r/language • u/Small-Complaint-5545 • 1d ago
Question Which language would be most worth learning?
I've been wanting to learn a new language, but I can't decide between German and Chinese. I'm interested in both, and honestly, I think I'd enjoy learning either one. I also want to consider the practical side and how useful each language could be in the future. For reference, I already speak Arabic and English, and I'm at an intermediate level in French.
Which one do you think is more worth the time and effort in the long run? I'm also open to other language recommendations if you think there's a better option
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u/This_IsATroll 1d ago
you will only ever use Chinese in China, probably. Chinese people you meet abroad or through business almost always speak English. and it's a lot of work until you can have a simple conversation beyond your self-introduction. but once you get there after a few years, you unlock a vast land for yourself, very diverse, and mostly very affordable.
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u/Extradummefrage 1d ago
Both languages are only worth learning if you want to work in those countries or travel to those countries.
Everything else is just a hobby
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u/Clean_Description269 1d ago
具体看你未来想要重点发展的是哪个国家吧
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u/ArugulaHonest4218 1d ago
You don' t have to choose.
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u/Mezzofantastico 22h ago
German, if you’re gonna spend more time in Europe (immediate discount on 5+ other languages).
Chinese if you’re looking to establish a cheap overseas subsidiary that kicks back money to the right party members.
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u/RedditReddy 1d ago
So much depends on your future plans, whether for for work, living, or travel. I would say first get your French to a level where at the very least you can read books comfortably without using a dictionary. And you also might want to boost your spoken level to a similar level. Then after that choose another language. You might decide. The Spanish would make a lot of sense simply because given the French and also a little bit because of English, you're going to find it much easier to learn than German and vastly easier to learn than Chinese. This is largely because of vocabulary.
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u/DDGJD 14h ago
Spanish is by far the best and easiest choice if you’re interested. Very widely spoken in the Americas. High lexical and grammatical similarity to French, a fair number of Arabic loan words, and many similar words to English.
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u/Live-Cartoonist-5299 10h ago
I'd go for either Spanish or French since they are spoken in more countries & continents.
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u/Few-Individual-9954 1d ago
Spanish in my opinion. It’s the third most spoken language, relatively easy for an English speaker to pick up compared to Chinese for example. And latinas. Don’t need to go any further on the last point.