Actually Spanish is the largest spoken 'native' language in the world. English is the largest spoken language total because so many people have it as a second language.

Edit. I have to make a correction. Mandarin is the most spoken. I had not looked this up in about ten years but they combined two dialects to make near a billion native speakers. Spanish next at 485 million then English at 380.

[–] sab@kbin.social 2 points 1 year ago

While your correction is important, the whole idea of Mandarin being one language is also a bit messed up. The different Spanish speakers of the world will have a much easier time getting together and understanding each other than the various groups of Mandarin speakers.

Where one language ends and another begins is largely political, which makes it difficult to make a fair count.

[–] NuPNuA@lemm.ee 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Where else is Spanish a "native" language other than Spain? It's spoken across South America and some of Asia, but that's due to colonialism the same as how English spread. The natives of South America didn't speak Spanish before they turned up.

[–] Zippy@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

Lots in the US speak it as their first language. I have not seen it broken down or country. There are 485 million people that speak Spanish as their native language. English comes in third at 380 million.

[–] burningmatches@feddit.uk -1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

That is definitely not true.

[–] Zippy@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

Actually you are correct. It is Mandarin than Spanish than English. For native speakers that is. A couple of Mandarin dialects were combined since I last looked.