first language
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.
“English is not our first language, so we always found ourselves using really complex words — so that people would say, ‘They know the language.’
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026
For millions of Ukrainians, Russian is their first language including many of the troops defending the country in its war with Russia.
From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026
It’s a really fast-moving show, and if English is not your first language, like for my parents, then it’s quite hard to follow along.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 28, 2026
Some were less comfortable with the possibility of false positives, since there are often autistic people, or users whose first language isn’t English, whose writing styles are stigmatized as A.I.-like.
From Slate ● Apr. 1, 2026
Grandma had started speaking only in Spanish, her first language, as she became weaker, so I didn’t understand a lot of what she was saying.
From "Courage to Soar" by Simone Biles
