If by “general language in the world” you mean the most widely spoken or common languages globally, here’s a clear breakdown:

🌐 Top Languages in the World (by number of speakers)

1. English – ~1.5 billion (native + second language)

International business, internet, and travel language.

2. Mandarin Chinese – ~1.1 billion

Mostly in China, the most native speakers in the world.

3. Hindi – ~610 million

Widely spoken in India and some neighboring countries.

4. Spanish – ~560 million

Spain, Latin America, parts of the USA.

5. French – ~310 million

Europe, Africa, parts of the Caribbean, Canada.

6. Arabic – ~310 million

Middle East, North Africa, many dialects.

7. Bengali – ~300 million

Bangladesh, parts of India.

8. Russian – ~260 million

Russia and former Soviet countries.

9. Portuguese – ~270 million

Brazil, Portugal, some African countries.

10. Urdu – ~170 million

Pakistan and parts of India.

🌍 Global Language Facts

English is the most widely used as a second language.

Mandarin has the most native speakers.

French and Spanish are widely used as second languages worldwide.

If you want, I can make a simple list of 20 most common languages with where they are spoken. That gives a clearer “general” picture of world languages. Do you want me to do that?

Here’s a list of the 20 most spoken languages in the world, with approximate total speakers (native + second language) and main regions:

Rank Language Total Speakers Main Regions / Countries

1 English ~1.5 billion USA, UK, Canada, Australia, India, worldwide
2 Mandarin Chinese ~1.1 billion China, Taiwan, Singapore
3 Hindi ~610 million India, Nepal, Fiji
4 Spanish ~560 million Spain, Latin America, USA
5 French ~310 million France, Canada, Africa, Caribbean
6 Arabic ~310 million Middle East, North Africa
7 Bengali ~300 million Bangladesh, India
8 Russian ~260 million Russia, former Soviet states
9 Portuguese ~270 million Brazil, Portugal, Mozambique, Angola
10 Urdu ~170 million Pakistan, India
11 Indonesian ~170 million Indonesia, Malaysia
12 German ~130 million Germany, Austria, Switzerland
13 Japanese ~125 million Japan
14 Swahili ~98 million East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda)
15 Marathi ~95 million India (Maharashtra)
16 Telugu ~93 million India (Andhra Pradesh, Telangana)
17 Turkish ~88 million Turkey, Cyprus
18 Tamil ~85 million India, Sri Lanka, Singapore
19 Vietnamese ~85 million Vietnam
20 Korean ~82 million South Korea, North Korea

✅ Notes:

Numbers include both native and second-language speakers.

Some languages like English, French, and Arabic have many second-language speakers, which makes them globally important.

Languages like Mandarin, Spanish, and Hindi have huge numbers of native speakers.

If you want, I can also make a map showing the most spoken languages by region, which makes it easier to visualize globally. Do you want me to do that?