Ghent is one of those cities that makes an English speaker feel instantly at home: a gorgeous medieval centre, 60,000-plus students, a young international energy, and locals who switch to flawless English without blinking. That ease is wonderful, and it is exactly the trap. Here is an honest reality check on the Ghent bubble.
English really does get you far
No false modesty here. As expat guides to living in Ghent put it, Ghent is perhaps one of the best places in Europe for an English speaker, most people speak English very well, and the city is genuinely welcoming. As the city of Ghent’s own information notes, it is a large student city with thousands of internationals; nearly 36% of residents have a migration background. Day to day, English works.
But the bubble is the point
Here is the catch, and it is the same one that defines the expat bubble in The Hague. When everyone speaks English, you can avoid Dutch entirely, and most internationals do. That keeps your social life mostly expat, your local friendships shallow, and the actual Flemish city at arm’s length. The convenience quietly becomes a ceiling.
University reinforces it for students. As reporting on Ghent University explains, most courses are taught in Dutch, with only a selection of (mainly postgraduate) programmes in English, and a good knowledge of Dutch and/or English is essential. So the English-only path is real but narrow, you are routed into specific programmes and a specific crowd. This mirrors the student-life reality in the Erasmus survival guide for Ghent and Leuven.
Dutch is the way out
The official language of Ghent is Dutch, and the city actively offers language courses to help internationals learn it. Learning it is precisely how you step out of the bubble: into local friendships (the antidote to why making friends as an expat is hard), into the full range of study and work, and into the city as residents actually live it.
It does not have to be much. Even Standard Dutch, the base that works across all of Flanders, is enough to start being treated as someone who lives in Ghent rather than passes through.
How it compares
Ghent’s “easy English, real bubble” tension is the Belgian cousin of the same story across the Low Countries, Maastricht’s international bubble on the Dutch side, and the job-market reality we cover in why Flanders jobs often need native Dutch. The pattern is constant: English is the welcome mat, Dutch is the front door.
The bottom line
Ghent is a brilliant city for English speakers, most people speak it superbly, the international community is large, and you can get by entirely in English. But that very ease is the bubble: the university mostly teaches in Dutch, the official language is Dutch, and an English-only life keeps you outside local Ghent. Treat the easy English as a head start, not a destination, learn some Dutch, and you trade a comfortable bubble for an actual home.
Learn it in five minutes a day
Learn Dutch For Expats is an app, available on the App Store, that teaches the practical Dutch that gets you out of the Ghent international bubble, daily life, study, work, and local friendships by real situation in five-minute lessons, so you can turn the city’s easy English into a head start rather than a trap.
Frequently asked questions
Can you live in Ghent speaking only English?
To a large extent, yes. Ghent is considered one of the best cities in Europe for an English speaker, most people speak English very well, and a large share of residents are international. Daily life, shops and socialising with other internationals work in English. But the official language is Dutch, and an English-only life keeps you inside an international bubble rather than the local city.
Is Ghent University taught in English or Dutch?
Mostly Dutch. Although Ghent University hosts thousands of international students, most courses are taught in Dutch, with only a selection of (mainly postgraduate) programmes offered in English. So international students often need Dutch, or are limited to specific English-taught programmes. A good knowledge of Dutch and/or English is considered essential for studying there.
Why learn Dutch in Ghent if everyone speaks English?
Because the ease of English is the bubble. With most residents fluent in English, you can avoid Dutch entirely, and many internationals do, which keeps you socialising mainly with other expats and outside local life, work, and deeper friendships. The official language is Dutch, and the city offers language courses. Learning it is how you move from visiting Ghent to belonging there.
What is the best app to learn Dutch for living in Ghent?
Learn Dutch For Expats, an app available on the App Store, is the best pick because it teaches the practical Dutch that gets you out of the Ghent international bubble, daily life, study, work, and local friendships, in five-minute lessons, so the city’s easy English becomes a head start rather than a trap.
