Learning an Asian language can be a bit overwhelming for speakers of Romance languages, especially because of some differences in pronunciation and grammatical structure. However, there are a wide variety of languages in Asia and some are much easier than others.

In this article, we will explain which Asian language is the easiest to learn, such as Indonesian. Other languages spoken on this continent will also be described. All in all, the goal is for you to become familiar with them so you’re not afraid to learn them since they can open many doors in the working world. Read on!

Why is it hard to learn a language?

When it comes to learning a new language, especially an Asian language, there are some factors that contribute to these being perceived as an obstacle for many speakers:

• Linguistic distance. For Spanish speakers, for example, Asian languages are quite different in terms of phonology, syntax, and morphology. This can lead to some distance at first.

• Grammatical difficulty. Spanish has a grammatical system different from that of Asian languages, which is evident in aspects such as conjugation, gender, and sentence construction. 

• Existence of cognates. There are words that are similar between two different languages due to their form and meaning. This helps make learning faster, as is the case with Spanish. However, this is not the case with most Asian languages since they belong to very different language families.

Which Asian language is the easiest to learn?

There are some languages spoken in Asia that are a good starting point for speakers of Romance languages. Their most notable features are explained below:

Indonesian

If you want to learn a language, Indonesian is one of the easiest Asian languages to learn. This language is spoken mainly in the Indonesian region and has about 240 million speakers. Its simplicity is mainly due to the fact that it uses the Latin alphabet so you don’t need to learn a new writing system. It reads as it is written and its grammar is simple. 

Instead of conjugating verbs like Spanish, it uses context words and temporal markers to indicate when an action occurs. In addition, nouns have no grammatical gender and it uses very few inflections compared to Spanish. All of this makes it a fairly accessible choice.

Tagalog

Tagalog is another of the easiest Asian languages to learn because it has some similarities with Spanish in terms of vocabulary and phonetics. It has many words derived from Spanish due to the Spanish colonization of the Philippines. Like Indonesian, it also uses the Latin alphabet. All this makes it an accessible language for speakers of Romance languages.

Cambodian

Cambodian, also known as Khmer, is the official language of Cambodia. It’s an easy language to learn because it’s not a tonal language, unlike other languages such as Vietnamese. Its structure follows the logical sequence of subject, verb, and predicate, so its grammar is simpler than that of other languages.  

Also, Cambodian uses a writing system based on its own alphabet, which can be a challenge initially, but once you are familiar with the characters, learning becomes easier.

Japanese

Japanese seems complex at first since it has three different writing systems: Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji. The first two are much easier to learn, while the last one is used to represent words of Chinese origin. However, in Japanese nouns have no gender, verb conjugations are simple, and tones are not used, unlike in other languages.

Korean

Korean is another language spoken in Asia. It has an alphabet known as Hangul, with 14 consonants and 10 vowels that combine to form syllables. It has a relatively simple grammar, nouns have no gender, and verbs are conjugated according to who the person is talking to.

The linguistic richness of Asia, at your fingertips

As you’ve seen, a wide variety of languages are spoken in Asia, and these are just a few examples. If you’re thinking of learning an Asian language, it’s essential to be aware of the grammatical and phonetic differences and to dedicate time to it. In addition, everyone is different, and the level of difficulty varies according to individual knowledge and dedication. 

IPT Translations has translators specialized in different Asian languages. If you need any type of material translated into Indonesian or any other Asian language, you can send it to them using their online form. They guarantee the highest quality and professionalism for each of their translations with competitive rates and extensive experience in the sector.