and Serbo-Croatian are merged.
+1
Level 71
Oct 8, 2021
Castilian should work for Spanish, the way Cantonese and Mandarin work for Chinese.
+1
Level 70
Oct 9, 2021
Probably should except Bosnian (and Montenegrin).
+2
Level 52
Oct 13, 2021
I would like this more without country hints. Now this is just about knowing what language is spoken in certain countires. Not trying to solve what headline says.
+1
Level 82
Oct 14, 2021
Eritrea doesn't have any official languages? And if we're going by the "nationally recognized" languages, Eritrea and Ethiopia share Afar as well as the answer in this quiz, so perhaps add that in?
+1
Level 84
Jul 24, 2023
Seconded
+1
Level 75
Oct 15, 2021
Nice quiz! I'd suggest taking a minute or two off the time though.
+2
Level 77
Oct 15, 2021
First column - "alright...this won't be so bad"

Second column - "well, crap"

+1
Level 49
Mar 3, 2022
there are some missing, like hausa, rwanda-rundi und guaraní
+1
Level 27
Mar 12, 2022
Albanian is not an official language in Macedonia. The only official language is Macedonian.
+1
Level 72
Mar 6, 2024
"The official language of North Macedonia is Macedonian, while Albanian has co-official status."

From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_North_Macedonia

+1
Level 27
Mar 12, 2022
The Albanian language is official only in several municilalities in Macedonia where more than 25% of the population is Albanian, but in general it is NOT. So, it is a mistake that the Albanian language is official language in Macedonia. The Macedonian language is also official in some municipalities in Albania (for example Gorica, Pustec...), so if this is the rule, you should include Macedonian language as official in Macedonia and Albania.
+1
Level 50
May 20, 2022
Hi, if the cutoff is that 2 countries must share the official language, then a few more languages could be on here: Guarani (Paraguay, Bolivia), Chewa (Zimbabwe, Malawi), and Ndebele, Venda, and Tsonga (all official in both South Africa and Zimbabwe). Also Swahili is also official in Rwanda, Sotho and Tswana are also official in Zimbabwe. And tbh Urdu is more similar to Hindi than Fijian Hindi is.
+1
Level 66
Sep 25, 2022
The caveat states that only the 3 most prominent languages of Bolivia and Zimbabwe are considered.
+4
Level 55
Aug 2, 2022
Would’ve thought Afrikaans would be here
+1
Level 40
Nov 28, 2022
Wait, Switzerland speaks Italian?

I never knew that!

+1
Level 68
Jan 20, 2023
Also Romansh
+1
Level 68
Jan 20, 2023
No Guarani? Is it only present in Paraguay?

And can't Swahili be spelled Suaheli?

+1
Level 64
Mar 28, 2023
There are some inconsistencies in the quiz. Are the languages official in the whole country? If so, Dutch should not include Belgium, as it is official only in some regions.
+1
Level 72
Mar 6, 2024
Rwanda also has Swahili as an official language.