mother tongue
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He dropped his English name, James, and resolved to write only in the language of the Kikuyu people, his mother tongue.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 23, 2025
It just created this real, almost, like, subconscious intimacy because it’s the mother tongue.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 18, 2025
For Esau, not being able to speak her mother tongue was "a wound".
From Barron's • Oct. 10, 2025
It made him wonder how his generation had slowly drifted away from their mother tongue, as other languages like English, Urdu and Hindi became more widespread.
From BBC • Sep. 12, 2025
For instance, although he can understand his mother tongue, and speak it fluently, he cannot read or write it with even modest proficiency.
From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri
