Looking for a new language to learn just to see how useful it could be? Or are you here to settle a bet? We’ve got you covered! These are the top 10 most spoken languages in the world and how old they really are. Will you be picking up any of these languages soon?
1. Mandarin (Chinese)
China alone has over 918 million Mandarin speakers and another 198 million outside China. This ancient language has more than 3,000 years of history and is considered one of the oldest languages still in use today. Its tonal language makes it absolutely unique; the meaning of a word can vary based on the pitch of its pronunciation. So stay focused, or you might get a few odd side-eyes.
2. Spanish
With about 47 million speakers in Spain and a whopping 577 million speakers outside of Spain, Spanish is the second most useful language in the world. Especially if you want to travel all through Latin America. Modern Spanish, also known as Castilian, originated in the 13th century. Its rhythmic and lively sound, including those rolling ‘r’ sounds, is one of the most sexy, passionate, and expressive languages in the world.
3. English
Is it weird to think English isn’t actually number one? English is only the third most spoken language, with about 67 million speakers in the UK and an impressive 1.5 billion speakers outside of the UK. English is over 1,400 years old and developed from the Germanic languages in medieval England. So yeah, English is basically the silly brother to German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Frisian, Yiddish and many more Germanic languages. Like all other languages, English contains many different accents based on the region or country spoken.
4. Hindi
Hindi comes fourth, with about 341 million speakers in India and another 10 million outside of India. This language has a history dating back to the 7th century and is known for its lilting quality, with much use of vowels and a melodious cadence. Hindi has also played an essential role in the Bollywood film industry, known worldwide for its lively music and dance.
5. Arabic
With about 310 million speakers in the Arab world and another 30 million speakers outside this region, Arabic comes fifth. Classical Arabic originated in the 6th century and modern standard Arabic has been used since the 19th century. Arabic has a complex phonetic system with distinctive guttural sounds and sounds denoted by dots and dashes. Arabic can be heard in internationally acclaimed films, such as “Lawrence of Arabia” (1962), in which it is used to authentically convey the atmosphere of the Middle East.
6. Bengali
Bengali is sixth place, with about 228 million speakers in Bangladesh and another 31 million speakers outside the country. Bengali has a history dating back to the 7th-8th centuries and has a lilting and musical sound, with subtle nuances in pronunciation. This language became internationally recognized when the Bollywood film “The Apu Trilogy,” directed by Satyajit Ray, received great international acclaim in the 1950s and 1960s.
7. Portuguese
In seventh place comes Portuguese, with about 10 million speakers in Portugal and as many as 236 million speakers outside the country. Modern Portuguese developed in the 16th century and is known for its flowing and melodic sound, with many open vowels. In the Brazilian film “Cidade de Deus” (City of God), Portuguese from Brazil highlights the raw and intense life experiences of the inhabitants of the favela of the same name. The use of Portuguese from Brazil in this film gives an authentic feel to the dialogue and allows the audience to empathize more deeply with the local culture and experiences.
8. Russian
Russian ranks eighth, with about 154 million speakers in Russia and another 26 million speakers outside the country. Russian has its roots in the 10th century and has a solid and powerful sound, emphasizing consonants. In the thriller “The Hunt for Red October” (1990), based on the novel by Tom Clancy, Russian plays a crucial role, especially considering the story is set around a Soviet submarine.
9. Japanese
Over 3 million people worldwide speak Japanese. Japan itself has a total of around 126 million speakers. Japanese has a written history of almost 1,400 years and has an elegant and soft sound, with much use of short sounds and few stresses. The Japanese language has been made even more famous thanks to anime and manga. We believe, as many anime fans do, too, that using Japanese is essential to convey the characters’ emotions. Anime just doesn’t sound as good narrated. We suggest trying a few (modern) classics, such as; One Piece, Spy Family, Attack on Titan, Howl’s Castle, and/or Princess Mononoko, if you haven’t already…
10. French
In tenth place comes French, with about 67 million speakers in France and as many as 273 million speakers outside the country. Modern French originated in the 9th century and has a romantic and elegant sound, with soft pronunciations of consonants. French is widely used in the film “Midnight in Paris” (2011), directed by Woody Allen. Thus, he made the images in Paris look more magical. A truly Oscar-worthy language!
