Do you know which is the second-smallest continent on Earth? It is Europe. Approximately, 741.99 million people reside on this continent. We all know that there are more than 7,000 languages spoken around the globe. To your surprise, most of the languages that are spoken around the world originated from Europe. Twenty-four languages are recognized by EU states, and the people of these states speak them. Moreover, 60 languages are classified as regional and minority languages. The languages spoken in Europe depict the rich heritage of Europe. It is assumed that only English is the popular language of the world but did you know that many other languages besides English are popular in Europe?
Let’s dive into the most spoken native languages of Europe.
Russian
In Belarus and Russia, Russian holds court as the official language, while also claiming the title of Europe’s most-spoken native tongue. There are 106 million native Russian speakers that are spread all across Europe. It is one of the most difficult languages to learn because it uses the Cyrillic alphabet and in Europe, the Latin alphabets are used. Russian is also an official language of Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.
If you want to visit Russia then you must learn some phrases of the Russian language because only 5% of Russians can speak the English language. No doubt, learning a new language takes a lot of time. During the learning process, if you need to visit Russia then to mitigate the communication barrier, you can take the assistance of professional translation services.
German
German, known as the language of money, is the second most spoken language in Europe. It is the official language of Liechtenstein, Austria, and Germany. Moreover, it is a co-official language of Luxembourg, Belgium, and Switzerland. Approximately, 95 million European people speak German as their first language. Additionally, people living in the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Poland, and Hungary speak German as a second or third language. Professional German translation services are of great help to you if you want to deal with German-speaking people.
Germany is a power hub among European countries. Therefore, people from around the world migrate to Germany to avail business opportunities. If you want to migrate to Germany, then you must learn the German language. In case you need to communicate with the German people during your immigration process, then you can take the assistance of German translation services.
French
Do you know that around 67-74 million inhabitants of European countries speak the French language, making it the third most spoken language in Europe? It is the official language of France, Western Switzerland, Monaco, and many more. Moreover, it is the co-official language of Luxembourg, Switzerland, and Belgium. You will be surprised to know that French is considered a global language rather than a European language because, in 29 countries of the world, French is used as an administrative or official language. Therefore, learning the French language will make you travel around the world easily. Whether you are traveling in European countries or Asian countries, proficiency in the French language will give you many benefits. But for those who aren’t quite ready to become fluent, finding reliable French translation services can be invaluable.
Italian
Approximately, 65 million speakers across Europe speak the Italian language. It is the official language of Croatia, Vatican City, San Marino, and Italy. The important thing to note about the Italian language is that this language is mutually intelligible with Latin, and it is the language of ancient Rome. Top-notch brands of the world use the Italian language for their marketing efforts. Additionally, it is the language of classical music. If you want to know the rich heritage of Italy and want to observe their lifestyle, then you must learn the Italian language or go for certified italian translation services.
English
People speak English everywhere because it serves as a Lingua Franca. Approximately 1.35 billion speakers around the world and 8 to 9% of the population in Europe speak the English language. The large number of expats that are living in Europe has increased the number of English speakers. One-third of older European people can speak English. Additionally, people from the age of 15-35 years are proficient in this language. It is the fifth most spoken language in Europe. Germanic languages and the French language have an impact on the English language. English is the official language of many countries and is dominating the European continent.
Spanish
Thousands of people from around the world consider Spain one of the best tourist destinations in Europe. Approximately, 46 million European people speak Spanish as their mother tongue. Therefore, learning the Spanish language will make your trip to Spain memorable. The important thing to note about the Spanish language is that it is a very easy language for English speakers to learn. Do you know that there are 20 countries in Europe whose official language is Spanish? Additionally, 500 million people from around the globe speak the Spanish language. Out of this number,43 million people are from Europe.
Other European Languages
Other European languages spoken in Europe are Polish, Ukrainian, Romanian, Dutch, Austro-Bavarian, Hungarian, Turkish, Greek, and Czech. Moreover, people living in Europe also speak Swedish, Serbian, Bulgarian, Neapolitan, Croatian, Danish, Albanian, Finnish, and Slovak. People use these languages both as an official language and a mother tongue.
Wrapping Up
If you want to visit Europe, then you should have the know-how of these languages. As a human being, you cannot learn all the languages. What to do. You can start learning any one of the languages according to the country you want to visit. During your learning process, you can take the assistance of professional translation agencies.