World's 10 Toughest Languages To Learn

Arabic

Spoken across the Middle East and Africa, Arabic presents formidable challenges for learners. With numerous dialects, a vast vocabulary, intricate pronunciations, and a right-to-left writing style, mastering Arabic demands significant effort. According to the US Foreign Service Institute, achieving Professional Working Proficiency in Arabic takes an average of 88 weeks.

Mandarin

As the native language of China and one of the most spoken globally, Mandarin poses considerable difficulty for learners. Its tonal nature, unique alphabets, and diverse pronunciations present formidable hurdles. Additionally, Mandarins abundance of aphorisms and idioms complicates the learning journey.

Japanese

Learning Japanese can be daunting due to its two tenses, complex character system, and intricate writing styles including Kanji, Katakana, and Hiragana.

Korean

Derived from Mandarin, Korean features the unique Hangul writing system. With 19 consonants, 21 vowels, and intricate verb morphology, mastering Korean demands years of dedicated effort.

Hungarian

Despite its widespread usage, Hungarian stands apart from other European languages. Its complex grammar rules, 26 cases, and reliance on suffixes for tense and possession make it particularly challenging to learn.

Telugu

The official language of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Telugu presents significant hurdles with its unique script and grammar, especially for those unfamiliar with Dravidian languages.

Basque

Predominantly spoken in the Basque Country, Basque boasts six distinct dialects and differs significantly from other European languages, adding to its complexity.

Finnish

With no future tense and 15 grammatical cases, Finnish relies heavily on context and word endings for meaning, presenting a challenge for learners.

Polish

Featuring seven cases and a complex grammar system, Polish poses difficulties for native English speakers, especially with its use of diacritics and Latin-derived alphabets.

Russian

As the official language in multiple countries, Russians Cyrillic alphabet and inflected nature add layers of complexity for learners, requiring diligent study and practice.