On September 26, we celebrate the European Day of Languages — a special day that reminds us every language has value and a place in the world. It was established in 2001 by the Council of Europe to promote language learning, mutual understanding and respect for different cultures.
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Why It’s Important to Appreciate Languages
Europe is home to more than 200 languages. Many have rich histories and some are minority or regional languages like Welsh or Breton. But language is more than just a tool for communication. It’s a way of thinking, a way of seeing the world and a part of where we feel at home.
For businesses, language matters even more. A customer who reads about your offer in their own language is more likely to trust the quality of your product. At Tetras Translations, we help companies translate and localize content into dozens of European languages — making it clear, culturally appropriate and above all, professional.
Language Means More Than Just Words
Every language carries emotions, humor, and unique expressions that often can’t be translated word for word. In Serbian, for example, there are many casual phrases that express deep feelings in just one word. Bulgarian uses a completely different writing system — the Cyrillic alphabet.
Language connects us. Even learning just a few words in another language shows respect, interest, and a willingness to understand a different culture. And that’s exactly what this day is all about.
Did you know that…
🇩🇪 German is the most widely spoken native language in the European Union — more than 90 million people speak it.
🇮🇸 The Icelandic word “gluggaveður” describes weather that looks nice but is too cold to go outside.
🇩🇪 The longest documented word in Europe has 79 letters. In German, it’s: “Donaudampfschifffahrtselektrizitätenhauptbetriebswerkbauunterbeamtengesellschaft,” and it means something like “Association of subordinate officials of the head office management for the Danube steamship electrical services.”
🇷🇸 Serbian is one of the few languages in the world that is officially written in both the Cyrillic and Latin alphabets.
🧠 Studies show that dementia starts 4 to 5 years later in people who speak more than one language. The effect was even stronger in those who learned their second language as adults.
How Tetras Supports Languages in Practice
At Tetras Translations, we work with languages every day. Our team is made up of native speakers who also understand the specific needs of their industries — from engineering and law to medicine and IT. In addition to translation, we take care of proper document formatting. Languages like Greek or Macedonian require special typographic adjustments. We make sure that every translation is not only linguistically accurate but also visually professional.
On the official European Day of Languages website, you can find quizzes, language games and plenty of ideas on how to join the celebration.
Language is not a barrier — it’s a bridge.
The European Day of Languages reminds us that every language has cultural value and is worth learning, using and preserving.
