While the majority of people not dealing with linguistics will say that English is the most popular language to translate in 2021, it is not entirely so because even though English may represent the majority of online content these days, translators use Spanish just as much when they are dealing with the transnational corporations or get documents ready for those aspiring tourists wishing to discover the world. Therefore, check out the top ten popular languages encountered by translators:
1. Simplified Chinese. It is not a secret that the majority of business operations will need agreements written in Chinese (or Mandarin) because almost every manufacturer these days has to deal with China. Sometimes technical translators also receive odd Chinese manuals and software that must be translated and corrected. It makes it vital to turn to an online localization service to get things in control. As the second-largest economy in the world, it only makes sense that the Chinese are taking the first position.
2. Spanish. In case you didn’t know, it is the second most spoken language in the world after Chinese! You can reach over 500 million different people with your Spanish translations. Just think about it! Argentina, Columbia, Chile, Peru also have specific dialects that must be considered. Check out Hmong translator.
3. Arabic. It is the seventh most popular language with a niche where online users use Arabic only to find information online or exchange messages. If you want to work in the Middle East and parts of Africa, review these 10 Steps to Becoming a Professional Translator first and consider the importance of certification and good morals as it is a vital part here.
4. Portuguese. Before you claim that it is only Portugal, one should add Brazil to the list with over 150 million online users who use Portuguese for their studies and basic interactions. As a rule, these translations are only increasing in popularity today.
5. Indonesian. Have you heard about the Malay language before? In fact, Indonesia boasts over 700 different dialects, the majority of which are official languages. It also has hierarchy rules that are crucial for business translations.
6. Japanese. Japanese translations are one of the most popular in terms of electronics and academic research as it represents one of the strongest world’s economies.
7. Russian. Just think about over 110 million Internet users speaking Russian not only in Russia, Ukraine, or Belarus but all over the ex-USSR countries, including Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and even certain parts of Finland.
8. French. Once again, French is not only spoken in France but in parts of Canada, Belgium, Luxembourg, Monaco, Switzerland, Rwanda, and parts of the Caribbean. Then we also have the Democratic Republic of Congo and Côte d’Ivoire.
9. German. The importance of German with over 150 million speakers cannot be underestimated as it is the second business language after English for technology, finances, and engineering. Do not forget about Austria, Switzerland, and Belgium!
10. Korean. It is spoken by over 77 million people and this country also represents one of the most unique languages in the world that seems to stand on its own in terms of grammar and vocabulary rules. You must also consider that Korean is not a tonal language like Chinese or Vietnamese, which makes it unique as well. Considering the popularity of Korean culture, it is not surprising that the popularity of this Asian language only increases.
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The Growing Popularity of Smaller Languages
Let us not forget the cultural aspect of things where Japanese and Korean seem to take the lead because of the various Asian TV series and the popular culture that seem to take the world by storm. It makes the rapid increase in the various subtitles requests and creative writing as people want to understand the details and the cultural aspects of each language in question. Yes, English may be the most used language online, yet it does have serious rivalry!
