Phrase guide

first language

noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The first language one is taught to speak; one's native language.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • She was born and raised in France, although her first language is Portuguese because her parents are from Brazil.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: native language, mother tongue, mother language

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The language one feels most comfortable and capable with.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see first, language.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

one's native language; the language learned by children and passed from one generation to the next

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: mother tongue, maternal language

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: natural language, tongue

History

Etymology

From first + language.

Across languages

Translations

7 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 第一語言 /第一语言 (dìyī-yǔyán) — first language — see also mother tongue
  • Danish: modersmål — first language — see also mother tongue
  • German: Erstsprache — first language — see also mother tongue
  • Hindi: मातृभाषा (mātŕbhāṣā) — first language — see also mother tongue
  • Norwegian Bokmål: førstespråk — first language — see also mother tongue
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: førstespråk — first language — see also mother tongue
  • Swahili: lugha ya kwanza — first language — see also mother tongue