If you are a Native Spanish speaker interested in learning a new language. You must be researching on, what are the hardest languages to learn for Spanish speakers.
If so, then this article will help you find your answer. So, keep reading.
Hardest Languages To Learn For Spanish Speakers
Spanish is a Romance language that developed from several other languages. Among them are Latin, Ibero-Romance languages (such as Basque and Galician), and Gothic.
Spanish is similar to other Romance languages like Italian, Portuguese, and French.
It is also related to the non-Romance languages of Catalan and Occitan.
The history of the Spanish language is fascinating and complex.
It began with the spoken Latin of the Roman conquerors. But was quickly influenced by the Germanic Visigoths, who ruled Spain for centuries. Later, Arabic became an important influence.
Geographically, Spanish is spoken in a wide variety of places. It is an official language in Spain, Gibraltar, and Andorra.
In Africa, it is a co-official language of Equatorial Guinea. And an official language in Western Sahara.
Spanish is the official language of Spain and 23 countries in the Americas.
It is also the official language of the European Union. And many international organizations.
In total, there are an estimated 470 million Spanish speakers worldwide.
If you’re a native Spanish speaker. You might think that learning another language would be a breeze.
But in reality, some languages can be quite a challenge for Spanish speakers.
So, If you are trying to learn a new language as a Spanish speaker. Knowing which language is hard to learn will help you prepare for that.
Top 8 Hardest Languages To Learn For Spanish Speakers
Spanish is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world, with over 400 million speakers.
It is also a continuous language. That has retained its original Latin roots throughout history. As a result, learning Spanish can give you a significant advantage.
Especially when attempting to learn other Romance languages. But what about languages completely unrelated to Spanish or any other Romance language?
1. Japanese
Japanese is a notoriously difficult language for speakers of other languages to learn.
It has a complex writing system, difficult grammar, and many unfamiliar words.
For Spanish speakers, the biggest hurdle is probably the writing system. Which can be confusing and overwhelming for beginners.
In addition, the grammar is quite different from Spanish (and other Indo-European languages). That makes it challenging to pick up.
However, it is possible to learn Japanese with time and effort and enjoy everything it offers.
2. Korean:
Although both Spanish and Korean belong to the same language family. Korean is one of the hardest languages to learn for Spanish speakers.
That is because Korean has a completely different alphabet and very complex grammar.
In addition, Korean cultural references are often difficult for Spanish speakers to understand.
3. Russian:
If you already speak Spanish, learning Russian would be quite difficult. Nevertheless, it will still take quite a bit of effort. For you to become proficient in this Slavic language.
One of the main challenges you’ll face is that. Russian has a completely different alphabet than Spanish (and English).
While this might not seem a big deal at first, it will confuse you when you try to read Russian words out loud. In addition, the grammar is also quite different from what you’re used to.
For example, there are no articles in Russian (a, the). And verb conjugations are much more complicated than in Spanish.
But don’t give up! If you’re patient and dedicated, you can learn Russian. Just prepare yourself for a bit of a challenge.
4. Arabic:
If you are a native Spanish speaker, learning Arabic will be one of the hardest languages for you to learn.
That is because the two languages are so different from each other.
For example, Arabic has a completely different alphabet and writing style (right to the left). In addition, Arabic has many loanwords from other languages.
Such as Persian and Turkish. Making it difficult for Spanish speakers to understand.
5. Chinese:
The grammar of Mandarin is quite different from Spanish. As it is a tonal language with little to no inflection.
That can make it difficult to know how to pronounce certain words and phrases properly. Which can, in turn, lead to miscommunication.
Additionally, the written form of Mandarin uses thousands of characters. This can be daunting for those just starting to learn the language.
6. Turkish:
Turkish is one of the most difficult languages for Spanish speakers to learn.
It is a different language family with very little in common with Spanish.
Turkish has complex grammar and a completely different alphabet. It is also spoken in a very different part of the world.
That makes Turkish difficult to find opportunities to practice the language.
7. Danish:
Danish may not share many similarities with Spanish. But that doesn’t mean it’s an easy language for Spanish speakers to learn.
In fact, according to a study by the Swedish Nationalencyklopedin. Danish is the seventh hardest language for Spanish speakers to learn.
While there are some cognates between Danish and Spanish. The two languages have very different grammar rules.
For example, Danish has three grammatical genders (male, female, and neuter). While Spanish only has two (feminine and masculine).
Danish verbs are conjugated differently than Spanish verbs. And Danish nouns can have up to nine different forms depending on their function in a sentence.
If you’re a Spanish speaker looking to add Danish to your list of languages, get prepared for a challenge.
But with some hard work and dedication, you can learn this difficult language!
8. German:
German is one of the most difficult languages for Spanish speakers to learn. That is largely because it is such a different language from Spanish.
Both languages are different in terms of grammar and vocabulary. However, with a little effort and persistence, Spanish speakers can learn German.
Why Can A Language Be Harder To Learn For Spanish Speakers
The languages that are hardest for Spanish speakers. They are typically the most dissimilar to Spanish.
In terms of grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation.
For example, English and French have very different grammar rules from Spanish.
While German is more similar grammatically but has different pronunciations.
1. Difference In Grammar:
The grammar rules between Spanish and English are very different. You must be very careful with verb tenses and gender agreement in Spanish.
If you’re not used to thinking about these things, making mistakes can be very easy.
Many words in English have no direct translation in Spanish. That can make it difficult to understand second-nature concepts to native English speakers.
Additionally, false cognates (words that look similar in both languages. But have different meanings) can confuse learners and lead to misunderstandings.
2. Difference In Pronunciation:
The further away a language is from your own, the more difficult it will be to learn.
English, for example, is one of the hardest languages for a native Spanish speaker to learn.
This is largely due to the differences in pronunciation between the two languages.
In Spanish, there are only five vowel sounds. In English, there are 12. This can make it very difficult for Spanish speakers. To produce the correct sounds when speaking English.
In addition, English has many silent letters. This can make it difficult to know how to pronounce a word simply by looking at it.
3. Difference In Writing System:
One of the main challenges Spanish speakers face when learning English. It is the difference in the writing system. Unlike Spanish, which is written in a phonetic alphabet.
English uses a combination of pictographs, ideograms, and logograms. Meaning some letters represent entire words or concepts).
This can make it difficult for Spanish speakers to sound out words when reading English text.
Is English Hard To Learn For Spanish Speakers?
English is not particularly difficult for Spanish speakers to learn. English has many similarities to Spanish in terms of grammar and vocabulary.
However, some aspects of English can be challenging for Spanish speakers.
One difficulty is that English has a much larger vocabulary than Spanish.
As a result, tens of thousands of words in English have no direct equivalent in Spanish. This can make it challenging to find the right word when speaking or writing in English.
Another difficulty is that English grammar is more complex than Spanish grammar.
For example, English has more verb tenses than Spanish. And the rules for using them are often more difficult to remember.
Additionally, English often uses articles (a, an, the) before nouns. Whereas Spanish does not.
However, English is not an excessively difficult language for Spanish speakers.
With dedication and practice. Most people should be able to become proficient in English within a few years.
Final Thoughts:
In conclusion, there is no definitive answer. What are the hardest languages to learn for Spanish speakers?
Everyone has different learning abilities and preferences. So some people may find Chinese or Russian easier than English. While others may find English easier than French.
Ultimately, the best way to determine how difficult a language is to learn is to try it yourself!
- What Language Do They Speak In The Philippines? Explore! - March 20, 2024
- What Language Do They Speak In Nepal? - March 20, 2024
- What Language Do They Speak In Poland? Explore More - March 19, 2024