The 6 Most Popular Asian Languages for Doing Modern Business

Language is a gateway into a variety of business opportunities and connections. If you’re interested in breaking into Asian markets, here are some of the most popular Asian languages for business, ranked by Propio.

Mandarin

Mandarin is the most widely spoken language in China and is considered by many to be the business language of the future. (About 1.05 billion people speak it!) Although English is still the top business language worldwide, if you’re interested in doing international business of any kind, Mandarin is one of the most popular Asian languages you’ll encounter in modern business.

Cantonese

Although Cantonese is less commonly spoken than Mandarin, it’s the official language of Hong Kong and Singapore, some of Asia’s primary financial hubs. It should be no surprise that Cantonese is one of the most popular Asian languages for doing modern business because about 60 million people in Southeast Asia consider Cantonese to be their primary business language.

Japanese

Japan has one of the largest economies in the world and is also one of the most technologically advanced countries, making it a critical Asian language for business endeavors. It’s also a gateway to other Asian languages in cultures because many of the underlying concepts of the Japanese language are similar to other Asian languages.

Korean

Korea is one of Asia’s strongest economies and an essential partner to the U.S, making it another ideal language for modern business. If the Korean economy continues to grow, being able to communicate in Korean will open the door to more than 70 million native Korean speakers worldwide and many opportunities.

Vietnamese

Not as many business professionals know how to speak Vietnamese due to its uniquely challenging six vocal tones required to speak it. However, being able to communicate in Vietnamese will open doors and opportunities in the modern business world.

Thai

If you’re seeking to expand your modern business opportunities to Thailand, speaking Thai is an excellent way to break into the market. Like Vietnamese, learning how to speak it can be difficult due to the varying vocal tones, but translation services may be vital to securing a deal.

Asian interpretation services by Propio

Propio is one of the top language service providers in the U.S. We offer interpretation services in 170 different languages, including the most popular Asian languages for business.