Communication is maybe the most important aspect when it comes to inter-human relationship and language is the element that enables and facilitates it. We use language from infancy to death for a multitude of reasons, such as survival, entertainment, knowledge acquirement and so on. Find out which are the most popular languages around the world that are spoken by the majority.
Mandarin approx. over 1 billion
This is the most spoken language because it is based in the most populated country on the planet, exceeding English only by a 2 to 1 ratio. Although difficult to learn, it is not impossible. If over 1 billion people did it, you can do it too. “Hello” in Mandarin “Ni hao”
English approx. 508 million
English is considered among the most spoken languages in the world because it is the official language in numerous countries and areas such as New Zeeland, the U.S., Australia, Zimbabwe, the Caribbean, South Africa, Hong Kong and Canada. Not to mention the effects of Internet use, causing the majority of the world’s population to know this language, at least at a beginner’s level. “Hello” in English…well…repeat!
Hindustani approx. 497 million
Hindustani is India’s primary language, comprising several dialects, of which Hindi is the commonly spoken. “Hello” in Hindustani is “Namaste”
Spanish approx. 392 million
A rapidly spreading and relatively easy learnable language, Spanish is spoken not only in South and Central America, but also in Spain, Cuba and the U.S. “Hello” in Spanish is “Hola”
Russian approx. 277 million
One of the six languages in the UN, Russian is not only spoken in the motherland, but also used in Belarus, Kazakhstan and a bit the U.S. “Hello” in Russian is “Zdravstvuite”
Arabic approx. 246 million
One of the world’s oldest languages is spoken in many countries such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Egypt, but because Arabic is also the language of the Koran, there are millions of Muslims in other countries that also speak the language. “Hello” in Arabic is “Al salaam a’alaykum”
Bengali approx. 211 million
All the inhabitants in Bangladesh (over 120 million people) speak Bengali and due to the fact that Bangladesh is virtually surrounded by India which has a rapidly growing population, the number of Bengali speakers increases annually. “Hello” in Bengali is “Ei Je”
Portuguese approx. 191 million
Given that Portugal won its independence from Spain in the 12th century, and soon after had several explorers like Vasco da Gama and Prince Henry the Navigator to expand their culture, the Portuguese language spread all over the world, especially in Brazil, Macau, Angola, Venezuela and Mozambique. “Hello” in Portuguese is “Bom dia”
Malay Indonesian approx. 159 million
Spoken in Malaysia and Indonesia, Indonesian being the most popular dialects of Malay. “Hello” in Indonesian is “Selamat pagi”
French approx. 129 million
French or also known as the language of romance, is spoken in various countried including Belgium, Canada, Rwanda, Cameroon and Haiti. “Hello” in French is “Bonjour”
