How to Say "tongue" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “tongue” is “lengua” — use this translation for the muscular organ in your mouth or for a cut of meat.
lengua
LEHN-gwahˈleŋɡwa
Examples
Me duele la lengua.
My tongue hurts.
El doctor me pidió que sacara la lengua para verla.
The doctor asked me to stick out my tongue so he could see it.
Me quemé la lengua con el café caliente.
I burned my tongue with the hot coffee.
Cuando estoy nervioso, se me traba la lengua y no puedo hablar.
When I am nervous, my tongue gets tied and I can't speak.
Using the Article
When talking about body parts, Spanish often uses the definite article ('la' or 'el') instead of the possessive word ('mi' or 'tu'). You say 'Me quemé la lengua' (I burned the tongue) not 'mi lengua'.
idioma
ee-dee-OH-mahiˈðjo.ma
Examples
El inglés es un idioma global.
English is a global language.
El español es un idioma muy popular en el mundo.
Spanish is a very popular language in the world.
¿Cuántos idiomas puedes hablar con fluidez?
How many languages can you speak fluently?
Ella está aprendiendo el idioma japonés para su viaje.
She is learning the Japanese language for her trip.
The -ma Rule
Even though 'idioma' ends in -a, it is masculine. This is common for words that come from ancient Greek, like 'problema' (problem) and 'tema' (topic). Always use 'el' or 'un' with it.
Gender Error
Mistake: “La idioma”
Correction: The word 'idioma' is masculine. Say 'El idioma español es difícil.' (The Spanish language is difficult.)
Confusing 'lengua' and 'idioma'
Related Translations
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