As an English speaker, for Spanish, Portugese, or Norwegian, about 6-9 months each. If you learned Spanish before, Portugese comes with a huge discount and vice versa. For German alone, about 9-12 months. If you learned Norwegian before, German comes with a slight discount and vice versa. But it's very unlikely that you can maintain five hours of intensive practice each day over that long time. Even two hours a day of intensive study is going to exhaust you quickly. Doing one hour of intensive language studies each day is what most people can do. Answer from Klapperatismus on reddit.com
Reddit
reddit.com › r/languagelearning › hypothetically speaking, how long would it take to learn a language if you spend 5 hours learning everyday?
r/languagelearning on Reddit: hypothetically speaking, how long would it take to learn a language if you spend 5 hours learning everyday?
August 31, 2023 -
say it’s a romance or germanic language like spanish, portuguese, norwegian, german, etc.
if you spent 5-6 hours or more everyday watching youtube videos, tv (and actually paying attention to words/ writing down what you don’t know), working on grammar, and other methods, how long would it take to become fluent??
Top answer 1 of 31
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As an English speaker, for Spanish, Portugese, or Norwegian, about 6-9 months each. If you learned Spanish before, Portugese comes with a huge discount and vice versa. For German alone, about 9-12 months. If you learned Norwegian before, German comes with a slight discount and vice versa. But it's very unlikely that you can maintain five hours of intensive practice each day over that long time. Even two hours a day of intensive study is going to exhaust you quickly. Doing one hour of intensive language studies each day is what most people can do.
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It's not a matter of time. It's a distance.B2 fluency is (the) 3000 (most used) headwords of vocabulary. No two ways around it. But it depends what you need to do with the language. Live like a native? B2 of active language (writing and speaking) might be enough. But you'll need C2 of listening anyway. Because that's how natives will talk to you. You can't force them to meet you at the B2 level. So do the maths with how many hours and how many words. I'd say double that time for the skill-building part, grammar and pronunciation. Because fluency is not just knowledge, it's a skill. Norwegian is among the easiest for an English speaker (it's 80% English with Germanic words, verbs don't change with the person and have the same tenses as English, whilst verbs in any Latin language will be the bane of your existence), hard to believe that it gets put in the same bucket in those CIA classifications and the like. Maybe it shows how much harder those other languages are.
Medium
medium.com › @pritamroy1136 › how-much-time-does-it-really-take-to-learn-a-skill-10-000-hours-or-20-hours-7654055cf587
How Much Time Does It Really Take to Learn a Skill: 10,000 Hours or 20 Hours? | by Code Meets Culture | Medium
November 24, 2024 - Here’s a closer look: Simple skills (e.g., tying a knot or brewing coffee) can be learned in minutes or hours. Moderately complex skills (e.g., playing a musical instrument or coding) may take weeks to months for basic competence.
Videos
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How Long it Takes to Actually Learn How to Code - YouTube
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How Much Time Should I Spend Each Day Learning English? - YouTube
Medium
medium.com › swlh › how-long-should-it-require-you-to-learn-something-b13bb6cacd1f
How Long Should It Require You to Learn Something? | by Darryl Brooks | The Startup | Medium
February 17, 2021 - That seems excessive if all you want to learn is how to fly a kite. Then, I found another article that presented an opposing viewpoint. (I know, what are the chances, right?). This one claimed it took 20 hours, not 10,000, to learn something.
Noble Desktop
nobledesktop.com › how long does it take to learn it?
IT: How Long Does it Take to Learn?
Discover how bootcamps like those offered by Noble Desktop can fast-track your learning process and put you on the path to a successful IT career. Information Technology (IT) is a broad field with numerous subcategories including data science, cybersecurity, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and more. The time it takes to learn IT skills can vary based on factors like your current training level, the chosen IT field, and your schedule.
ILI Massachusetts
ili.edu › home › news › how much time does it take to learn a language?
How Much Time Does It Take to Learn a New Language?
December 17, 2025 - Your goals play a central role in determining how long it will take to learn a language. Are you aiming to order coffee and ask for directions while traveling, or are you preparing to work in a professional environment abroad? The level of proficiency you need directly impacts the time and effort required.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/languagelearning › what is the average time that it takes for you to learn a language?
r/languagelearning on Reddit: What is the average time that it takes for you to learn a language?
October 24, 2023 -
I’ve been learning Spanish for a year and a half and I still can’t understand more than like 40% of a conversation and it’s making me feel a bit discouraged bc I see so many people learn languages super fast but at the same time I think I actually don’t really have realistic expectations bc I genuinely don’t know the average time it takes for someone to learn a language so I’d like for you guys to share your experience
Top answer 1 of 39
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Who are you seeing learn a language "super fast"? Because context is key and a lot of those people aren't telling the full truth. My grandma moved to the USA and had to start using English in every day conversation practically immediately and she really didn't stop making mistakes until 20 years later. My mom remembers being young and my grandma misunderstanding things and misusing words, though by the time I came around her English was flawless. 1 year isn't a lot of time, and to already understand around 40% of a conversation, that's really good!! There are Spanish learners here at 4+ years still chipping away at that. Also some aspects of the language are harder for some people than for others. I started Japanese 17 years ago, and I've only been able to understand spoken Japanese for the last 3. (It just took that long for me to have access to the tools I needed) But I've been able to read for about a decade now. Anyone claiming to have gotten fluent in a language in less than a year is either lying for clout or trying to sell you something, or both.
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I suggest you think about language learning in hours instead of years or months. In “a year and a half,” one person could have studied Spanish diligently for an hour everyday, while another person could have just used Duolingo for 15 minutes everyday. The first person would have racked up about 500 hours, and the second person only about 100. These two people would have vastly different results and language skills. I reckon when you see people who are “super fast” at learning, it’s because they’re putting in more hours than you are in a given day or week. If you’re an English speaker, a good way to gauge the average time it takes to learn a language is using the data gathered by the Foreign Service Institute (a part of the US government). Languages like Spanish, French, and Italian tend to require about 600 hours to become proficient. Note that these are also just classroom hours a student would have at the FSI, and it’s likely they actually put in more hours outside of class. So we’ll just say roughly 1000 hours for Spanish learners. Of course these are not exact numbers, but I find they do match up somewhat with my personal experience.
Angelesacademyofmusic
angelesacademyofmusic.com › news › how-long-it-take-to-learn-guitar
How Long Does It Take to Learn Guitar? Your Ultimate Guide from an LA
February 5, 2026 - If you're practicing consistently, it usually takes 6 to 12 months to get solid at rhythm, play popular songs, and feel confident jamming with friends. But here’s the thing. The timeline changes depending on what “learning guitar” means to you.
EF
ef.com › wwen › blog › faq › how-long-to-learn-english
How long does it take to learn English? ‹ Frequently Asked Questions ‹ Frequently Asked Questions
Divide the total hours into days to see how long it will take you to learn English. In the above example, taking an English class for 1 hour per week, you would need 600-850 weeks or 11-16 years to learn English!
ICLS
icls.edu › blog › how-long-does-it-take-to-learn-a-language
How long does it take to learn a language?
June 14, 2025 - But as a rule of thumb, it’s generally accepted that it will take roughly 1,000 to 2,000 hours to go from beginner to complete fluency in a target language. Let's talk! ... For English speakers, embarking on the journey of language learning ...
Language Testing International
languagetesting.com › how-long-does-it-take
How Long Does it Take to Become Proficient in a Language?
Research carried about by ACTFL and the Foreign Service Institute (as mentioned above) has shown that language learning does not always occur through a linear progression in which learners can expect to make steady and consistent gains over time. Instead, learners may be able to quickly progress from the Novice Low to the Intermediate Low level of proficiency but then may need much more time to move from Intermediate Low to Advanced Low and even longer to progress from Advanced Low to Superior.
Rosetta Stone
blog.rosettastone.com › home › language learning 101 › how long does it take to learn a new language?
How Long Does It Take to Learn a New Language? - Rosetta Stone
December 3, 2024 - According to the Foreign Service Institute (FSI), learning a new language can take between 24 weeks and 88 weeks. That works out to 600-2,200 hours of practice to reach Professional Working Proficiency, which is an intermediate level of fluency.
Noble Desktop
nobledesktop.com › how long does it take to learn coding?
How Long Does it Take to Learn Programming?
The amount of time needed to learn coding skills depends on the level of investment. On average, it takes about three to six months to learn to code.
Cambridge University Press
cambridge.org › home › how long does it take to learn a language?
How Long Does It Take To Learn A Language? | Cambridge English
March 30, 2022 - We know that learning a language takes a lot of effort over quite a long time. But how long should it take? Should I expect to be fluent after three years of study, for example? How many hours do I need to study a day to get fluent in a year? There’s no single answer to this question – it depends very much ...
Career Karma
careerkarma.com › blog › software engineering › how long does it take to learn coding?
How Long Does it Take to Learn Coding?
September 26, 2025 - It will also likely take you longer ... program. On average, self-study learners reach job-ready proficiency in about six to twelve months, though timelines vary widely depending on the learner.²...
Quora
quora.com › How-long-does-it-take-to-learn-anything
How long does it take to learn anything? - Quora
Answer (1 of 9): Just 20 hours in organised manner!! Seriously, just watch the video and share your experiences in the comments Thanks https://youtu.be/5MgBikgcWnY
Distance Learning Centre
distance-learning-centre.co.uk › home › blog › study tips › how long does it take to learn a new skill and how to do it faster
How Long Does It Take To Learn A New Skill And How To Do It Faster
The time and effort it takes to learn a new skill all depend on several factors, such as the complexity of the skill, prior knowledge, how much time and motivation you have to invest in it, and any financial obligations.
Forbes
forbes.com › forbes homepage › leadership
Josh Kaufman: It Takes 20 Hours Not 10,000 Hours To Learn A Skill
September 12, 2023 - Given what I wanted to learn, that was enough. The 20 hour threshold comes from combining the power law of practice with insights from behavioral psychology and game theory. Precommitting to 20 hours of practice does a few important things: ...
Cmu
bootcamps.cs.cmu.edu › blog › how-long-does-it-take-to-learn-coding-beginners-guide
How Long Does It Take to Learn Coding? A Beginner’s Guide
Beginners can grasp basic concepts in a few weeks or months, while proficiency in application development may take six months to a year. Structured programs like bootcamps accelerate learning, whereas self-study may take longer.
Coursera
coursera.org › coursera articles › data › data analytics › how long does it take to learn python? (+ tips for learning)
How Long Does it Take to Learn Python? (+ Tips for Learning) | Coursera
October 24, 2025 - How long it takes you to learn Python will depend on several factors, including how much Python you need to know to achieve your desired goal. In general, it takes around two to six months to learn the fundamentals of Python.
Quora
quora.com › How-much-time-did-it-take-for-you-to-learn-a-new-skill-on-your-own
How much time did it take for you to learn a new skill on your own? - Quora
Based on what we see in our Break Into Tech program, it can take from four to five months to learn the tech skills you need to hit the job market, and up to six months to get hired in tech (some companies have longer hiring processes) — all ...