Learning language: Which of these languages is easier to learn: Spanish, Dutch, Portuguese, German, French, Italian, Russian?
Please tell me what are the difficulties of learning the language? Is it about grammar (conjugation, tenses and so on), verbs o... More14 ANSWERS
I've learnt all of these, so here's my advice, in order of recommendation:
1. Dutch: Since you express yourself in English (and you don't mention which other languages you speak), I would say that Dutch is probably going to be the easiest for you. Word order can be a bit tricky in subordinate clauses, and the de/het articles require some memorisation, but that's about it. You will master a basic level pretty quickly, but you'll never be able to use it, because the Dutch and Belgians will switch to English before you've completed the first word. Rude, I know. But that's what we do to foreigners who learn our language.
2. Spanish: fairly straightforward, with clear phonetics and a grammar with not too many exceptions. The verb conjugations might be challenging, but once you understand the system, you can conjugate almost anything. You'll get by, but many common expressions will elude you since (Castilian) Spanish is high on slang.
3. Italian: similar to Spanish, but with more exceptions in its grammar. Also, eloquence is prized in Italy, meaning that you may have trouble reading serious newspapers or listening to politicians, who will often use complicated sentences and abstruse words.
4. Portuguese: similar to Spanish and Italian, but slightly more irregular because vowels are condensed and intervocal Latin consonants disappear. It becomes easier if you have some etymological understanding of Romance languages, and if you know Spanish you'll be able to wing it. However, you will not understand spoken European Portuguese, and you will keep thinking people around you are immigrants who speak some Slavic language.
5. German: like Dutch, but suddenly there are three genders, 6 cases, and a subjunctive. And a propensity for really long sentences. But street German is way easier, and you will be able to wing it with your previously acquired Dutch. Just put on a credible German accent, mumble the word endings and you'll be fine.
6. French: a Romance language, so its grammar is a bit similar to Italian or Spanish. But. Spelling is full of letters who aren't pronounced - unless you need to pronounce them. Homonyms abound, so that entire sentences may mean totally different things (unless you see them in writing). And, like Italian, it likes itself complicated and verbose, plus it is filled with social codes of which words you can say and which words you can't absolutely say. Depending on the word being a verb or a noun, it may be both acceptable and unacceptable (e.g. baiser). Study French for five years, and you'll be lucky if you can order a baguette in a Parisian bakery shop. And even then you won't understand what they reply; just take the loaf and leave.
6. Russian: its grammar is ludicrously complex: nouns have three genders, there are multiple cases (7, I think), and verbs come in many many shapes. Just imagine using one verb for 'speaking now' and totally different one if you want to use the past tense. And for the future tense, you just use the past tense. With a different conjugation. Nouns change ending (and stress) depending on number ('two, three or four' takes one kind of ending, and 'five or more' takes another) and on whether the noun describes an animate or an inanimate concept . Not only do you add letters at the end of a word to indicate its role in a sentence, but sometimes you even need to subtract letters. And I could go on. By the time you master these rules, you will be suitably depressed to read the Great Russians like Tolstoy and Gogol who wrote in this language, and you will understand their gloom fully.
1. Dutch: Since you express yourself in English (and you don't mention which other languages you speak), I would say that Dutch is probably going to be the easiest for you. Word order can be a bit tricky in subordinate clauses, and the de/het articles require some memorisation, but that's about it. You will master a basic level pretty quickly, but you'll never be able to use it, because the Dutch and Belgians will switch to English before you've completed the first word. Rude, I know. But that's what we do to foreigners who learn our language.
2. Spanish: fairly straightforward, with clear phonetics and a grammar with not too many exceptions. The verb conjugations might be challenging, but once you understand the system, you can conjugate almost anything. You'll get by, but many common expressions will elude you since (Castilian) Spanish is high on slang.
3. Italian: similar to Spanish, but with more exceptions in its grammar. Also, eloquence is prized in Italy, meaning that you may have trouble reading serious newspapers or listening to politicians, who will often use complicated sentences and abstruse words.
4. Portuguese: similar to Spanish and Italian, but slightly more irregular because vowels are condensed and intervocal Latin consonants disappear. It becomes easier if you have some etymological understanding of Romance languages, and if you know Spanish you'll be able to wing it. However, you will not understand spoken European Portuguese, and you will keep thinking people around you are immigrants who speak some Slavic language.
5. German: like Dutch, but suddenly there are three genders, 6 cases, and a subjunctive. And a propensity for really long sentences. But street German is way easier, and you will be able to wing it with your previously acquired Dutch. Just put on a credible German accent, mumble the word endings and you'll be fine.
6. French: a Romance language, so its grammar is a bit similar to Italian or Spanish. But. Spelling is full of letters who aren't pronounced - unless you need to pronounce them. Homonyms abound, so that entire sentences may mean totally different things (unless you see them in writing). And, like Italian, it likes itself complicated and verbose, plus it is filled with social codes of which words you can say and which words you can't absolutely say. Depending on the word being a verb or a noun, it may be both acceptable and unacceptable (e.g. baiser). Study French for five years, and you'll be lucky if you can order a baguette in a Parisian bakery shop. And even then you won't understand what they reply; just take the loaf and leave.
6. Russian: its grammar is ludicrously complex: nouns have three genders, there are multiple cases (7, I think), and verbs come in many many shapes. Just imagine using one verb for 'speaking now' and totally different one if you want to use the past tense. And for the future tense, you just use the past tense. With a different conjugation. Nouns change ending (and stress) depending on number ('two, three or four' takes one kind of ending, and 'five or more' takes another) and on whether the noun describes an animate or an inanimate concept . Not only do you add letters at the end of a word to indicate its role in a sentence, but sometimes you even need to subtract letters. And I could go on. By the time you master these rules, you will be suitably depressed to read the Great Russians like Tolstoy and Gogol who wrote in this language, and you will understand their gloom fully.
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