Inklingo
← Dictionary

lengua

LEHN-gwah/ˈleŋɡwa/

tongue

NounfA1
A close-up of a friendly, smiling cartoon face sticking out a pink tongue, showing the muscular organ inside the mouth.

📝 In Action

El doctor me pidió que sacara la lengua para verla.

A1

The doctor asked me to stick out my tongue so he could see it.

Me quemé la lengua con el café caliente.

A1

I burned my tongue with the hot coffee.

Cuando estoy nervioso, se me traba la lengua y no puedo hablar.

B1

When I am nervous, my tongue gets tied and I can't speak.

Word Connections

Common Collocations

  • sacar la lengua – to stick out one's tongue
  • morderse la lengua – to bite one's tongue (figuratively, to stop oneself from speaking)

Idioms & Expressions

language

Also: mother tongue
NounfA1
Two simple, colorful storybook figures facing each other, connected by a brightly colored, stylized sound wave arc flowing between their mouths, symbolizing communication and language.

📝 In Action

¿Cuántas lenguas extranjeras hablas?

A1

How many foreign languages do you speak?

El español es una lengua muy extendida en el mundo.

A2

Spanish is a very widespread language in the world.

Su lengua materna es el italiano, pero vive en Francia.

B1

His mother tongue is Italian, but he lives in France.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • idioma (language (often interchangeable with 'lengua'))

Common Collocations

  • lengua muerta – dead language (e.g., Latin)
  • lengua oficial – official language

tongue

NounfB2
A single, prepared cut of brown, cooked beef tongue meat resting on a plain wooden cutting board, ready to be sliced.

📝 In Action

En Argentina, la lengua a la vinagreta es un plato tradicional.

B2

In Argentina, tongue in vinaigrette is a traditional dish.

Pidió un plato de tacos de lengua en el restaurante mexicano.

C1

He ordered a plate of tongue tacos at the Mexican restaurant.

Word Connections

Common Collocations

  • lengua de res – beef tongue
  • lengua en salsa – tongue in sauce

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "lengua" in Spanish:

language→mother tongue→tongue→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: lengua

Question 1 of 2

Which meaning of 'lengua' is used in the phrase: 'Mi abuela habla tres lenguas perfectamente'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
lingüista(linguist (language expert)) — Noun
lingüística(linguistics (the study of language)) — Noun
bilingüe(bilingual) — Adjective
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

The word 'lengua' comes directly from the Latin word *lingua*, which meant both the physical organ (tongue) and speech/language. This explains why the Spanish word has these two main meanings today.

First recorded: 10th century

Cognates (Related words)

Italian: linguaFrench: languePortuguese: língua

💡 Master Spanish

Take your Spanish to the next level. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories tailored to your level with the Inklingo app!

Frequently Asked Questions

¿Es 'lengua' o 'idioma' más común?

Both are extremely common and usually interchangeable. In educational settings, 'lengua' is often used when discussing the history or structure of a language, while 'idioma' might be used more generally, but you can use either one and be understood perfectly.

Why is 'lengua' feminine?

Like many common nouns that end in '-a' in Spanish, 'lengua' inherited its feminine gender from its original Latin root, *lingua*, which was also feminine.