@UltimateTop10, I don't speak any of these, but since I've been there, I've learned a few words of Icelandic, and I think I can pronounce it accurately; I can say a few phrases and count to 10 in Polish, but that's the extent of my skills.
@zequack, thanks for the heart, but I still don't know what your point is, unless you're saying that (1) you watched the entire video, or (2) that you were paying attention while you were watching it, or (3) you were saying to the rest of us, "Here's the list; now you don't need to watch this video."
A more correct title would be "some well-known languages that can be challenging for English speakers". There are numerous languages that would be a lot more difficult. And Icelandic is definitely not that hard.
Wow, you’ve got quite the linguistic bucket list! Just remember, if you start speaking Pirahã, you might have to ditch your calendar-time is not their thing!
All of thse languages have a writing system, which in fact mitigates the learning process. But if we were to be more objective, languages without a writing system would be much harder. Papuan languages, Australian language, Siberian languages, Cambodian has over 30 vowel sounds, and Saramaccan has a different word for "on top" depending on the surface below. Not to mention other Afro-Asiatic languages and Khoesan languages. To become an intermidiate in those would definitely be worth boasting.
You make a great point! Languages with writing systems definitely provide a clearer pathway for learners, but those without them can be fascinating challenges that really test our linguistic abilities.
You describe vowel harmony as a feature unique to Turkish. Just among those dealt with in this video, it also applies to Hungarian and Finnish. It also applies, in varying degrees, to many others. See the Wikipedia article on the subject.
Thank you for the insight! It’s great to see viewers engaging with the content and adding valuable information. Vowel harmony is such an intriguing topic to explore!
Cantonese is harder than Mandarin for me by 10x. Languages that don’t have a writing system in entertainment (Cantonese doesn’t use the same one for what they speak and impossible to find Cantonese subs on stuff that match spoken) are almost impossible for me. At least with Mandarin you can easily find Mandarin subs on everything! Not to mention the tones are way more complex in Cantonese than Mandarin. I’m fluent in Japanese because I was lucky enough to read thousands of hours of it. And enjoyed the process via entertainment. Although I like Hong Kong movies, I’m going in blind without any subs or references to learn the vocab. At least with Japanese I can hear stuff wayyy easier too, and there’s a plethora of ways to learn everything.
Side note: I dated a girl from Hong Kong for four years and lived there with her family, and I still suck at Cantonese , compared to my Japanese proficiency
Ah, the classic Cantonese conundrum! It’s like trying to find a needle in a haystack, but that needle is a Cantonese subtitle! Keep pushing through-every tonal twist is just part of the adventure!
I always thought that I had a mental block when it comes to learning languages. Did Spanish twice in College and failed miserably. How about taking one language at a time maybe Spanish and Mandarin and teaching 10 commonly used words daily. That would be a significant help.. thanks for another great video.
Thank you so much for your kind words and thoughtful suggestion! I really appreciate your input and will definitely consider incorporating that approach in future videos!
I began the study of Thai as a teenager, more than fifty years ago, and have worked on it persistently since. In spite of the torment that I have occasionally inflicted on Thai tones, most Thai people, including my wife of more than thirty years, are usually quite gentle when laughing at me. Taking up Khmer in my early thirties produced a useful level of conversational and reading capability, but the combination of greater age, diminished language learning flexibility, and less opportunity to use Khmer have left me with a more basic level of capability. A bit of a look-in on Hindi beginning at about fifty made Bollywood films more accessible. One of my Khmer instructors used to say that language students had a duty to make people laugh. I have fulfilled that duty ‘in spades.’
Nope. Wrong on both accounts. We have a group of professional editors on the job and that beautiful voice......belongs to one of the trio behind this channel.
Bad list. Caucasian languages: avar, chechen, tabasaran, archi etc. Are gramatically and phonetically way more difficult than those on the list. Polish listed as having difficult pronunciation is funny. Compare it with, for example, circassian language. It has ejective consonants, uvulars, laryngeals, labialization, laterals. Totally ca. 50 consonants. Speaking about grammar, the tabasaran langauge has 47 cases. You just listed the big languages that everyone knows about. You could have listed many native American (salishan, wakashan, Na-dene) languages too. They have similarities in phonology with caucasian languages. There are many languages that are more difficult than these on the video. They are just not that big.
Ah, the world of languages is a wild jungle! While some are like a gentle stroll, others are like a hike up a mountain. Who knew Polish was the “easy mode” in this game?
What language have you had difficulty learning? Any of the ones on this list? Comment below!
@UltimateTop10, I don't speak any of these, but since I've been there, I've learned a few words of Icelandic, and I think I can pronounce it accurately; I can say a few phrases and count to 10 in Polish, but that's the extent of my skills.
Abkhaz, Tsez, Tabasaran, Lezgian, Archi, Tsakhur and Adyghe.
10 - Turkish
9 - Polish
8 - Vietnamese
7 - Thai
6 - Finnish
5 - Hungarian
4 - Arabic
3 - Japanese
2 - Mandarin chinese
1 - Icelandic
Wow, if languages were a buffet, you'd have just served up a feast! I might need a bigger plate for all that linguistic goodness!
@zequack, nice job of making a list, but I'm sure what your point is.🤔
@zequack, thanks for the heart, but I still don't know what your point is, unless you're saying that (1) you watched the entire video, or (2) that you were paying attention while you were watching it, or (3) you were saying to the rest of us, "Here's the list; now you don't need to watch this video."
Where you at, @zequack? 🤔
A more correct title would be "some well-known languages that can be challenging for English speakers". There are numerous languages that would be a lot more difficult. And Icelandic is definitely not that hard.
Ah, the eternal debate of language difficulty! Maybe I should start a series called "Languages That Will Make You Sweat." What do you think? 😉
@hcholm, I agree. Some on my list would be Navajo, any of the San languages, and an Amazon basin language in Brazil called Piraha would top my list.
Wow, you’ve got quite the linguistic bucket list! Just remember, if you start speaking Pirahã, you might have to ditch your calendar-time is not their thing!
All of thse languages have a writing system, which in fact mitigates the learning process. But if we were to be more objective, languages without a writing system would be much harder. Papuan languages, Australian language, Siberian languages, Cambodian has over 30 vowel sounds, and Saramaccan has a different word for "on top" depending on the surface below. Not to mention other Afro-Asiatic languages and Khoesan languages. To become an intermidiate in those would definitely be worth boasting.
You make a great point! Languages with writing systems definitely provide a clearer pathway for learners, but those without them can be fascinating challenges that really test our linguistic abilities.
You describe vowel harmony as a feature unique to Turkish. Just among those dealt with in this video, it also applies to Hungarian and Finnish. It also applies, in varying degrees, to many others. See the Wikipedia article on the subject.
Thank you for the insight! It’s great to see viewers engaging with the content and adding valuable information. Vowel harmony is such an intriguing topic to explore!
Cantonese is harder than Mandarin for me by 10x.
Languages that don’t have a writing system in entertainment (Cantonese doesn’t use the same one for what they speak and impossible to find Cantonese subs on stuff that match spoken) are almost impossible for me.
At least with Mandarin you can easily find Mandarin subs on everything!
Not to mention the tones are way more complex in Cantonese than Mandarin.
I’m fluent in Japanese because I was lucky enough to read thousands of hours of it. And enjoyed the process via entertainment.
Although I like Hong Kong movies, I’m going in blind without any subs or references to learn the vocab. At least with Japanese I can hear stuff wayyy easier too, and there’s a plethora of ways to learn everything.
Side note: I dated a girl from Hong Kong for four years and lived there with her family, and I still suck at Cantonese , compared to my Japanese proficiency
Ah, the classic Cantonese conundrum! It’s like trying to find a needle in a haystack, but that needle is a Cantonese subtitle! Keep pushing through-every tonal twist is just part of the adventure!
Thanks for sharing your experience! It's always interesting to hear how different cultures and languages impact our lives. Your journey is inspiring!
I always thought that I had a mental block when it comes to learning languages. Did Spanish twice in College and failed miserably. How about taking one language at a time maybe Spanish and Mandarin and teaching 10 commonly used words daily. That would be a significant help.. thanks for another great video.
Thank you so much for your kind words and thoughtful suggestion! I really appreciate your input and will definitely consider incorporating that approach in future videos!
I began the study of Thai as a teenager, more than fifty years ago, and have worked on it persistently since. In spite of the torment that I have occasionally inflicted on Thai tones, most Thai people, including my wife of more than thirty years, are usually quite gentle when laughing at me. Taking up Khmer in my early thirties produced a useful level of conversational and reading capability, but the combination of greater age, diminished language learning flexibility, and less opportunity to use Khmer have left me with a more basic level of capability. A bit of a look-in on Hindi beginning at about fifty made Bollywood films more accessible. One of my Khmer instructors used to say that language students had a duty to make people laugh. I have fulfilled that duty ‘in spades.’
ขอบคุณครับ សូមអរគុណ
I wish I knew what you said!?!
@@UltimateTop10. Now very easy. Use Google to translate. I was a court interpreter and knew many languages. Want to try.
อยาก ลองไม้. ចង់សាកល្បង.
Using Google Translate? That's like asking a dog to drive! But hey, if it works for you, who am I to judge?
guys never heard about Georgia მსოფლიოში პიკია გაუნათლებლობის 😂
It’s interesting to see how different places can be perceived! Georgia has a rich history and culture that’s definitely worth exploring.
I'm a Hungaryan
That's awesome! It's great to connect with people from Hungary. What do you love most about your culture?
Amazing 😍😍
Thanks 🤗
serbian languages
Serbian languages are fascinating! There’s so much rich history and culture behind them. What aspect are you most interested in?
you missed Korean !?!
Korean isn't so harder for English speakers 🙄
Sorry to say that if i am wrong, but this video looks like and sounds like it was AI generated in InVideo 😑
Nope. Wrong on both accounts. We have a group of professional editors on the job and that beautiful voice......belongs to one of the trio behind this channel.
🔥
My language is Arabic انا ما عندي رصيد بس
That's awesome! Arabic is such a beautiful language. What do you love most about it?
Bad list. Caucasian languages: avar, chechen, tabasaran, archi etc. Are gramatically and phonetically way more difficult than those on the list. Polish listed as having difficult pronunciation is funny. Compare it with, for example, circassian language. It has ejective consonants, uvulars, laryngeals, labialization, laterals. Totally ca. 50 consonants. Speaking about grammar, the tabasaran langauge has 47 cases.
You just listed the big languages that everyone knows about. You could have listed many native American (salishan, wakashan, Na-dene) languages too. They have similarities in phonology with caucasian languages. There are many languages that are more difficult than these on the video. They are just not that big.
Ah, the world of languages is a wild jungle! While some are like a gentle stroll, others are like a hike up a mountain. Who knew Polish was the “easy mode” in this game?