Top Southeast Asian Languages
Southeast Asia has a diverse culture. It is famous around the world because of its historic culture, captivating beaches, and different cuisines. Southeast Asia has a very diverse culture. To get an insight into Southeast Asian culture, you must know about the different indigenous languages that people in this region speak.
Let’s dive into Southeast Asian languages.
Bahasa Indonesia
Do you know that Indonesia has the second-largest multilingual population in the world? Bahasa Indonesia is the official language of Indonesia. Apart from the official language, people living in Indonesia speak more than 700 languages. The other languages that the people of Indonesia speak are Javanese, Sundanese, Madurese, Minangkabau, Buginese, Palenbang, Banjarese, Acehnese, Balinese, and Betawi. However,94% of the Indonesian population speaks Bahasa Indonesia.
It is widely used in education and administrative and business activities in Indonesia. Therefore, if you want to do business with Indonesia and want to know about consumer preferences then you must take assistance from professional translation company.
Thai
Thai is the official language of Thailand. Approximately, 20 million people in Thailand speak the Thai language. Thailand is a beautiful country with mesmerizing beaches. Thus it is one of the famous tourist spots. A large number of tourists come every year to Thailand to spend their vacation and enjoy special yoga-like Thai massages. To enjoy your trip to Thailand, Thai translation services can be of great help.
This language is similar to Vietnamese and Chinese. In addition, it is mutually intelligible with Lao and Isan. People speak Thai in different dialects in Bangkok. To understand the different dialects of this language that people speak in different regions, you must take assistance from professional thai translation services.
Khmer
It is the official language of Cambodia. People living in Thailand, Vietnam, and France also speak this language. Khmer is influenced by Pali and Sanskrit because of Hinduism and Buddhism in Cambodia. Approximately, 16 million people speak this Kymer. People living in this country speak Khmer in different dialects. One of the main dialects in Central Khmer is spoken by the entire nation.
It is a complex and fascinating language with a rich history and culture. It is an important part of Cambodian identity and is essential for anyone seeking to understand the country and its people. If you are unaware of this language then Khmer translation services can assist you.
Vietnamese
It is the official and national language of Vietnam. Around 75 million people speak Vietnamese. It is from the Austro-Asiatic family. People speak this language with three dialects which are Northern dialects, people living in Hanoi and related areas speak this language. The second one is the Central dialect, people living in Hue speak this language.
The third one is the Southern dialect, people that are residing in Ho Chi Minh City speak this dialect. Many ethnic groups in the country speak Vietnamese as a second language. Chinese and English have greatly influenced this language. Vietnamese translation services can be very helpful if you want to differentiate between different dialects and to know the influence of English and Chinese influence on this language.
Filipino
Along with English, Filipino is also the official language of the Philippines. Around 100 million people speak this language. It is also from the group of Austronesian languages. Therefore, it is from the same group of families as most Southeast Asia languages such as Malay and Indonesian. The Philippines is a culturally very diverse country. You must be wondering how many languages are in the philippines that depict its culture.
There are around 183 living languages that people of this country speak. One important thing to note for the Filipino is that it is greatly influenced by the Spanish language. This is because the Spanish ruled the Philippines for over 300 years. filipino translation services can be of great help to you if you want to study the dynamic culture of the Philippines.
Malay
Other than English, Malay is also the official language of Malaysia. In Malaysia, it is called Malaysian Malay. It is also spoken in Indonesia, Brunei, and Singapore. People living in Malaysia speak this language in different dialects. The different types of dialects that people of this country speak are Standard Malay.
It is also called Bahasa Melayu Baku and Bahasa Baku. Other dialects are Terengganu Malay, Kelantanese Malay, and Johor Malay. 80% of the Malaysian population speaks Johor Malay. Malay is mutually intelligible with Bahasa Indonesia. Therefore, to differentiate between both the languages Malay translation can be of great help.
Burmese
It is the official language of Myanmar. 69% of the Myanmar population speaks this language. It is from a group of Tibeto-Burman language families. This family also includes other languages that people speak in Southeast Asia. The Burmese language is written with the old Brahmi script. Other than the Burmese language, different ethnic groups speak more than 100 languages.
These languages are from the group of Tibeto Burman, Mon-Khmer, and Tai languages. Many folktales and poetry are written in this language. Therefore to understand the rich literary tradition in Burmese, you must take assistance from Burmese translation services.
Wrapping Up
The above-mentioned languages are the gist of languages that people in Southeast Asia speak. To get insights about different unique cultures, you must have the know-how of these languages. With the help of these languages, you can explore the unique Southeast Asia continent.
