Some people struggle with learning one foreign language, while others casually collect them like Pokémon.
These legendary polyglots didn't just learn languages — they mastered dozens, making the rest of us look like amateurs.
1. Giuseppe Mezzofanti: An Italian cardinal who allegedly spoke over 38 languages fluently. Probably the only person in history who never needed subtitles. #WalkingGoogleTranslate
2. Ziad Fazah: A Lebanese polyglot who claims to speak 59 languages, though skeptics say his fluency is debatable. Still, that's more languages than most of us will ever attempt. #Ambitious
3. Emil Krebs: A German diplomat fluent in 68 languages. Imagine having to practice that many just to stay sharp. #BrainOverload
4. Sir John Bowring: A British governor and economist who knew at least 100 languages and could fluently speak 40. Meanwhile, I struggle to order coffee in a fifth language.
5. Harold Williams: A New Zealand journalist who spoke around 58 languages. If Twitter had existed back then, his multilingual tweets would've been legendary.
6. Alexander Arguelles: A modern polyglot who has studied over 50 languages for fun. His idea of relaxation? Reading medieval manuscripts in Old Norse.
7. Jean-François Champollion: The guy who cracked the Rosetta Stone and basically gave us the ability to read ancient Egyptian. #LanguageArchaeologist
8. Richard Simcott: A contemporary polyglot fluent in over 16 languages (and conversant in many more). This man makes Duolingo addicts feel lazy.
9. Kato Lomb: A Hungarian interpreter who taught herself 16 languages by reading books and watching films. Proof that immersion works — even without fancy apps. #SelfTaughtGenius
10. Nikola Tesla: Yes, the same Tesla known for electricity and inventing stuff. He also spoke 8 languages because why not be a genius at everything? #OverachievingSince1856
Polyglots like these remind us that the human brain is capable of incredible things.
Meanwhile, I'm still trying to remember irregular verbs in Spanish.