When it comes to languages, some have a reputation for being more difficult to learn than others. Grammar, or the system of rules that dictates how words are used together in a language, is often cited as a major factor in how hard a language is to master. Languages with complex and intricate grammar systems are considered some of the most difficult languages in the world.
But which language actually has the most difficult grammar system? There are a few contenders that linguists and language experts often cite as having particularly complex and tricky grammars. The morphology, syntax, noun cases, verb conjugations, and other grammatical concepts make these languages a challenge for new learners. Here we will explore some of the languages said to have the hardest grammar and look at why their grammars present difficulties.
The Major Factors That Make a Grammar System Complex
Languages can be difficult to learn for many reasons—from complex pronunciation to obscure vocabulary. But when it comes to grammar, there are a few key factors that contribute to making a language’s grammar convoluted. Here are some of the main criteria that linguists look for when determining grammatical complexity:
– Morphology – How words are formed from morphemes, the smallest units of meaning in a language. Languages that use long strings of morphemes to modify meaning tend to be morphologically complex.
– Conjugations – The different forms a verb takes based on tense, person, number, etc. Languages with numerous verb conjugation patterns tend to be trickier to master.
– Noun cases – Languages where nouns take different forms based on their function in a sentence. Languages with numerous noun cases (e.g. nominative, accusative, dative, etc.) pose challenges.
– Syntax – Word order and sentence structure rules. Free word order languages tend to be more complex than those with strict word order rules.
– Exceptions – Languages with numerous grammar exceptions and irregularities tend to be more difficult. Grammar systems with logical and consistent rules are simpler.
– Non-Latin alphabet – Languages that use a completely different writing system like Arabic, Mandarin, or Hindi add an extra layer of complexity.
– Unfamiliar concepts – Some languages build grammar around concepts foreign to Indo-European languages, like evidentiality in Turkish, adding difficulty.
The more of these complex grammar features a language exhibits, the trickier it tends to be to learn. Now let’s look at a few contenders for the language with the most challenging grammar.
Hungarian
Many linguists consider Hungarian to have one of the most difficult grammar systems in the world. Here are some of the reasons why:
– Morphology – Words modifying meaning by adding several morphemes is a key feature. For example, “elmentemben” meaning “while leaving” breaks down to “el” (away), “men” (go), “-t” (past tense), “-em” (first person singular), and “-ben” (inessive case).
– Noun cases – 18 noun cases including possessed and impersonal forms. Nouns can take hundreds of different suffix combinations.
– Verb conjugations – Around 20 verb conjugation patterns depending on definiteness, tense, mood, etc. The conjugations are highly irregular.
– Syntax – Hungarian has free word order due to the noun cases. Words can be arranged in virtually any order.
– Exceptions – Lots of grammar exceptions to the rules. For example, possessive forms are highly irregular.
– Agglutination – Morphemes are “glued together” to convey complex ideas, leading to long words.
The morphology, cases, conjugations, and exceptions make Hungarian grammar very complex for English speakers and those from other Indo-European languages. It exhibits many of the key criteria that define a tricky grammar system.
Arabic
The Arabic language is also commonly cited as having an exceptionally difficult grammar system. Here’s an overview of why it poses challenges:
– Morphology – Words are modified by adding prefixes, suffixes, and infixes. Broken plurals change the word itself.
– Noun cases – Three noun cases: nominative, accusative, and genitive.
– Verb conjugations – Verbs have specific forms based on gender as well as different versions for past vs future tense.
– Syntax – The verbal sentence order is VSO (verb subject object) which is uncommon.
– Exceptions – Numerous irregularities in verb conjugations, pluralization, and grammar rules.
– Non-Latin alphabet – The written script can take years to master on its own.
– Unfamiliar grammar – Concepts like hollow/weak verbs and gemination make it challenging.
– Diglossia – Spoken local dialects differ significantly from the formal written language.
Mastering reading, writing, speaking, and grammar simultaneously is difficult for Arabic learners. The morphological complexity, along with the script and diglossia, adds to the challenge.
Polish
Polish may not be the first language people think of when it comes to tricky grammar, but it presents some sizeable challenges:
– Morphology – Polish is highly inflected and derivational, with complex word formation.
– Noun cases – 7 noun cases including vocative, instrumental, locative, and others. Nouns must match case for gender and number.
– Verb conjugations – Highly complex conjugation for tense, person, number, gender, aspect, voice, and more.
– Syntax – More flexible word order due to noun cases, which is challenging.
– Gender – 3 genders (masculine, feminine, neuter) requiring multiple noun and adjective forms.
– Formal vs. informal – Different verb conjugations and pronouns for formal and informal speech.
– Consonant clusters – Words have long strings of consonants that are difficult to pronounce.
While Polish grammar shares some features with highly inflected Slavic languages like Russian, the noun cases, verbs, and gender system combine to make Polish grammar bewildering for many new learners.
Korean
The grammar system of the Korean language is distinctive and complex:
– Morphology – Korean morphology relies heavily on postpositions instead of prepositions. Modifying word order is required based on context.
– Verbs – No verb conjugation based on person or number as verbs are invariant. Complex system of verb suffixes.
– Particles – Numerous noun suffix particles dictate case and grammatical relationships. Requires memorization.
– Syntax -Relatively free word order due to particles. SOV (subject object verb) sentence structure is common.
– Pronouns – No gendered 3rd person pronouns like “he” or “she.” Only terms meaning “this person” or “that person.”
– Politeness level – Verbs and pronouns adjust based on the situation, relationship, and politeness level required.
– Writing – Knowing Hangul script doesn’t mean you can understand written Korean due to Hanja (Chinese characters).
– Agglutination – Extensive use of agglutination with morphemes glued together in long words.
While languages like Chinese and Japanese seem exotic to English speakers, Korean grammar presents unique challenges with particles, pronoun systems, agglutination, and complex morphology that combine to make it devilishly hard to master.
Finnish
As another highly inflected European language, Finnish has a grammar system with the following complexities:
– Morphology – Long chains of inflected morphemes when modifying words.
– Noun cases – An extensive system of 15 noun cases, far more than most languages.
– Agglutination – Words are compounded together, allowing very long and complex words.
– Verb conjugations – Extensive verb conjugations based on person, number, tense, mood, etc. Requires lots of memorization.
– Object marking – No prepositions as objects are marked with noun case suffixes. Relies on memorizing these suffixes.
– Pronunciation – Double consonants, long strings of consonants, and unusual vowel sounds like ö and ä.
– Lack of cognates – Very few shared words or roots with Indo-European languages. Must learn vocabulary from scratch.
The sheer number of noun cases alongside agglutinative morphology in Finnish grammar can overwhelm new learners. Mastering the extensive verb conjugations and unfamiliar vocabulary compounds the challenge.
Georgian
Here are some reasons why the grammar of the Georgian language is so mind-bending:
– Morphology – Extremely complex noun and verb morphology formed by agglutination.
– Noun cases – A labyrinthine system of over 20 noun cases to show grammatical relationships. Requires extensive memorization.
– Polypersonalism – Verbs conjugate based on the subjects and direct objects for person and number. Leads to very complex verb forms.
– Syntax – Relatively free word order due to noun cases and polypersonalism. Different word orders have contextual meanings.
– Non-Latin alphabet – The unfamiliar Mkhedruli script adds to the difficulty for most learners.
– Ejective consonants – A series of ejective stops like p’, t’, k’ create tricky pronunciation.
– Exceptions – The complexity results in countless morphological and grammatical exceptions.
Georgian grammar is profoundly challenging even for experienced polyglots due to the convoluted noun cases, polypersonal verbs, and overall agglutinative nature of the language. Many consider it among the very hardest grammars.
Basque
Basque may not be as widely-spoken on a global scale, but its grammar has tremendous intricacies:
– Morphology – The verb system contains hundreds of suffixes for tense, aspect, mood, person, number and object. Requires endless memorization.
– Ergativity – Verbs conjugate differently based on the ergative or absolutive case of the subject and objects.
– Syntax – Basic SOV structure but highly flexible word order due to morphology.
– Agglutination – Words are formed by stringing morphemes together, allowing very long words.
– Cases – No prepositions are used. Meaning is conveyed using noun cases requiring memorization.
– Subordination – Complicated rules for using suffixes to show subordination between clauses.
– Exceptions – Many irregularities exist across verbs and morphological rules.
While Basque shares some features with other agglutinative languages, the combination of ergativity, case systems, complex verbs, and exceptions make Basque grammar extraordinarily convoluted.
Navajo
Navajo, the native language of the Navajo people, is notorious for its convoluted grammar:
– Morphology – Incredibly intricate system of prefixes, infixes, and suffixes to modify verb meaning.
– Syntax – Subject, object, and verb are woven together in complex patterns. Unique syntax structures.
– Verbs – No tenses, but complex aspect system. Main verbs include adverb-like components.
– Cases – No prepositions as noun cases show relationships. Requires memorization.
– Politeness – Verb forms adjust based on politeness and social standing of speaker vs. audience.
– Pronouns – Verb prefixes must agree with pronoun subjects and objects.
– Phonetics – Nuanced distinctions between different types of consonants. Unfamiliar sounds.
Mastering Navajo requires coming to grips with the tangled syntax, intricate morphological system, and unique grammatical concepts. It has a reputation as one of the most notoriously complicated grammars.
Ithkuil
Ithkuil is an esoteric constructed language invented in 2004. It is known for its insanely complex grammar:
– Morphology – Incredibly detailed morphology expressed by infixes, prefixes, suffixes, and more. Allows nuanced meanings.
– Cases – Up to 16 noun cases and 18 noun classes used instead of prepositions. Require thorough memorization.
– Precision – Designed for scientific usage. Allows extremely specific meanings and minute distinctions to be expressed.
– Pronouns – 67 customary pronouns based on social standing. Versions adjust for degree of familiarity and status.
– Syntax – Unusual syntax patterns designed for efficiency and conciseness. Reportedly tricky to speak and interpret.
– Writing – Originally had a unique script with over 600 characters before being romanized for simplicity.
While not designed as a natural communication system, Ithkuil’s meticulous grammatical system is absurdly complex by just about any measure. Created as an intellectual exercise, it takes grammar complexity to the extremes.
Which is the Hardest Grammar Overall?
Based on the numerous criteria that make grammars difficult—such as inflections, agglutination, complex morphology, unfamiliar concepts, and intricate syntax—there are several equally strong contenders for the language with the most challenging grammar:
– Georgian – The verb system with its polypersonalism and ergative case system is profoundly intricate and dense.
– Hungarian – The multitude of noun cases, irregularities, complex morphology, and exceptions put it high on the difficulty list.
– Ithkuil – Obviously designed to be maximally complex, it lacks simplicity or intuitive logic.
– Finnish – There are so many noun cases and inflections that rote memorization of morphology is nearly impossible to avoid.
– Navajo – The woven syntax, intricate verb system, and unfamiliar concepts add up to a convoluted grammar.
– Basque – Unique ergativity and agglutinative morphology create a grammar of bewildering complexity.
While there is no consensus on which has the most difficult grammar overall, these languages top the list when it comes to convoluted grammatical systems. But in the end, the hardest grammar is somewhat subjective based on your native language and what language features are most unfamiliar. Any of these notoriously complex grammars will surely challenge even the most dedicated language learner!
Table of Languages Ranked by Grammar Difficulty
| Language | Key Grammar Features | Difficulty Level |
|---|---|---|
| Georgian | Polypersonal verbs, ergativity, agglutination | Extremely Hard |
| Navajo | Intricate morphology, woven syntax | Extremely Hard |
| Hungarian | 18 noun cases, complex morphology | Extremely Hard |
| Finnish | 15 noun cases, endless inflections | Extremely Hard |
| Basque | Ergativity, agglutination, case system | Extremely Hard |
| Arabic | Root system, diglossia | Very Hard |
| Korean | Particles, agglutination, politeness | Very Hard |
| Polish | 7 noun cases, complex verbs | Very Hard |
| Ithkuil | Morphology for nuanced meanings | Very Hard |
| Russian | 6 noun cases, verbs of motion | Hard |
| Japanese | Honorifics, politeness, writing | Hard |
| German | 4 noun cases, compound words | Hard |
| French | Silent letters, liaison, exceptions | Medium-Hard |
| Spanish | Inverted questions, subjunctive | Medium |
| Italian | Verb conjugations | Medium |
| English | Spelling vs. pronunciation | Medium-Easy |
Conclusion
When evaluating the difficulty level of a language’s grammar, the sheer number of noun cases, complex verb conjugations, unfamiliar concepts, agglutinative properties, and exceptions can make it nearly impenetrable. Languages like Georgian, Navajo, Hungarian, Finnish, and Basque have Grammars renowned for their brain-breaking complexity. However, any language can present difficulties depending on your native language and the grammar features that are most alien. But for sheer difficulty, the extensive noun cases, polypersonal verb systems, and agglutinative quirks make languages like Georgian, Hungarian, and Navajo grammars that only the bravest of language learners will undertake!