Most Spoken Languages

1. Mandarin language - China

The highest number of speakers use Mandarin language the number of speakers are crossed 1 billion plus, it is the most widely spoken language on the planet which is based in the most populated country on the planet, China. 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.

To say "hello" in Mandarin, say "Ni hao" (Nee HaOW). The "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

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, Canada.

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. 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.

To say "hello" in Hindustani, say "Namaste".

4. Spanish

Spanish is spoken in just about every South American and Central American country, 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".

5. Russian

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 say "hello" in Russian, say "Zdravstvuite" (ZDRAST-vet- yah).

6. Arabic

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. 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 1974 it was made the sixth official language of the United Nations.

To say "hello" in Arabic, say "Al salaam a'alaykum" .

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, the number of Bengali speakers in the world is much higher than people would expect.

To say "hello" in Bengali, say "Ei Je" (eye-jay).

8. Portuguese

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. 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).

9. Malay - Indonesia

Malay Language is spoken in Malaysia and Indonesia. 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 is the ninth most-spoken in the world.

To say "hello" in Indonesian, say "Selamat pagi" (se-la-maht pa-gee).

10. French

French often called the most romantic language in the world, French is spoken in countries like Belgium, Canada, Rwanda, Cameroon, Haiti and France.

To say "hello" in French, say "Bonjour" (bone-joor).