Anyone who has seen Putain—a new drama series conceived by Frederik Daem and Zwangere Guy, which follows the lives of Brussels native Gigi and his friends—will quickly realise: Brussels is incredibly multilingual, and the language spoken by its youth is equally unifying. But how representative is the series, and what is the state of (Brussels) youth language in 2025? We posed these questions to VUB researcher and linguist Melissa Schuring, an expert in child and youth language.
What was your first linguistic impression of the series Putain?
Melissa Schuring: “It’s a beautiful reflection of Brussels youth language, or more broadly, of how an urban vernacular—a city’s colloquial language—works. It acts as a unifying element among young people, as an expression of their identity. Of course, this isn’t unique to Brussels; you see it in Antwerp, Amsterdam, London, New York, Istanbul... What all these metropolises have in common is the emergence of a dynamic way of speaking that incorporates elements from various languages. In this case, Dutch forms the base, with influences from French, Spanish, Italian, and Moroccan Arabic.”
Is this multilingual mix representative of Brussels youth language?
"I think it probably is. However, to my knowledge, no recent research has been conducted specifically on youth language in Brussels, and this is something that urgently needs attention. The Brussels context is particularly fascinating: it’s not only officially bilingual (Dutch and French), but home to more than 180 nationalities who speak over 100 different languages. There is, however, a doctoral study on youth language in the metropolitan context of Antwerp, and numerous studies reveal universal patterns in the way young people in large cities use language."
Do young people use this specific vernacular all the time or only among peers?
"The latter. They use it when they’re among friends. They’re well aware that when speaking to adults or people outside their ‘gang’, terms like ‘wollah’ (Honestly!/I swear!) and ‘skoet’ (Shut up!) should be left out, as they won’t be understood. The key feature of youth language is that it allows them to: (a) identify with their ‘in-group’ and (b) exclude people who aren’t part of that group. These words can be loanwords from English or Arabic, or even Dutch words given a secondary meaning."
Melissa Schuring
Has the concept of youth language changed over the years?
"It has remained relatively stable. Its primary purposes are still to foster connections and to distance oneself from previous generations. What we have noticed, however, is that the internet and globalisation have increased the influence of languages from countries geographically distant from Belgium. This new input creates a constant flow of fresh vocabulary, making it likely that words considered ‘cool’ today will lose that status tomorrow. In practice, once parents or teachers understand these words, young people tend to replace them."
Is there currently a language that inspires young people more than others?
"A good barometer for this is the election of the Child and Teen Word of the Year. For several years now, it’s been clear that Arabic (Moroccan, Turkish, etc.) influences are significant. Words like ‘hayek’ (shortlisted for Teen Word of the Year 2023—originally Arabic, meaning something is over the top or an alternative to ‘shit’) and ‘ewa drerrie’ (Child Word of the Year 2020, meaning ‘hey mate’) reflect this. That said, there’s also a considerable influence from so-called high-status languages. English is a prime example. ‘Bro’ (short for ‘brother’, used to address friends) was the Child Word of the Year in 2023. The recent Teen Word of the Year 2024, however, is ‘glamour’, pronounced in a French accent.”
How well does Dutch hold up in this multilingual context?
"In the Flemish context, the answer is a resounding yes. For instance, looking at the influence of English on children’s language, it’s only about 3 per cent. This rises to 7 per cent when they talk to friends, and 15 per cent when they use English terms to express opinions about things or people, but the overall impact remains negligible. Interestingly, we conducted a study on people’s perceptions of English influence on the language of children, teenagers, and young adults. The perceived impact was significantly higher than what we observed in reality."
Why do people perceive the English influence to be so significant?
"Firstly, a word from another language stands out more in Dutch because of its different pronunciation. Secondly, children and young people often use a different intonation with foreign terms. For example, ‘nice’ becomes ‘niiiice’, and ‘cool’ becomes ‘cooool’, often accompanied by matching gestures. Finally, let’s be honest, the media often perpetuate this perception with headlines like, ‘We don’t understand our children anymore.’"
“We’ve just created a large database of spoken child language in Flanders”
What role does Dutch-language education play?
"That depends. For young people who speak French or another language at home, Dutch-language education is crucial for acquiring Dutch. For those who speak Dutch at home, it’s still important, though less essential. Small-scale initiatives can also make a difference. For instance, Monsieur Nash on TikTok—a teacher who teaches Dutch to French speakers in one-minute videos—has been hugely successful. He’s made Dutch cool again, so to speak."
How significant is the influence of social media on youth language?
"Very significant. For example, the Teen Word of the Year in 2021, ‘ma stobbe’ (meaning ‘stop’, pronounced in a cooler way), was created by TikTokker Timon Verbeeck. He used it in one video that went viral, launching the term into widespread use."
What is your biggest challenge as a youth language researcher in Belgium?
"Keeping up. Youth language evolves so quickly, and that’s the biggest challenge now and in the future. The main purpose of youth language is to be dynamic and innovative. As soon as a word is picked up by an ‘outsider’, it’s ready to be replaced. That’s what makes it such an exciting field to study. We’ve just created a large database of spoken child language in Flanders—the first of its kind—but it’s clear we need more studies and comparative data. It would also be fascinating to track and measure the language evolution of one individual, from the age of 10 to 30, for example. We’ve launched this study and are currently gathering archival data, but it will be decades before we see the results."