Languages · Germanic languages

Limburgish

01. Data about the language

At a glance

Speakers: between 1.2 and 1.5 million speakers in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany (Limburgse Academie, cited by Mercator)¹
Identifiers: ISO 639-3 lim · Glottolog limb1263

Language group

Indo-European / Germanic

Area

Limburgish is spoken in the two provinces of Limburg (Netherlands & Belgium), and in a few border villages in a small neighbouring part of Germany (the Selfkant area).
There are a lot of varieties of Limburgish. Each village and city has it's own dialect, but there is mutual understanding.
The dialects in the north of Dutch Limburg are not considered Limburgish. The north boundary of the language is roughly marked with the "ik-ich isoglosse". In this area, a lot of linguistic boundaries coincide. In the east, there is a fluent transition to the Rheinlandic dialects (Kerkrade-Aachen, Sittard- Selfkant, Venlo-Krefeld).

Updated, sourced data, checked on 14 October 2026 · scope : Pays-Bas (Limbourg) ; aire globale Pays-Bas, Belgique, Allemagne · Get updates for this language

Numerical strength

According to the Limburgse Academie, cited by the Mercator research centre, Limburgish has 1.2 to 1.5 million speakers in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany¹.

According to a 2021 survey of adults in Dutch Limburg, 78% can speak a variety of Limburgish, 67% of them "very well"; the share of fluent speakers ranges from 52% among 18–34 year-olds to 74% among those over 65¹. In 2019 Limburgish was the home language of 47.9% of the province's residents, against 46% for Dutch¹.

Status

Limburgish has been recognised under Part II of the European Charter since 1997; in 2019 a covenant with the Dutch government recognised it as an "essential, fully-fledged and independent regional language"¹. In December 2024 the province adopted the plan "Same veur 't Limburgs 2025–2027", preparing for recognition under Part III¹.

Education

Since 1998 a regional language may be a medium of instruction alongside Dutch¹. According to a 2022 survey in early-childhood settings, 68% of staff speak Limburgish with children; a bilingual pilot was launched in November 2023 and nine groups were taking part in early 2025¹. The province spends €1.1 million a year on the language, including €200,000 for early childhood, schools and education¹.

Miscellaneous

The expertise centre Hoes veur 't Limburgs, the Veldeke Limburg association and the Limburgse Academie work to promote the language¹.

Sources

Limburgish in the Netherlands (Mercator Wiki), Mercator European Research Centre on Multilingualism and Language Learning (Fryske Akademy), mis à jour en 2026.

02. Poem

Original Translation

Mestreechs volksleed

Maastricht Folk Anthem

Jao diech höbs us aon 't hart gelege, Mestreech, door alle iewen heer. Veer bleve diech altied genege En deilde dreufheid en plezeer.

Yes, you have always been close to our hearts, Maastricht, through all the centuries. We have always remained devoted to you And shared both sorrow and joy.

Veer huurde nao dien aw histories Te peerd op grampeer ziene sjoet. Eus ouge blónke bij dien glories Of perelde bij diene noed.

We listened to your old stories Riding on grandfather's knee. Our eyes shone at your glories Or filled with tears at your distress.

En dee van diech 't sjoens wèlt prijze In taol, die al wie zinge klink, Dat dee op nui Mestreechter wijze Zien aajd Mestreech mèt us bezingk.

And whoever wants to praise your beauty In a language that rings like singing, Let him sing with us, to a new Maastricht tune, Of his old Maastricht.

Me zóng van diech ten allen tije. Eus moojers zónge bij de weeg. En voolte veer us rech tevreie, Dan zóng ze e leedsje vaan Mestreech.

People have sung of you at all times. Our mothers sang beside the cradle. And when we felt truly content, They sang a little song of Maastricht.

Doe, blom vaan Nederlands landouwe, Gegreujd op 't graaf van Sintervaos, Bis weerdeg dobbel te besjouwe, Gespiegeld in de blanke Maos.

You, flower of the Dutch countryside, Grown on the grave of Saint Servatius, You are doubly worth beholding, Mirrored in the clear Maas.

'n Staar, de witste oet de klaore, Besjijnt diech mèt häör straole zach. En, um diech zuver te bewaore, 'nen Ingel hèlt bij diech de wach.

A star, the whitest of the bright ones, Shines softly on you with its rays. And, to keep you pure, An angel stands guard over you.

Wie dèks woorste neet priesgegeve, Meh heels dien kroen toch opgeriech. En óngeknak biste gebleve Door euze band van trouw aon diech.

How often were you not given up as prey, Yet you always held your crown high. And you have remained unbroken Through our bond of loyalty to you.

Daorum de hand us touwgestoke, 't Oug geriech op 't stareleech. En weurt dat oug dan ins gebroke, dan beit veur us 't aajd Mestreech.

So let us join hands, Our eyes turned to the light of the stars. And when one day those eyes grow dim, Then old Maastricht will pray for us.

Fons Olterdissen (1865-1923)

Final chorus of the comic opera Trijn de Begijn (1912), music by Guus Olterdissen
Original text: Boekèt Mestreechs (2005), pp. 105-106, on DBNL
Translation: Lingualia (2026)

03. Linguistic description

Introduction in Limburgisch grammar
Information provided by Mathieu van Woerkom

The pronoun - 't pronoom

singular
(I)	ich	mien	mich
(you)	doe, dich, de, te*	dien	dich
(he)	hae, ‘r	zien	häöm
(she)	zie, 't, het**	häör	ze, häör, häöm**
(it)	't, het	zien	't, het

plural
(we)	veer	oos	ós
(you)	geer, deer	eur	uch
(they)	zie	hun	ze

polite
(you)	geer, g'r, deer, d'r***	eur	uch

*= 'te' is only used when right after the verb, together with a subjunction or a relative or interrogative pronoun1. Doe bis einen hauve zaol - You are an idiot.2. Es te euver den hóndj kumps, kumps te ouch euver de sjtart - If you can get over the dog, you can also get over the tale (expression).**= For women you know very well, you can use the masculine (dative and accusative) or neuter (nominative) form:1. 't Is mit mich nao de dokter gegange - She went to the doctor with me.2. Veur häöm höbs te niks mitgebrach - You didn't take her anything.***= The form 'd'r' can only be used when attached behind the verb, to a subjunction, or a relative or interrogative pronoun:1. Höbt d'r al geaete? - Have you already eaten?

The indicative pronoun - 't aanwiezend pronoom

masculine	feminine	neuter	plural
(that)	(that)	(that)	(those)
dae	die	dat	die
daen, dem*	die	dat	die

*= The form 'daen' is usually used for things, 'dem' for men:1. Mit dem is gein rechte voor te ploge2. Daen ungel höb ich al dèks gehuurd

The indefinite article - 't ónbesjtömp artikkel

masculine	feminine	neuter	plural
eine ('ne)	ein ('n)	ei (e)	gein
eine man (a man)	ein vrouw (a woman)	ei kèndj (a child)	gein kènjer (no children)

The verbs - de verbe

	to be	to have	to be(come)	to go	to do	to see	to come
infinitive	zeen	höbbe	waere	gaon	doon	zeen	kómme
I - ich	bin	höb	waer	gaon	doon	zeen	Kóm
you - doe	bis	höbs	waers	geis	deis	zuus	Kumps
he - hae	is	haet	weurt	geit	deit	zuut	Kump
we - veer	zeen	höbbe	waere	gaon	doon	zeen	Kómme
you - geer	zeet	höbt	waert	geit	deit	zuut	Kump
she-zie	zeen	höbbe	waere	gaon	doon	zeen	Kómme
past tense
I - ich	waor	hauw	woor	góng	deeg	zoog	Kaom
you - doe	waors	hauws	woors	góngs	deegs	zoogs	Kaoms
he - hae	waor	hauw	woort	góng	deeg	zoog	Kaom
we - veer	waore	hauwe	wore	gónge	dege	zoge	Kaome
you - geer	waor	hauw	woort	góng	deeg	zoog	Kaom
she-zie	waore	hauwe	wore	gónge	dege	zoge	Kaome
participle	gewaes	gehad	gewore	gegan	gegedaon	gezeen	gekómme
commanding	bis!	höb!	waer!	gank!	doog!	zuug!	kóm!

The plural - Miervoud

In Limburgisch the plural can be formed in many different ways:

	singular	plural
1. singular + e	verbaod	verbaode (prohibitions)
2. singular + s	gemeinde	gemeindes (communities)
3. singular + er	hoes	hoezer (houses)
4. singular + umlaut (change of vowel)	book	beuk (books)
	waord	wäörd (words)
	voegel	vugel (birds)
	moes	muus (mice)
	vos	vös (foxes)
	boum	buim (trees)
	aap	aep (apes)
	man	men (men)
5. in some cases the plural is the same as singular	daag	daag (days)
	sjoon	sjoon (shoes)

The diminutive - 't dimmenetief

In Limburgisch, the diminutive is almost always formed with umlaut (change of vowel) + '-ke':

	word	diminutive
	wouf	wuifke (wolf)
	gaus	geiske (goose)
	draak	draekske (dragon)
	hoes	huuske (house)
	kook	keukske (cookie)
	aol	äölke (eel)
Somtimes though, '-ke' is replaced by '-je' (because of the pronounciation):	zaod	zäödje (word)
	paad	paedje (path)
	kèndj	kindje (child)
	land	lendje (land)
In some cases an umlaut is not necessary:	Belsj	Belsjke (Belgje)
	zits	zitske (zitvlakje van een stoel)

04. Cartoon

No cartoon in this language could be found on public video platforms.