How to Say "Native" in French

natif

/na.tif/

The English word native is translated into French as natif (adjective).

This adjective describes someone or something that belongs to a place by birth.

Meaning: belonging to one by birth (adj)

Which one should you use?

While natif can mean native, for the concept of 'native/indigenous' people in a sociological context, the word autochtone is more common.

The masculine form is natif and the feminine form is native.

/na.tif/

The French adjective natif is a close linguistic relative of the English word 'naive'.
The term langue maternelle (mother tongue) is almost always preferred over langue native when discussing the language a person grew up speaking.
While an English speaker might say 'I am a native of Paris', a French person is more likely to use the noun phrase je suis originaire de Paris to express the same idea.

Tom est natif de Boston.
Tom is a Boston native.
This sentence shows how to state that someone is a native of a specific city using natif.
Tatoeba #5377464 by Aiji, translation #4494445 by CK
Je ne suis pas un locuteur natif.
I am not a native speaker.
This sentence illustrates the use of natif to say someone is not a native speaker.
Tatoeba #4624853 by sacredceltic, translation #4488738 by emprisdurden
Je suis un locuteur natif en français.
I'm a native speaker of French.
This sentence demonstrates how to use natif to identify oneself as a native speaker of a language.
Tatoeba #10748313 by felix63, translation #6350342 by CK
Elle est 100% anglaise.
She is 100% English.
C'est un pur espagnol.
He is a pure Spaniard.
Je suis un chti de naissance.
I am a native from the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region.
Elle est une vraie Bretonne, née et élevée à Rennes.
She is a true Breton, born and raised in Rennes.
Mon père est un Marseillais de souche.
My father is a true native of Marseille.
65 more sentences on Tatoeba

Hugo and Emma are discussing their origins during a class.

Sources

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