World’s Most Spoken Languages. I already mastered English and Mandarin. Which 3rd language should one pick up?

[metanoia]

World’s Most Spoken Languages​

What We’re Showing​

The ten languages with the largest speaker base worldwide in 2025, measured by total speakers and ranked by size. The figures include both native speakers and people who use the language as a second language, highlighting not just population strength but also global reach.

Key Takeaways​

• English tops the list with about 1,528 million speakers, reinforcing its position as the world’s primary language of international communication, business and the digital economy.
• Mandarin Chinese follows closely with around 1,184 million speakers, reflecting China’s large population and the language’s strong regional influence.
• Hindi, spoken by roughly 609 million people, underscores India’s growing demographic and cultural footprint on the global stage.
• Spanish ranks fourth with about 558 million speakers, driven by its widespread use across Latin America, Spain and parts of the United States.
• Standard Arabic, French, Bengali, Portuguese, Russian and Indonesian complete the top ten, each spoken by more than 250 million people, showing how history, migration and regional power shape global language use.

Together, these languages reveal how population trends and global connections determine the way the world communicates in 2025.

 

[eatshitndie]

for sure hindi. भोसड़ा. भोसरचोदल.

 

[A Singaporean]

Hindi. Soon to replace Melayu as Sickipoora national language.

 

[Dreamliner787]

Hokkien.

 

[syed putra]

If want to stay, malay. Otherwise, get out.

 

[metanoia]

If want to stay, malay. Otherwise, get out.

I am actually thinking of Bahasa Indonesian. Most logical geographically and economically for me who is living in this damn island

 

[syed putra]

I am actually thinking of Bahasa Indonesian. Most logical geographically and economically for me who is living in this damn island

Javanese are paranoid and will get mad if you name bahasa indonesia as malay. They have this fear of malay nationalism. They murdered off all resemblance of malay sultanates in sumatra and Kalimantan but maintain the javanese monarchy in jogjakarta.

 

[ftan42]

No Singlish

 

[tobelightlight]

Spanish...many EU and angmoh tend to speak it. Then u can safety say you covered almost 2/3 of the world. Good luck.

 

[Dreamliner787]

CL2 considered mastered Chinese language?

 

[syed putra]

Spanish...many EU and angmoh tend to speak it. Then u can safety say you covered almost 2/3 of the world. Good luck.

But you are not in the Americas.

 

[Charlie99]

Spanish

 

[metanoia]

CL2 considered mastered Chinese language?

It's not master. It's for communication with chiobus.

 

[sbfuncle]

I think I didn't mastered any spoken languages well.
Except a gce oar level C5 written English.

I can only speak English with Asians.
When i speak to amdk at work, they cannot understand.
When i speak mandarin to China chinese people, they cannot understand.

But when I was with Thai bar girls, I becum a diversified speakers.
Cos some Thai girls picked up bit of English, some picked up bit of Hokkien, some canto, some teo chew, probably from their customers.
So when I could speak to everyone of them, and spoke hokkien + English + Mandarin to my buddy, they were amazed. They said wah, why you can speak so many languages KNN

Gin seet bai.

 

[sbfuncle]

Hokkien.

Sometimes, we can speak hokkien in a Japanese tone de woh

 

[KingFook Sr]

If want to stay, malay. Otherwise, get out.

Why so emo?
CECA already more than malay in SG population.

 

[tobelightlight]

But you are not in the Americas.

Why do u care where I am? He is asking a question for himself so I direct the answer to him.