How may countries speak German?

It's a bit tricky to say exactly how many countries "speak" German, as it depends on what you mean by "speak":

* Official languages: German is an official language in 6 countries:

* Germany

* Austria

* Switzerland

* Liechtenstein

* Luxembourg

* Belgium (alongside French and Dutch)

* Minority languages: German is spoken by significant minorities in several other countries, including:

* Italy (South Tyrol)

* France (Alsace-Lorraine)

* Poland (Silesia)

* Czech Republic

* Romania (Transylvania)

* Hungary

* Namibia

* Brazil (Rio Grande do Sul)

* United States (Pennsylvania Dutch)

* Canada (especially Manitoba)

Therefore, depending on how you define "speak", you could say that German is spoken in at least 16 countries.

Additionally, German is a widely studied language around the world, and many people learn it as a second or foreign language.