mother tongue

noun
UK: /ˈmʌðə tʌŋ/
US: /ˈmʌðər tʌŋ/

  1. The language that you learn first as a child.

    1. My mother tongue is English, but I'm learning Spanish.
    2. Although he lives in France, he still speaks his mother tongue fluently.

  2. The language of the country where you were born and raised.

    1. She teaches English to students whose mother tongue is different.
    2. Many immigrants struggle to maintain their mother tongue while adapting to a new culture.

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "mother tongue" in English means: The language that you learn first as a child., The language of the country where you were born and raised..

The phonetic transcription of "mother tongue" is /ˈmʌðə tʌŋ/ in British English and /ˈmʌðər tʌŋ/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Example usage of "mother tongue": "My mother tongue is English, but I'm learning Spanish.". More examples on the page.