The top 10 languages spoken in the world
10. French Number of speakers: 129 million
Often called the most romantic language in the world, French is spoken in tons of countries, including Belgium, Canada, Rwanda, Cameroon, and Haiti. Oh, and France too. We're actually very lucky that French is so popular, because without it, we might have been stuck with Dutch Toast, Dutch Fries, and Dutch kissing (ew!).
To say "hello" in French, say "Bonjour" (bone-JOOR).
9. Malay (Indonesian) Number of speakers: 159 million
Malay-Indonesian is spoken - surprise - in Malaysia and Indonesia. Actually, we kinda fudged the numbers on this one because there are many dialects of Malay, the most popular of which is Indonesian. But they're all pretty much based on the same root language, which makes it the ninth most-spoken in the world.Indonesia is a fascinating place; a nation made up of over 13,000 islands it is the sixth most populated country in the world. Malaysia borders on two of the larger parts of Indonesia (including the island of Borneo), and is mostly known for its capital city of Kuala Lumpur.
To say "hello" in Indonesian, say "Selamat pagi" (se-LA-maht PA-gee).
8. Portuguese Number of speakers: 191 million
Think of Portuguese as the little language that could. In the 12th Century, Portugal won its independence from Spain and expanded all over the world with the help of its famous explorers like Vasco da Gama and Prince Henry the Navigator. (Good thing Henry became a navigator . . . could you imagine if a guy named "Prince Henry the Navigator" became a florist?) Because Portugal got in so early on the exploring game, the language established itself all over the world, especially in Brazil (where it's the national language), Macau, Angola, Venezuela, and Mozambique.
To say "hello" in Portuguese, say "Bom dia" (bohn DEE-ah).
7. Bengali Number of speakers: 211 million
In Bangladesh, a country of 120+ million people, just about everybody speaks Bengali. And because Bangladesh is virtually surrounded by India (where the population is growing so fast, just breathing the air can get you pregnant), the number of Bengali speakers in the world is much higher than most people would expect.
To say "hello" in Bengali, say "Ei Je" (EYE-jay).
6. Arabic Number of speakers: 246 million
Arabic, one of the world's oldest languages, is spoken in the Middle East, with speakers found in countries such as Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and Egypt. Furthermore, because Arabic is the language of the Koran, millions of Moslems in other countries speak Arabic as well. So many people have a working knowledge of Arabic, in fact, that in 1974 it was made the sixth official language of the United Nations.
To say "hello" in Arabic, say "Al salaam a'alaykum" (Ahl sah-LAHM ah ah-LAY-koom).
5. Russian Number of speakers: 277 million
Mikhail Gorbachev, Boris Yeltsin, and Yakov Smirnoff are among the millions of Russian speakers out there. Sure, we used to think of them as our Commie enemies. Now we think of them as our Commie friends. One of the six languages in the UN, Russian is spoken not only in the Mother Country, but also in Belarus, Kazakhstan, and the U.S. (to name just a few places).
To say "hello" in Russian, say "Zdravstvuite" (ZDRAST-vet- yah).
4. Spanish Number of speakers: 392 million
Aside from all of those kids who take it in high school, Spanish is spoken in just about every South American and Central American country, not to mention Spain, Cuba, and the U.S. There is a particular interest in Spanish in the U.S., as many English words are borrowed from the language, including: tornado, bonanza, patio, quesadilla, enchilada, and taco grande supreme.
To say "hello" in Spanish, say "Hola" (OH-la).
3. Hindustani Number of speakers: 497 million
Hindustani is the primary language of India's crowded population, and it encompasses a huge number of dialects (of which the most commonly spoken is Hindi). While many predict that the population of India will soon surpass that of China, the prominence of English in India prevents Hindustani from surpassing the most popular language in the world. If you're interested in learning a little Hindi, there's a very easy way: rent an Indian movie. The film industry in India is the most prolific in the world, making thousands of action/romance/ musicals every year.
To say "hello" in Hindustani, say "Namaste" (Nah-MAH-stay).
2. English Number of speakers: 508 million
While English doesn't have the most speakers, it is the official language of more countries than any other language. Its speakers hail from all around the world, including the U.S., Australia, England, Zimbabwe, the Caribbean, Hong Kong, South Africa, and Canada. We'd tell you more about English, but you probably feel pretty comfortable with the language already. Let's just move on to the most popular language in the world.
To say "hello" in English is self-explained.
1. Mandarin Number of speakers: 1 billion+
Surprise, surprise, the most widely spoken language on the planet is based in the most populated country on the planet, China. Beating second-place English by a 2 to 1 ratio, but don't let that lull you into thinking that Mandarin is easy to learn. Speaking Mandarin can be really tough, because each word can be pronounced in four ways (or "tones"), and a beginner will invariably have trouble distinguishing one tone from another. But if over a billion people could do it, so could you. Try saying hello!
To say "hello" in Mandarin, say "Ni hao" (Nee HaOW). ("Hao" is pronounced as one syllable, but the tone requires that you let your voice drop midway, and then raise it again at the end.)
I am doing good and wat abt u ??????
hoye Murali ,, wer wer u ? how u doin buddy ?
How are you doing?
I'll vote for that :)
Iberian is the 2nd most spoken language
;)
yes, that was my point, there are a lot o people speaking these languages beyond the official numbers.
Vortice,
For Portuguese, they forgot Goa in India and Malaca in Malaysia (at least...)
I found it in:
http://www.vistawide.com/languages/top_30_languages.htm
Are they counting immigrants?
1. Mandarin Chinese NATIVE: 873 million
2nd: 178 million
TOTAL: 1.051 billion OFFICIAL: People's Republic of China, Republic of China, Singapore
2. Hindi NATIVE: 370 million
2nd:120 million
TOTAL: 490 million OFFICIAL: India, Fiji
3. Spanish NATIVE: 350 million
2nd: 70 million
TOTAL: 420 million OFFICIAL: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Spain, United States (New Mexico, Puerto Rico, Uruguay, Venezuela
4. English NATIVE: 340 million
TOTAL: 510 million OFFICIAL: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, The Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Brunei, Cameroon, Canada, Dominica, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Fiji, The Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, Hong Kong (People's Republic of China), India, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Maldives, Malta, Marshall Islands, Maritius, Micronesia, Namibia, Nauru, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevs, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somolia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Uganda, United Kingdom, United States, Vanuatu, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
5. Arabic NATIVE: 206 million
2nd: 24 million
TOTAL: 230 million
[World Almanac est. total 255 million] OFFICIAL: Modern Standard Arabic: Algeria, Bahrain, Chad, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Niger, Oman, Palestinian Territories, Quatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Western Sahara, Yemen. | Hasaniya Arabic: Mauritania, Senegal
NATIONAL: Mali
Note: These figures combine all the varieties of Arabic. Some data sources, e.g. CIA World Fact Book, World Almanac, Ethnologue, treat these varieties as separate languages.
6. Portuguese NATIVE: 203 million
2nd: 10 million
TOTAL: 213 million OFFICIAL: Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, East Timor, Guinea-Bissau, Macau (People's Republic of China), Mozambique, Portugal, São Tomé e Príncipe.
7. Bengali NATIVE: 196 million
TOTAL: 215 million OFFICIAL: Bangladesh, India (Tripura, West Bengal)
8. Russian NATIVE: 145 million
2nd: 110 million
TOTAL: 255 million OFFICIAL: Abkhazia (part of Georgia), Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyyrgyzstan, Russia, Transnistria (part of Moldova).
9. Japanese NATIVE: 126 million
2nd: 1 million
TOTAL: 127 million OFFICIAL: Japan, Palau
10. German NATIVE: 101 million
2nd: 128 million
TOTAL: 229 million OFFICIAL: Austria, Belgium, Germany, Italy (South Tyrol), Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Poland, Siwtzerland
what so ever, i know 2 top populated languages. wow..
Alexa,
Actually "gweilo" does mean "white ghost", but it’s in Cantonese.
A few more minor corrections to the post:
To say "hello" in French, is not "Bonjour" and this is not pronounced as (bone-JOOR) - Bonjour means good morning and the "n" is nasal.
To say "hello" in French, is "SALUT!"
The same for Portuguese, to say "hello" in Portuguese is not "Bom dia" – “Bom Dia” means “Bonjour” in French and “Good Morning” in English. The "Bom" is pronounced as the “Bon” in French.
To say "hello" in Portuguese is, "OLA'!"
I agree with MD.The list is more correct.
And besides more than 90% people in China speak Mandarin.
Cantonese is only spoken in Canton(Guanzhou or Guangdon province), Then there are other languages like Wu,Min,Yue,Xiang,Gan.
And Cantonese language is called "Kejia"
Another source says:
1. Mandarin
2. Hindi
3. Spanish
4. English
As you can see, it depends on the preferences of the counting person.
Isn't Mandarin the "upper class" Chinese dialect, whearas most chinese speak Canto?
:)exactly, people will do what suits them better.
And that, is changing all the time...
This is the age of english.
cumprimentos,
Don't know what is your concept of global
Portuguese, Spanish, French, are global languages to me.
By the way portuguese comes in 6th, but do this really matter.
Now we all speak english.....if we want to be understood :)
Check mate.....
in near future supremacy of english as a leading language is quite forseeable.
lol, it depends...
Portuguese was quite global, or a business language,long time before "globalization", and of course cable TV and interñet.
I just think that in different circumstances, different things can happen. In the future, who knows? French? Arabic? Spanish?
Nowadays, english is certainly a universal language, no discussion on that!
Regards,
Cumprimentos,
English is the most influential language. other languages do not have the capacity to become global.
well, my portuguese pride obliges me to say that portugal was first born than spain... so, portugal got its indepence for the kingdom of Castilla, which later united with other Iberian kingdoms and formed modern Spain.
WitchStix - Mandarin is a Chinese Dilect and Mandarin Oranges are fruits. :)
Ban Spoon Feeding not Me
mandarin is a fruit-- yum yum! :)
"And think not you can direct the course of love, for love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course" -Khalil Gibran
intresting ...very good article .tnx......
I agree with it.
mY nEPAL
mY pRIDE
many people might call it urdu, rather than hindustani
me here for fun not for arguin
thought of being a bit kind to the keralite crowd here....i'm sick of hearing mallu-pallu-gollu all over the place!
Keep smiling!
Saggi!
lol saggi n charan :) yes saggi u said it !!!!!
The proper word is "Mallus"
Ban Spoon Feeding not Me
but i thought malayalam was one of the top-notch languages in the world.....i know it is so in this part of the world.out of every 10 people,7 are keralites!
the govt. here is indirectly openly declaring it by putting up traffic notices at signals in english,arabic and 'malayalam'! :-D
Keep smiling!
Saggi!
Cantonese and Mandarin..
So, technicaly Engrish is Number 1..
I overlooked the Malay & Indonesia......just cut & paste from the source...
"A candle loses none of its light by lighting another candle"
except that Egypt is not in the Middle East and it is spoken in Africa too (as a national language)
__________________________
Mr. Q's Blog - A Qatari's view on Qatar.
Interesting info... better also to put the source...
Thanks For the Info //////////////lol
"Drink Beer Save Water"
I regret to inform but Portuguese is one of the 5 most spoken languages in the world, and mandarin ain't spoke by all chinese, just a small part.
The countries you mentioned are the ones where portuguese is officially spoken, but there are huge imigration colonies of portuguese like in France, US, Luxembourg, South Africa, etc...
You forgot to mention Cape verde and S.Tome and Prince
Only God Can Judge Me
الله فقط يمكنه محاكمتي
I am you and you are me, if you love i love, if you suffer i suffer
أنا أنت, و أنت أنا, إذا أحببت نفسك أحببت نفسي, إذا عانيتَ عانيتُ
Nepali (Nepalese) is a member of the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European language family. It is spoken by 11 million people in Nepal, 6 million people in India, and 156,000 in Bhutan. The total number of speakers of Nepali is over 17 million (Ethnologue). The language goes by several names. The term Nepali (Nepalese) is generally used by English speakers. It is also called Gorkhali, 'the languages of the Gurkhas' or Parbatiya, 'the language of the mountains.' It was originally known as Khas-Kura, the language of the Khasa kingdom, which ruled over areas in the foothills of what is present-day Nepal in the 13th-14th centuries AD.
Nepali is believed to have developed from a variety of Prakrit spoken in India in the 8th-13th centuries AD which spread to what is now Nepal around the 10th century AD. Written Nepali is attested in documents dating back to the 13th century.
Ban Spoon Feeding not Me
Charan Can u tell me,,,,How many ppl speaks Nepali ?
"Drink Beer Save Water"
Chinese speeks Dilects.Your info is inaccurate.
1. Mandarin
2. Hokkain
3. Tayshzu
read this
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_dialects
Ban Spoon Feeding not Me
"hello" in Mandarin, say "Ni hao"
Sorry. "Ni Haow Ma" is How are you?
Ban Spoon Feeding not Me
"Malay-Indonesian is spoken - surprise - in Malaysia and Indonesia"
Indonesians speek "Bahasa Indonesia" NOT MALAY :)
Ban Spoon Feeding not Me
My teacher Say " Hindi will be the top language Spoken in the World "
"Drink Beer Save Water"