There are many languages on the planet. A lot. According to various estimates, from 6,000 to 7,000, and these are only those that linguists know about. Some disappear without a trace, others, on the contrary, gain popularity. But there are 10 languages that can change your future, spoken by millions and even billions of people. Let’s talk about them.
1. English
So ubiquitous! It is the native language of 380 million people. But if you add up all those who studied it in school (and there are many of them), we get over 1.5 billion. It is the language of business, science, travel and the Internet. Even if you know only a few dozen words, you are unlikely to get lost in any corner of the world.
Interesting fact: the English language is replenished with new words almost every day. Many terms come from slang and Internet culture. For example, the word “selfie” appeared not so long ago, but has already become international.
2. Mandarin Chinese
But here everything is different: this language has the largest number of speakers – about 920 million. But learning Mandarin is not easy. Four tones, thousands of characters… But if you master it, you can safely consider yourself a hero. By the way, there is no connection with tangerines – the word “tangerine” comes from the Portuguese “mandarin”, and the fruit came to us from Spanish.
Interesting fact: despite the complexity of writing, Chinese children learn about 3,000 characters by the time they graduate from school. But to read newspapers, it is enough to know about 2,000.
3. Hindi
It is spoken in India, but not only there. It is one of the official languages of the country, and it is spoken by about 345 million people. Hindi is also very close to Urdu – their speakers can understand each other quite well, especially in colloquial speech. The difference is more in writing: Hindi is written in Devanagari, while Urdu uses the Arabic alphabet.
Interesting fact: Hindi has many loanwords from Sanskrit, Persian, Arabic, and even English. For example, the word “अस्पताल” (aspataal) means “hospital” and is derived from the English “hospital.”
4. Spanish
Latin America, Spain, the USA (yes, Spanish is widely spoken there too) — a total of about 486 million speakers. It is melodious, relatively easy to learn, and very useful if you are planning a trip to warm countries.
Fun fact : There are words in Spanish that cannot be translated into other languages with a single word. For example, “sobremesa” means time spent at the table after a meal, talking and having a pleasant conversation.
5. French
Once the language of aristocracy and diplomacy, now it is the native language of 77 million people. But if you count all those who speak it, we get about 310 million. French is not only France, but also Canada, Belgium, Switzerland, and African countries . And, of course, the famous “r”, which not everyone can pronounce the first time.
Interesting fact : French is called the “language of love,” and for good reason! Its sound is truly considered one of the most melodious and pleasant in the world.
6. Arabic
It is not just a language. But a whole family of dialects, sometimes so different that people from different countries may not understand each other. But if you take classical Arabic (Fushha) and the dialects together, you get about 274 million speakers.
Fun fact : Arabic has had a strong influence on the Spanish language. Over 4,000 Spanish words come from Arabic, including “almohada” (pillow) and “azúcar” (sugar).
7. Bengali
Bangladesh is a small country, but it has a large population. Plus, Bengali is spoken in parts of India. In total, there are about 273 million speakers.
Interesting fact : Bengali is known for its rich literary tradition. Rabindranath Tagore, the first non-European to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, wrote in Bengali.
8. Portuguese
It is usually associated with Portugal, but it has a much larger population in Brazil. It is also spoken in Angola, Mozambique, and even Macau. The total number is about 265 million.
Fun fact : In Portuguese, stress can change the meaning of a word. For example, “avó” (grandmother) and “avô” (grandfather) only differ in intonation.
9. Russian
The most widespread language of Eurasia, spoken not only in Russi. But also in post-Soviet countries. About 258 million speakers. Although considered difficult due to cases and verb forms, foreigners like to study it for the sake of literature.
Interesting fact: There are words in Russian that cannot be translated literally. For example, “please” combines a request and a politeness.
10. Urdu
Very similar to Hindi, but written from right to left and using the Perso-Arabic script. The main language of Pakistan, it is spoken by about 231 million people.
Fun fact: Urdu has an incredibly rich poetic tradition, and the language is known for its elegance. Many famous ghazals (poetic works) are written in Urdu.
Languages are not just a means of communication, but a reflection of the culture, history, and thinking of a people. So, if you’re thinking about which language to learn, choose the one that really interests you. After all, it’s not just words and grammar, it’s a whole world!
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