Languages of Venezuela
The languages of Venezuela refers to the official languages and various dialects spoken in established communities within the country. In Venezuela, Castellan is the official language and is the mother tongue of the majority of Venezuelans. Although there is an established official language, there are countless languages of indigenous villages spoken throughout Venezuela, and various regions also have languages of their own.
| Languages of Venezuela | |
|---|---|
Sign in Venezuela in Spanish | |
| Official | Spanish |
| Indigenous | Languages of the Arawakan, Arutani-Sape, Cariban, Chibchan, Guahiban, Jirajaran, Timotean families |
| Vernacular | Venezuelan Spanish |
| Immigrant | German, Colonia Tovar, Italian, Chinese |
| Foreign | English |
| Signed | Venezuelan Sign Language |
| Keyboard layout | |
There are at least forty languages spoken or used in Venezuela, but Spanish is the language spoken by the majority of Venezuelans. The 1999 Constitution of Venezuela declared Spanish and languages spoken by indigenous people from Venezuela as official languages. Deaf people use Venezuelan Sign Language (lengua de señas venezolana, LSV).
Chinese (400,000), Portuguese (254,000) and Italian (200,000), are the most spoken languages in Venezuela after the official language of Spanish. Wayuu is the most spoken indigenous language with 170,000 speakers.