 10. French Number of speakers: 129 million
10. French Number of speakers: 129 millionOften called the most  romantic language in the world, French is spoken in tons of countries,  including Belgium, Canada, Rwanda, Cameroon, and Haiti. Oh, and France  too. We're actually very lucky that French is so popular, because  without it, we might have been stuck with Dutch Toast, Dutch Fries, and  Dutch kissing (ew!).
To say "hello" in French, say "Bonjour" (bone-JOOR).
9. Malay (Indonesian) Number of speakers: 159 millionMalay-Indonesian  is spoken - surprise - in Malaysia and Indonesia. Actually, we kinda  fudged the numbers on this one because there are many dialects of Malay,  the most popular of which is Indonesian. But they're all pretty much  based on the same root language, which makes it the ninth most-spoken in  the world.Indonesia is a fascinating place; a nation made up of over  13,000 islands it is the sixth most populated country in the world.  Malaysia borders on two of the larger parts of Indonesia (including the  island of Borneo), and is mostly known for its capital city of Kuala  Lumpur.
To say "hello" in Indonesian, say "Selamat pagi" (se-LA-maht PA-gee).
8. Portuguese Number of speakers: 191 millionThink  of Portuguese as the little language that could. In the 12th Century,  Portugal won its independence from Spain and expanded all over the world  with the help of its famous explorers like Vasco da Gama and Prince  Henry the Navigator. (Good thing Henry became a navigator . . . could  you imagine if a guy named "Prince Henry the Navigator" became a  florist?) Because Portugal got in so early on the exploring game, the  language established itself all over the world, especially in Brazil  (where it's the national language), Macau, Angola, Venezuela, and  Mozambique.
To say "hello" in Portuguese, say "Bom dia" (bohn DEE-ah).
7. Bengali Number of speakers: 211 millionIn  Bangladesh, a country of 120+ million people, just about everybody  speaks Bengali. And because Bangladesh is virtually surrounded by India  (where the population is growing so fast, just breathing the air can get  you pregnant), the number of Bengali speakers in the world is much  higher than most people would expect.
To say "hello" in Bengali, say "Ei Je" (EYE-jay).
6. Arabic Number of speakers: 246 millionArabic,  one of the world's oldest languages, is spoken in the Middle East, with  speakers found in countries such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Syria,  Jordan, Lebanon, and Egypt. Furthermore, because Arabic is the language  of the Koran, millions of Moslems in other countries speak Arabic as  well. So many people have a working knowledge of Arabic, in fact, that  in 1974 it was made the sixth official language of the United Nations.
To say "hello" in Arabic, say "Al salaam a'alaykum"
5. Russian Number of speakers: 277 millionMikhail  Gorbachev, Boris Yeltsin, and Yakov Smirnoff are among the millions of  Russian speakers out there. Sure, we used to think of them as our Commie  enemies. Now we think of them as our Commie friends. One of the six  languages in the UN, Russian is spoken not only in the Mother Country,  but also in Belarus, Kazakhstan, and the U.S. (to name just a few  places).
To say "hello" in Russian, say "Zdravstvuite" (ZDRAST-vet- yah).
4. Spanish Number of speakers: 392 millionAside  from all of those kids who take it in high school, Spanish is spoken in  just about every South American and Central American country, not to  mention Spain, Cuba, and the U.S. There is a particular interest in  Spanish in the U.S., as many English words are borrowed from the  language, including: tornado, bonanza, patio, quesadilla, enchilada, and  taco grande supreme.
To say "hello" in Spanish, say "Hola" (OH-la).
3. Hindustani Number of speakers: 497 millionHindustani  is the primary language of India's crowded population, and it  encompasses a huge number of dialects (of which the most commonly spoken  is Hindi). While many predict that the population of India will soon  surpass that of China, the prominence of English in India prevents  Hindustani from surpassing the most popular language in the world. If  you're interested in learning a little Hindi, there's a very easy way:  rent an Indian movie. The film industry in India is the most prolific in  the world, making thousands of action/romance/ musicals every year.
To say "hello" in Hindustani, say "Namaste" (Nah-MAH-stay).
2. English Number of speakers: 508 millionWhile  English doesn't have the most speakers, it is the official language of  more countries than any other language. Its speakers hail from all  around the world, including the U.S., Australia, England, Zimbabwe, the  Caribbean, Hong Kong, South Africa, and Canada. We'd tell you more about  English, but you probably feel pretty comfortable with the language  already. Let's just move on to the most popular language in the world.
To say "hello" in English, say "What's up, freak?" (watz-UP-freek).
1. Mandarin Number of speakers: 1 billion+Surprise,  surprise, the most widely spoken language on the planet is based in the  most populated country on the planet, China. Beating second-place  English by a 2 to 1 ratio, but don't let that lull you into thinking  that Mandarin is easy to learn. Speaking Mandarin can be really tough,  because each word can be pronounced in four ways (or "tones"), and a  beginner will invariably have trouble distinguishing one tone from  another. But if over a billion people could do it, so could you. Try  saying hello!
To say "hello" in Mandarin, say "Ni hao" (Nee HaOW).  ("Hao" is pronounced as one syllable, but the tone requires that you let  your voice drop midway, and then raise it again at the end.)