1. Mandarin
Number of speakers: 1 billion+
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.)
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.)
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, say "What's up, freak?" (watz-UP-freek).
To say "hello" in English, say "What's up, freak?" (watz-UP-freek).
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).
To say "hello" in Hindustani, say "Namaste" (Nah-MAH-stay).
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).
To say "hello" in Spanish, say "Hola" (OH-la).
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).
To say "hello" in Russian, say "Zdravstvuite" (ZDRAST-vet- yah).
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 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).
To say "hello" in Arabic, say "Al salaam a'alaykum" (Ahl sah-LAHM ah ah-LAY-koom).
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).
To say "hello" in Bengali, say "Ei Je" (EYE-jay).
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).
To say "hello" in Portuguese, say "Bom dia" (bohn DEE-ah).
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).
To say "hello" in Indonesian, say "Selamat pagi" (se-LA-maht PA-gee).
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).
To say "hello" in French, say "Bonjour" (bone-JOOR).
Source :-http://worldtoptenthings.blogspot.in/search/label/World%20Top%2010%20Spoken%20Languages
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