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.
“My first language is Spanish, my second is English. All my friends and everyone in my public schools grew up trying to learn English.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
“In many ways, Steven’s first language is cinema, and Steven’s second language is existing in the real world,” she says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 4, 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
Martin Van Buren, the first president to be born a U.S. citizen, spoke Dutch as his first language, as did Sojourner Truth.
From Salon ● Feb. 12, 2026
I knew English wasn’t their first language and had real doubts about how much they were even following what I said, but when I finished, they erupted into vigorous applause.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
