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set-language-transact-sql.md

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title SET LANGUAGE (Transact-SQL)
description SET LANGUAGE specifies the language environment for the session.
author WilliamDAssafMSFT
ms.author wiassaf
ms.reviewer randolphwest
ms.date 08/30/2024
ms.service sql
ms.subservice t-sql
ms.topic reference
ms.custom
ignite-2025
f1_keywords
SET_LANGUAGE_TSQL
SET LANGUAGE
helpviewer_keywords
LANGUAGE option
languages [SQL Server], setting language
SET LANGUAGE statement
options [SQL Server], date
default languages
dev_langs
TSQL
monikerRange =azuresqldb-current || =azure-sqldw-latest || >=sql-server-2016 || >=sql-server-linux-2017 || =azuresqldb-mi-current || =fabric || =fabric-sqldb

SET LANGUAGE (Transact-SQL)

[!INCLUDE sql-asdb-asdbmi-asa-pdw-fabricse-fabricdw-fabricsqldb]

Specifies the language environment for the session. The session language determines the datetime formats and system messages.

:::image type="icon" source="../../includes/media/topic-link-icon.svg" border="false"::: Transact-SQL syntax conventions

Syntax

SET LANGUAGE { [ N ] 'language' | @language_var }

Arguments

[N]'language' | @language_var

The name of the language as stored in sys.syslanguages. This argument can be either Unicode or DBCS converted to Unicode. To specify a language in Unicode, use N'<language>'. If specified as a variable, the variable must be sysname.

Remarks

The setting of SET LANGUAGE is set at execute or run time and not at parse time.

SET LANGUAGE implicitly sets the setting of SET DATEFORMAT.

Permissions

Requires membership in the public role.

Examples

The following example sets the default language to Italian, displays the month name, and then switches back to us_english and displays the month name again.

DECLARE @Today DATETIME;
SET @Today = '2024-08-05';

SET LANGUAGE Italian;
SELECT DATENAME(month, @Today) AS 'Month Name';

SET LANGUAGE us_english;
SELECT DATENAME(month, @Today) AS 'Month Name';
GO

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