In terms of landmass Asia is the largest continent in the world with 40 countries resident in it.
Asia stretches from the eastern Mediterranean ocean to the western Pacific Ocean and packs some of the largest population in the world. Harboring a population six times that of Europe, Asia also has a whopping population of 4.46 billion people and has also become a tourist spot and a melting point for various economic activities.
Asia has the largest number of indigenous languages in the world, rounding up to around 2,300 languages and it is of deserving honor that we take a look at the top 10 languages spoken in Asia. It is helpful to know these languages so that should you choose to travel to Asia for an amazing time, you would be able to communicate with and understand the indigenes better. In addition to having a good grasp of the languages of the continent, you will better appreciate their culture.
The Covid pandemic has turned the world to be a global village and more so now than ever, we are learning to see, hear and experience diverse cultures and languages through our android devices and personal computer screens.
Through research and popular demand, this article would help you with the list of the top 10 languages spoken in Asia and various resources needed to assist with translation.
For your learning pleasure, here is the list of Top 10 Languages Spoken in Asia;
- Mandarin
- English
- Arabic
- Malay
- Persian
- Bangla
- Hindi
- Russian
- Indonesia
- Japanese
1. Mandarin:
Source: esl-languages.com
This is the most popular version of the language of Chinese and is also the lingua franca of China. 51% of Asia’s total population amounting to 1 billion people speaks Chinese. It is popularly spoken in Hong Kong, Malaysia and Macau. The huge economic growth in China over the last decade has certainly played an important role in the widespread usage of the Chinese language and preparation for a much more economic boom; it is pertinent that we begin to learn the language. Just in case.
2. Hindi:
Yes, Hindi is not Arabic. It has roughly 550 million speakers and Hindi has Indian origins. This makes it also one of the official languages spoken in Asia. If you enjoy Pryanka Chopra on TV and in Bollywood series, then you most likely have heard Hindi many more times than you think. Hindi is also spoken in Pakistan, United Arab Emirates, and Mauritius. Hindi is in fact very popular; it takes precedence in regions with a vast Indian population.
3. English:
Source: e-ir.info
What were you expecting? Asides from being the lingua franca of many countries, English is also one of the top spoken languages in Asia with about 17 percent of its population speaking in English, that is about 300 million people speaking English in Asia. It is a well-known fact that in most countries, English was introduced during the period of colonization; however, it has become a much preferred mode of communication across borders and in home towns especially with the world coming together.
4. Arabic:
Yes, Arabic is one of the languages you would call beautiful and it is spoken not only by the Muslim population of Asia but also by some non-Islamic parts of the population, totaling to about 26 countries. Arabic speaking tour guides are popular in UAE, Saudi Arabia, Israel and around the Middle East. Future Trans is one such organization that provides an extensive experience in delivering Arabic translation via Future Trans translation to businesses across the world. And every business these days does need translators and translation as a medium to enter into new regions and markets.
5. Malay:
Source: unsplash.com
As its name implies, it is the official language of Malaysia. Malay and Indonesia are yin yang languages just as American and British English are. It may also come as a surprise to you but Malay is one of the top languages to learn in Asia and is spoken in the Philippines with Singapore and Brunei having it as an official language.
6. Persian:
An age-old language that colors history books, Persian is a fairly spoken language in the continent of Asia with most speakers as members of royal lineages.
7. Bangla:
Source: unsplash.com
Bangla also averages the same as Hindi with its India origins. Bangla t is among the commercially spoken languages in Asia. The area associated with speaking Bangla is Bangladesh and in most cases, Assam, Tripura, West Bengal and several East Indian states.
8. Russian:
Russian language does not just end in Russia as a country. With a certain bloc of Soviet Union around Asia totaling to about 260 million speakers, Russian has taken itself to be one of the top spoken languages in Asia with about 400 million worldwide speakers. It is the 7th most spoken language in the world.
9. Indonesian:
Source: unsplash.com
Even more popular than Japanese with 240 million speakers, Indonesia is a widely spread language in Asia and has been used in communication and can also be heard spoken in large droplets in the marketplace. Indonesia is definitely amongst the top ten languages spoken in Asia with translators readily available to guide newcomers as it is part of the easiest Asian languages to learn.
10. Japanese:
Finally, the tenth language that in no way has the least spot is Japanese. It has about 120 million speakers and these numbers are due to the sacredness the language holds in the history of Asians. The Japanese language, although closely related to the Chinese language, is fundamentally different. While the Chinese language is majorly spoken due to economic advantage, the Japanese language is spoken and spread to give some sort of reverence to ancient history.
There you have it, the exhaustive list of Top 10 Languages Spoken in Asia. In case you missed the memo, a quick reminder that Asian countries offer one of the very best getaways for a culturally rich vacation to help you better appreciate the Asian culture.
Let us know in the comments below the Asian language you would like to speak and why?
