Here's why:
* Number of speakers: Mandarin Chinese has the most native speakers globally, with over 1 billion people speaking it as their first language.
* Official language: Mandarin is the official language of China, Taiwan, and Singapore, as well as several other countries with large Chinese populations.
* Global influence: China's growing economic and political influence has led to a surge in Mandarin language learning worldwide.
While English has a wider reach in terms of being a second language, Mandarin Chinese holds the title for the most spoken language based on native speakers.