bilingue
/biˈlin.ɡwe/
The Italian word for bilingual is bilingue.
The adjective is used to describe speaking two languages.
Meaning: speaking two languages (adj)
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective bilingue is invariable in gender, so it is used for both masculine and feminine singular subjects. For masculine plural subjects or mixed groups, use bilingui.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables, with the stress on the 2nd syllable. The IPA is /biˈlin.ɡwe/.
Did you know?
- In Italy, a person might be bilingue without knowing a foreign language, such as someone fluent in both standard Italian and a regional language like sardo or catalano.
- The Italian word for 'tongue' lingua is used for both the organ in the mouth and the concept of language, which is why bilingue literally means 'two-tongued'.
- While bilingue refers to two languages, Italian speakers often use the term plurilinguismo to describe the natural state of Italy, where regional languages and dialects coexist with standard Italian.
Examples in context
- La mia amica è bilingue.My friend is bilingual.Tatoeba #1989464 by Guybrush88, translation #1989339 by FlamingTofu
- Mi disse che era bilingue.She told me that she was bilingual.Tatoeba #10060721 by Guybrush88, translation #7395402 by CH
- Questo è un libro bilingue.This is a bilingual book.Tatoeba #11226137 by Guybrush88, translation #5933799 by mailohilohi
- 28 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Martina and Alessandro are discussing a new coworker.
- MartinaSai se il nuovo collega è bilingue?Do you know if the new colleague is bilingual?
- AlessandroSì, parla perfettamente italiano e inglese.Yes, he speaks Italian and English perfectly.
- MartinaChe fortuna per noi!How lucky for us!
- AlessandroSì, sarà molto utile in ufficio.Yes, it will be very useful in the office.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bilingual” translations and entries bilingue, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
