diff --git a/typo3/sysext/backend/Classes/Form/FormDataProvider/TcaInputPlaceholders.php b/typo3/sysext/backend/Classes/Form/FormDataProvider/TcaInputPlaceholders.php
index 8357bb1bf7b9ae99c3f70d8d927fe447db394fde..9c3b8a77f17bff28f8edb354c6a1c644a07fe2a3 100644
--- a/typo3/sysext/backend/Classes/Form/FormDataProvider/TcaInputPlaceholders.php
+++ b/typo3/sysext/backend/Classes/Form/FormDataProvider/TcaInputPlaceholders.php
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ class TcaInputPlaceholders implements FormDataProviderInterface
             if (!empty($GLOBALS['TCA'][$result['tableName']]['ctrl']['languageField'])
                 && isset($result['databaseRow'][$GLOBALS['TCA'][$result['tableName']]['ctrl']['languageField']])
             ) {
-                $relatedFormData['currentSysLanguage'] = $result['databaseRow'][$GLOBALS['TCA'][$result['tableName']]['ctrl']['languageField'] ?? null][0] ?? '';
+                $relatedFormData['currentSysLanguage'] = $result['databaseRow'][$GLOBALS['TCA'][$result['tableName']]['ctrl']['languageField']];
             }
             $value = $this->getPlaceholderValue($fieldNameArray, $relatedFormData, $recursionLevel + 1);
         }