Language is as important to a person as is breathing. Language is how we communicate to our parents when we are young, it is how we get through school and then get through our work lives and social lives as adults. There are thousands of languages spoken in different places all over the world. Below is a list of the most spoken languages in the world.
1: Mandarin
The number one language spoken in the world has over 1 billion speakers. The reason for this is most likely because this is the most populated country on Earth. Just because Mandarin is the most common language spoken, it certainly does not mean that it is the easiest. Mandarin is actually very difficult to speak because every word can be pronounced in four different tones. It is incredibly difficult for people who begin learning this language to distinguish one tone from another. With over 1 billion speakers of this language, there is not much of a chance that another language will have a chance to take over the number one spot. Hello in Mandarin is Ni hao. Goodbye in Mandarin is Zai jian.
2: English
The English language is not the most commonly spoken language on this list, however, it is spoken in more countries in the world than any other language. People all over the world speak this language such as Hong Kong, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Zimbabwe, the Caribbean, England, and of course, the United States. Many people believe that the English language is the most difficult of all languages to learn to speak fluently and to be able to write. The English language is full of “slang” words. These are words that are used often but are not found in the English dictionary. Over the years however, many of these “slang” words have found their way in the dictionary, possibly paving the way for several more. There are over 508 million people around the world who can speak, read, and write the English language fluently. Hello in English is Hello. Goodbye in English is Goodbye.
3: Hindustani
Hindustani is the primary language of the huge population of India. There are many different dialects of this language, however, they are all fairly similar. Because India’s population is growing at an increasingly high rate, one would think that soon Hindustani will soon be the most commonly spoken language in the world. The reason that this is unlikely is due to the amount of people in India who speak English. Because of the amount of people who speak English, Hindustani may be stuck at the number three spot for good. There are about 497 people in the world who speak this language. Hello in Hindustani is Namaskar. Goodbye in Ach ha.
4: Spanish
Spanish is spoken all over the world. Just about every place in Central America and South America speak Spanish. Also, residents of Spain speak Spanish. Spanish has become a very common language in the United States as well. One reason that the amount of people who speak Spanish is rising in the United States is the amount of immigrants coming into the country whose primary language is Spanish. Another reason is that the English language has borrowed several words from the Spanish language which they use everyday. A few examples of these borrowed words are patio, tornado, and food names such as taco and enchilada. Many junior high schools and high schools in the United States make Spanish courses a requirement. There are around 392 million people who speak Spanish all over the world. Hello in Spanish is Hola. Goodbye in Spanish is Despedida.
5: Russian
While the United States used to consider Russia an enemy, these days Russia is a friend to the United States. Russian is one of the six languages spoken in the United Nations. Russian is obviously spoken in Russia, and it is also spoken in Belarus, Kazakhstan, and even in the United States. These are just a few of the many places where this language is spoken. There are about 277 million people around the world who speak Russian as their first language. If you consider those who speak Russian as a second language, the number would be even higher. Hello in Russian is Zdravstvuite. Goodbye in Russian is do svidaniya.
6: Arabic
One of the oldest languages in the world is Arabic. It is one of the main languages spoken in the Middle East. People in Kuwait, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia use this language to communicate to each other everyday. This language is not strictly spoken in these countries. The Koran, the book of the Moslems is written in Arabic. There are so many people that understand Arabic that in 1974 the United Nations made it the sixth official language. There are over 246 million people who speak this language today. Hello in Arabic is Al salaam a’alaykum. Goodbye in Arabic is Assalaamu alaikum.
7: Bengali
Bengali has found itself on the number seven spot on this list. Bangladesh is a country with a population of over 120 million people. Just about all of these people speak Bengali. Residents of Bangladesh are not the only people who speak this beautiful language. India, which surrounds Bangladesh, has many speakers of Bengali as well. Between Bangladesh and India, there are around 211 million people who speak this language.
Hello in Bengali is Ei je. Goodbye in Bengali is bidaya.
8: Portuguese
Portuguese is the eighth most commonly spoken language in the world. Portugal won its independence from Spain during the 12th century. After Portugal gained its independence, explorers set out and settled in various places around the world. Many people from Portugal settled in Brazil, where today, Portuguese is the national language. Many other countries speak Portuguese as their first language such as Macau, Venezuela, Mozambique, and Angola. Here in the United States, many people speak Portuguese as either a first or a second language. Portuguese is spoken by around 191 million people. Hello in Portuguese is Bom dia. Goodbye in Portuguese is Tchau.
9: Malay/Indonesian
Malay-Indonesian is number nine on the list. This language is spoken in Malaysia and Indonesia. There are many different dialects in Malay. This language is based on the same root language. The most common dialect is spoken in Indonesia. There are over 13,000 islands that make up Indonesia. Malaysia borders on the two larger parts of Indonesia. Over 159 million people in these areas speak this language. In the capital city of Indonesia, Kuala Lumpur, Malay-Indonesian is spoken as well as other dialects of Malay. Hello in Indonesian is Selamat pagi. Goodbye in Malay is Selamat tinggal.
10: French
French is the tenth most commonly spoken language in the world. It is spoken by about 129 million people. French is the primary language in many countries such as Canada, Belgium, Rwanda, France, Haiti, and France. Here in the United States, French is spoken by some as their primary language and others use French as a second language. Many schools in the United States offer French as part of the curriculum. French is also known as the language of love. Some say that it is because France is the most romantic city in the world, while others suggest the reason is that this language sounds so beautiful when spoken. Hello in French is bonjour. Goodbye in French is au revior.
With the growing number of people being born and leaning new languages, who knows, ten years from now this list could very possibly look different.
