10 Most Difficult Languages to Learn

4. Japanese

Score: 3.41

Japanese has been categorized by the US Foreign Service Institute as one of the five hardest languages to learn along with Arabic, Mandarin, Korean, and Cantonese. What makes Japanese a complex language is its writing system which consists of tens of thousands of characters called ‘kanji’. Moreover, the emphasis in Japanese culture on respectful tone of speech makes it a challenge for new speakers who are not native to the language.

There are more than 128 million speakers of Japanese in the world. Mastering the language can be beneficial considering the economic strength of Japan that employs millions of expatriates from across the world.