Learning multiple languages helps our brain function better. It improves the ability to multitask and grasp concepts more quickly. Here, we will tell you about the hardest languages to learn. Find out what makes them challenging for you to try.
You may have an ear for languages for a very long time. You have always wanted to learn a foreign language, but you couldn’t find the right time. Maybe you couldn’t understand what the perfect foreign language for you to know is.
There are hundreds of foreign languages out there, and they won’t always be a piece of cake to grasp. So you need to know all the details before you step into the world of foreign languages. It’s better to know which language would be worth the attempt.
Whether you are thinking about learning a foreign language or just interested in knowing about various foreign languages, this article about the hardest languages to learn will help you a lot. So we suggest you pay attention until the end and become aware of all the necessary and important details of some foreign languages.
Table of Contents
Hardest languages to learn
If you learn a foreign language, it will be easier for you to start a conversation with someone who hails from the country. Knowing languages can come in handy when visiting a place where people cannot familiarize themselves with otherwise.
Every language is different from another, and the difficulty level of learning a new language depends on the language you have spoken from childhood. For example, someone who knows Hindi can quickly grasp Sanskrit.
Let us check out which language is likely to be the most difficult to learn:
1. Arabic
Arabic is one of the most challenging languages to learn, and it might take years for you to take control of this particular language. Especially if you are from an English-speaking country, it would be harder for you. You need to spend a reasonable amount of time and show patience to learn the Arabic language.
One of the main reasons its difficulty level is so high is that the Arabic alphabets are unfamiliar. The alphabets are more like drawings than they are like letters. When you write them and recite them, you find them completely different from English.
If you notice all the languages derived from the Germanic root, you will see a pattern in their vocabularies. But when it comes down to English and Arabic, the picture is quite different. You need to gain direct knowledge of alphabets and know about the vowel markings that indicate the meaning of a word.
2. Japanese
Most Asian languages are ready to give a tough time to those from certain English-speaking countries. As you know, the written forms are different and have certain characteristics that make them hard for a new learner.
We are not here to discourage you, but you should know that there are thousands of letters to learn to write Japanese properly. This language has three various forms of writing, and each of them has its own alphabet. But if you can outrun these problems, you will be familiar with new cultivation where the seniors have a different place.
3. Chinese Mandarin
Chinese Mandarin is a complicated language that depends entirely upon grammar and the volume of the narrator. It is a tonal language which means that your voice tone determines the meaning of your words.
When it comes to grammar, it is not sufficient to know the primary rules. A single mistake can change the entire meaning. Also, the Chinese speaking form and written form are not the same at all. It is not easy to handle both reading and writing skills at all.
4. Korean
First, those trying to learn Korean notice that the formation of sentences is strange. For example, if you narrate an act, you have to put the subject in the beginning. Then place the object and complete the sentence by putting the act in the end.
The sentence formation, speaking form is different in Korean. The written form is quite similar to Chinese, which creates some problems for those who are new.
5. Greek
We already talked about four of the hardest languages to learn, and now Greek makes its place right in the middle. Some people may find Greek a little less hard than the languages we mentioned, but again, certain characteristics are hard to learn. Definitely, the Korean alphabet is not the easiest to learn.
But what the beginners find hard is to use the stress while speaking to someone to make sure that the other person can fully comprehend what you are trying to say. If someone puts the stresses where they are not needed, that can alter the entire interpretation.
6. Icelandic
If you are thinking about learning the Icelandic language, you should know that it is not about how hard it is to learn; it is about taming the actual language.
There are certain complications when learning this language, but that doesn’t mean that the written form is different. The words are complicated to spell, and there are few words connected to the same origin.
In addition, there are very few people in the world who speak this language. So the problem is definitely finding the study materials.
7. Estonian
Estonian has made its place in this list because of its complicated formation. It is also one of the European languages confined in its own country.
The grammatical rules can be loosened sometimes, and the words aren’t always derived from another Language as they have very little dominance over the other languages.
8. Finnish
If you ever watched The Lord of the Rings trilogy, you are familiar with the Elvish language. Well, those are actually the Finnish language. J.R.R. Tolkien used the Finnish language to create the language of the Elves.
Like the other European languages, the Finnish language is confined within the territory of Finland. Many people find Finnish and Estonian as kinsmen because these two languages have a lot in common. But the Finnish language is quite simpler than Estonian.
But again, there aren’t many scopes to learn Finnish. However, many people’s mother tongue is Finnish in comparison with Estonian.
9. Thai
Though the grammatical formation of the Thai language resembles the English language, its written form is different. Like Chinese, this language too depends on the narrator’s tone. The alphabets, too, may create problems for the English speakers.
10. Norwegian
This is the kind of language you can easily lay your hands on. But you should know that generally, the people of Norway speak this language, and it is formal. Like Arabic, the accents vary and can change the interpretation.
Hardest languages to learn for English speakers
You are reading about the hardest languages to learn, and now we will discuss the hardest languages to learn for English speakers.
How much you will find a language less hard than the other one entirely depends on what your mother tongue is.
You can compare that foreign language with your own and decide which features you find common between these two languages.
Whether you are from an English-speaking country or a non-English speaking country, that is what makes a difference.
1. Hindi
One of the hardest languages to learn for an English speaker is Hindi which is spoken across India.
The written form of the Hindi language is Devanagari which is certainly not easy for an English speaker to take control of.
The written form is also known as an abugida, which usually means that a certain letter illustrates a consonant and vowel connection, not one vowel or consonant.
The whole process gets harder because there aren’t any indications about how to make the sound of a word correctly in the written form of Hindi.
It is that kind of language where certain changes in pronunciation can change the whole interpretation.
Obviously, Hindi is one of the hardest languages to learn, but there are certain words in Hindi that are also found in Arabic. So if you have abilities in Arabic, you will be one step ahead.
2. Vietnamese
It is a tonal language like Chinese, and it makes it hard for English-speaking people. There are six different types of tones in Vietnamese that can change the interpretation of a conversation. This is a lot to process for an English-speaking person.
Also, there are several accents in different areas of Vietnam. So it can cause disturbances for those who need to travel constantly.
3. Hungarian
The people of Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Serbia, and Ukraine use the Hungarian language as their interpreting medium. The Hungarian language can be very complicated. The agglutination makes this language hard.
Agglutination signifies that there is no use of prepositions. Prefixes and suffixes are used in words. So a verb can be used as a whole sentence.
There are about 26 cases which makes it a little harder in grammar. In this language, we see a coherence of vowels, and often an additional vowel is used at the very end of a word to acquire its correctness.
What is the hardest language to learn for non-English speakers?
Now comes the question of what is the hardest language to learn for non-English speakers. So without wasting time, read below:
The Dutch language
The people of Belgium and the Netherlands speak Dutch, and this is their primary language.
Nearly 24 million people in the world use the Dutch language as their conversation medium.
While the English language falls in the category of Anglo Frisian branch, the Dutch language comes in the low Franconian group.
Many words belong to English, which we can find in the Dutch dictionary. So, those who are not familiar with English at all would find the Dutch language quite untouchable. The knowledge of accurate English pronunciation is needed to know Dutch very well.
In English grammar, we find participles, and in Dutch too, the process is quite alike. But in Dutch, they include ‘e’ in place of ing at the end of a verb.
The Dutch language is generally an alliance between English and German language. But in terms of sequencing the words, the Dutch language owes the German language.
Final thoughts
Now you know about the hardest languages to learn. Language learning entirely depends on your interest and how much you are willing to become acquainted with it. Not everyone can hold their interest till the very end. Many don’t want to continue their journey as they find it hard.
So we suggest that before you decide to learn a foreign language, don’t forget to know about the details. The main concerns are how much it differs from your own language and how many materials are there to help you. Choose wisely and become a language expert.
