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The Hardest Languages to Learn for English Speakers

Mandarin, Arabic, Japanese, Korean — why these take 2,200+ hours to master.

Superlore TeamJanuary 18, 20261 min read

The Hardest Languages for English Speakers

The Super Hard Languages (2,200+ hours)

- Mandarin Chinese: Tones, 3,000-4,000 characters - Arabic: Right-to-left script, unfamiliar sounds - Japanese: Three writing systems, 2,000+ kanji - Korean: Complex grammar, honorifics

Why Are They Hard?

Different writing systems, unfamiliar sounds, opposite grammar, zero cognates.

Is It Worth It?

Absolutely — billions of speakers, ancient cultures, career opportunities.

Related Reading

- The Easiest Languages to Learn

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