What are the languages spoken ​​in Europe? Read about the TOP 5 most popular languages!

Europe is the second smallest continent in the world (right after Australia). Its area covers approximately 10 million km². It is inhabited by over 746 million people. They speak many different languages, both native and foreign ones. It is worth noting that the vast majority of the above languages belong to the Indo-European family. Find out about the most widely spoken languages ​​in Europe and see which ones have the greatest business potential.

The most commonly used languages ​​in Europe – TOP 5

How many languages ​​can you come across in Europe? As many as 200 different languages ​​are spoken there. Officially, the continent is home to 24 official languages ​​and more than 60 regional and minority languages. Compared to other continents such as Africa, it may not seem like an impressive number. Nevertheless, looking at the area of Europe, it can be stated that it is characterized by considerable linguistic diversity. Check out the list below to find out which European languages ​​are the most popular ones.

1. Russian

Russian takes the first place. It is spoken by around 120 million people in Europe. It is quite unique because, unlike other European languages, it is written in Cyrillic rather than Latin. Russian is the official language of Belarus and Russia. Moreover, it is widely used in other Eastern European countries.

2. German

German takes the second place and is spoken by around 100 million people in Europe. It is the official language of Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Belgium and Switzerland. Interestingly, German is a language understandable to a large part of Europe. In this category, it ranks second, just after English. It is chosen as one of the most common languages ​​to learn, especially in Denmark, Sweden, Slovenia and Poland.

3. French

The elegant and melodious French is third. About 80 million Europeans speak it. Where is it used as the official language? Of course in France. In addition, it is an official language in 30 countries, including Belgium, Switzerland and Luxembourg. French is a very popular language to learn. Furthermore, it is often referred to as the language of love and this should not be surprising. After all, it is subtle and sounds beautiful.

4. Italian

Italian takes the next place. It is spoken by approximately 69 million people in Europe. There is obviously no surprise that it has the status of an official language in Italy. In addition, it is one of the official languages ​​of San Marino, Switzerland and the Vatican. Italian is very closely related to Latin, the language of Ancient Rome. It is very often associated with art.

5. English

The last place on the list of the most popular languages ​​spoken in Europe is taken by English. It is used by 60 million people on this continent. However, from the usability point of view, it is by far the most widely used language not only in Europe, but also in the world. It owes its popularity to the fact that it is offered as a school subject in many countries. The countries with the highest level of English education include Czechia, the Netherlands, Sweden and Liechtenstein.

The TOP 5 most difficult European languages ​

Now that you already know the most popular languages ​​of Europe, it’s time to take a look at the ones that are considered the most difficult. This category includes:

1. Polish, which is characterised by lots of “sh” and “ch” sounds, three grammatical genders and an extensive system of inflection of words.

2. Icelandic, containing a large amount of archaic vocabulary and a very complex grammatical system.

3. Greek, the syllable and sound system of which is difficult to learn.

4. Hungarian, characterized by quite complicated grammar and long words.

5. Welsh language with complicated spelling rules.

European Business Languages ​​– TOP 5

Speaking of European languages, it is certainly worth mentioning those that have the greatest business potential. It might seem that the knowledge of highly popular languages will guarantee professional success. As it turns out, however, people who know less popular languages ​​also have a high chance of being employed. European business languages ​​certainly include:

1. Norwegian

2. Swedish

3. Dutch

4. Icelandic

5. Czech

Is it worth learning niche languages?

Knowledge of at least one of the above-mentioned languages ​​is enough to ensure a well-paid job in various types of enterprises. As you probably already know, speaking only English today will not be enough. Increasingly, companies show a need for people who know at least one niche language. It is mainly related to business contacts. It is also worth mentioning that people who learn less popular languages ​​are perceived by employers as creative and ambitious.

The TOP 5 most popular languages ​​in the world

Now that you have already learnt about the top languages in Europe, I will discuss this aspect on a global scale. See the list below and learn about the 5 most used languages ​​in the world.

1. English

The most popular language is English with approximately 1.5 billion speakers worldwide. It is an official language in 67 countries. It is also often considered the main language of the Internet. It contains over 65% of all content contained therein.

2. Chinese

Chinese is in second place with 1.1 billion speakers. I must admit that this number is really impressive. It is worth noting, however, that Chinese includes, among others Mandarin, Yue, and Wu. Due to the same writing system, they are classified in one group.

3. Hindi

Hindi is the third most spoken language in the world. It is used by 281 million people, the vast majority of whom live in India. It can also be heard in Suriname, Nepal, Fiji and Mauritius. Interestingly, this language is not the easiest one, and the Devanagari script is used to write in it.

4. Spanish

Spanish is fourth. It is the official language of 20 countries and is spoken by 420 million people worldwide. You can come across Spanish in Mexico, Venezuela, Paraguay, Peru, Mexico, Spain and many other countries. Interestingly, it is also widely used in the United States, Andorra, Gibraltar, and Belize.

5. French

The last language on this list is French. It is used by 274 million people around the world. It is the official language in 29 countries. This makes it the second most used official language, after English. Where exactly can you hear it? Among others, in France, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Canada and Belgium.

Translation of European languages

As you can see, although Europe is not one of the largest continents in the world, it boasts quite a lot of languages. Is it worth learning them? Certainly! The ability to speak many different languages ​​makes it possible not only to get more attractive earnings, but also to communicate with people from other countries without any problems. However, as you probably know, it is impossible to master every possible language.

For this reason, you can always contact us and our Translators. We offer translations in over 60 different languages ​​of the world and 304 language pairs. You will find all the languages ​​mentioned in the article. We operate quickly, professionally and completely online. If you are looking for translations of European (and not only) languages, be sure to go through our offer.

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