1 Leave this article in English and in Russian by Sergey Anatoly and asserted that he knows “only” 10 °. But he was shy. During the conversation with him, it was estimated that Sergey Anatolyevich, Head of the Department of the Russian Humanitarian University, Doctor of Philology, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences was familiar with no less than 400 languages. just three weeks. Among his colleagues, this 43-year-old professor had a reputation as a “walking encyclopedia.” But at the same time he is distinguished by a bad memory. The most difficult question for me. How many languages do you know? ". Because exactly it is impossible to answer. Even 10 languages can not be known to the same extent. You may know 500-600 words perfectly able to explain in the country. For example, I know English perfectly. because all the time you have to drive and talk But I think that in my passive German is better. A can be bad answer011% ", how many languages do you know?> - because it is impossible to exactly answer it. Even 10 languages cannot be known to the same degree. You can know 500-600 words perfectly well to be explained in the country. For example, I know English perfectly because everything time I have to travel to talk. But I think that German is better in passive. And you can speak badly, but read well, for example, read the ancient Chinese classics better than most Chinese people. Or you can not read or speak, but know the structure, grammar. search , but I remember their vocabulary well. Many languages go into a passive, but then, if necessary, they return: I went to Holland and quickly restored the Dutch language. Therefore, if you count all the languages with which I am familiar at different levels of knowledge, they will be typed not less than 400. But I actively talk only at 20.