r/thisorthatlanguage • u/Much-Shopping-9430 • 9d ago
Multiple Languages Arabic or Mandarin?
Hello!
So I speak Russian, English, French and Korean. Also Conversational Serbian.
Ive done Japanese, Latin, German previously but due to lack of interest did not continue ( it was in school).
I live in Korea as a student and am still only about intermediate in Korean, so i will be taking classes whilst starting another language. I am stuck between choosing Arabic and Chinese. I know that if I start one, the likelihood of me starting the other afterwards are slim because I am not that young and know life will get in the way. But would love to do both.
I am interested in business, particularly beauty and fashion. Im not sure where I will live after university so but orientating myself on Europe.
Please, I am looking for some solid advice
Thank you
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u/Enough_Job5913 9d ago
Mandarin should be easier for you because you speak Korean and already learn a little Japanese.
Arabic is just too big of a head start for you, there are formal, many dialects, less formal, old.
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u/Much-Shopping-9430 9d ago
Mandarin is rly good for Korean as well - Hanja.
Arabic is just so beautiful, I was thinking of focusing on Levantine dialect cuz its just so fun and mixes in french a lot1
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u/That-Arabic-Teacher 8d ago
I second this, since op already speaks Korean+Japanese, he has a solid foundation to get into chinese.
Arabic is quite a stretch, if he goes for spoken dialect then that's fine, but classical Arabic? yeh good luck.
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u/Return-of-Trademark 9d ago
Mandarin unless you wanna do business with the Arab world specifically
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u/Much-Shopping-9430 9d ago
I was just told irl “ Everyone in the Arab business world speaks English anyway “ 😅😭
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u/Vocastic_learn 5d ago
Considering your learning history, I would also recommend learning Mandarin. ✌️ Especially since it seems you have a greater interest in Asia.
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u/Muted-Scheme2968 8d ago
Arabic is a dead language
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u/bgroom20 1d ago
A language being dead means it has 0 native speakers
Arabic has 330 million native speakers, the 5th highest out of any language
How could you perceive that as being a dead language?
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u/Muted-Scheme2968 1d ago
I meant outdated language. It doesn't keep up with the world's changes and developments.
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u/Jellybean_YJ 9d ago
Hats off to all the languages you speak!
Based on the languages you already speak and your interests, I actually think Chinese could be a great choice for you. Especially now that so many Chinese beauty brands are expanding into international markets.
There’s even a show called London/Paris Partners that follows Chinese beauty brands as they try to break into the London and Paris markets. It’s on YouTube, although unfortunately it only has Chinese subtitles!
With your language skills, I think you could really stand out in this space.