* Official language vs. spoken language: Some countries have German or French as an official language, but it's not the most widely spoken language.
* Regional variations: Within a country, there might be different dialects of German or French spoken, or even other languages spoken more commonly.
Here's a breakdown:
German:
* Official language: Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Belgium (along with Dutch and French), Namibia (along with English). This is a total of 8 countries.
* Widely spoken: German is also spoken in parts of Italy, France, Poland, Czech Republic, and other countries due to historical reasons.
French:
* Official language: France, Belgium, Switzerland, Canada (along with English), Luxembourg, Monaco, Haiti, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Benin, Burkina Faso, Togo, Mali, Niger, Chad, Central African Republic, Cameroon, Gabon, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Madagascar, Comoros, Djibouti, Seychelles, Vanuatu, and many more. This totals over 30 countries.
* Widely spoken: French is also spoken in parts of the United States, especially in Louisiana, and in other countries due to historical or colonial ties.
It's important to remember that these are rough estimates. The number of countries where German or French are spoken depends on how you define "speak."