母国語(ぼこくご)

ぼこくご
noun
mother tongue, native language
1. mother tongue, native language
The language of one's home country; the first language one acquires from birth. Literally means "motherland language."
彼女(かのじょ)の母国語(ぼこくご)はフランス語(ご)だ。
Her mother tongue is French.
母国語(ぼこくご)でなら自分(じぶん)の気持(きも)ちをうまく伝(つた)えられる。
I can express my feelings well if it's in my native language.
母国語(ぼこくご)が違(ちが)う人(ひと)たちが英語(えいご)を共通(きょうつう)言語(げんご)にして話(はな)し合(あ)っていた。
People with different native languages were communicating using English as a common language.

USAGE:
Used when referring to someone's first language, especially in international or multilingual contexts. More formal and precise than 母語(ぼご).

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • 母国語(ぼこくご)で話(はな)す: to speak in one's native language
  • 母国語(ぼこくご)の教育(きょういく): native language education
  • 母国語(ぼこくご)と外国語(がいこくご): native and foreign languages

SIMILAR WORDS:

  • 母語(ぼご): mother tongue (linguistics term; technically the language acquired first, which may differ from the national language)
  • 国語(こくご): national language (refers specifically to a country's official language, or the school subject in Japan)
general
Added 2026.2.24 15:16
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