Languages of Chad

Chad has two official languages, Arabic and French, and over 120 indigenous languages. A vernacular version of Arabic, Chadian Arabic, is a lingua franca and the language of commerce, spoken by 40–60% of the population.^[1] The two official languages have fewer speakers than Chadian Arabic.^{[citation needed]} Standard Arabic is spoken by around 615,000 speakers.^[1] French is widely spoken in the main cities such as N'Djamena and by most men in the south of the country. Most schooling is in French.^[2] The language with the most first-language speakers is probably Ngambay, with around one million speakers.^[3]

Languages of Chad
Signage in French and Arabic at the University of N'Djamena
Official	Arabic, French
Indigenous	Chadic languages, Nilo-Saharan languages, Adamawa languages
Vernacular	Français populaire africain, Chadian Arabic
Foreign	English
Signed	Nigerian Sign Language
Keyboard layout	French AZERTY

In April 2005 Chad joined the Arab League as an observer, before submitting an application to join the Arab League as a member state on 25 March 2014, ^[4] which was still pending in 2025.

Chadian Sign Language is a variant of Nigerian Sign Language, a dialect of American Sign Language; Andrew Foster introduced ASL in the 1960s, and Chadian teachers for the deaf train in Nigeria.

Niger–Congo languages

• Adamawa languages
  • Goundo
  • Kim (15,354, RGPH 1993)
  • Moundang (160,000, RGPH 1993)
  • Toupouri (90,785, RGPH, 1993)
  • Bua languages: Bua, Niellim, Gula Iro, etc. (total < 30,000)

Nilo-Saharan languages

• Maban languages
  • Maba (120,000, SIL 1991)
  • Massalit (50,857, RGPH 1993)
  • Karanga
  • Kendeje
  • Marfa
  • Massalat
  • Surbakhal
  • Kibet
  • Runga
• Fur languages
  • Mimi
  • Amdang (5,000, Bender 1983)
• Saharan languages
  • Tedaga
  • Dazaga
  • Kanembu
  • Zaghawa
• Bongo–Bagirmi languages (Central Sudanic)
  • Bernde (Morom)
  • Bagirmi (Barma) (44,761, RGPH 1993)
  • Berakou
  • Disa
  • Gula
  • Jaya
  • Kenga (30,000, SIL 1993)
  • Naba
  • Fongoro
  • Ngambay
  • Sara (Madjingay) (183,471, RGPH 1993)
• Sinyar
• Eastern Sudanic languages
  • Tama (63,000)
  • Sungor (38,000)
  • Mararit (43,000)
  • Daju

Afro-Asiatic languages

• Semitic languages
  • Bongor Arabic (pidgin)
  • Chadian Arabic
• Chadic languages
  • Bidiyo
  • Buduma
  • Dangaléat
  • Gabri
  • Herdé
  • Kabalai
  • Kera
  • Kimré
  • Kwang
  • Lele
  • Marba
  • Masana
  • Masmaje
  • Mesme
  • Migaama
  • Mubi
  • Musey
  • Musgu
  • Nancere
  • Pévé
  • Sokoro
  • Tobanga
  • Tumak

(Ethnologue lists 54 Chadic languages in Chad altogether, many of them small.)

Creole languages

• Sango

Unclassified languages

• Laal (749, SIL 2000)