locuteur natif
/lɔ.ky.tœʁ na.tif/masculine
The English phrase "native speaker" is translated into French as locuteur natif.
A locuteur natif is a person who grew up with a particular language as their mother tongue. While locuteur natif refers to the person, the term langue maternelle is used to refer to the language itself as a native language.
Meaning: person who grew up with a particular language as their mother tongue (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Canada, the term locuteurs de langue maternelle is commonly used to mean "native speaker".
How does it change in a sentence?
The feminine form is locutrice native for a native female speaker, and the masculine plural form is locuteurs natifs for native speakers. To refer to a non-native speaker, you use locuteur non natif.
Did you know?
- The French word natif is a doublet of naïf. While the former means 'native', the latter shifted in meaning to describe someone who is 'naive' or innocent.
- While locuteur natif is technically correct, many French speakers prefer to simply say de langue maternelle to avoid the slightly clinical or scientific sound of locuteur.
- In certain Francophone contexts, such as parts of Africa, the term langue maternelle can be complex if a person speaks a local indigenous language at home but uses French as their primary language for education and work.
Examples in context
- Je ne suis pas un locuteur natif.I am not a native speaker.This sentence is useful for stating that you are 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 is useful for stating that you are a native speaker of French.Tatoeba #10748313 by felix63, translation #6350342 by CK
- Un locuteur natif a corrigé mes erreurs.A native speaker corrected my mistakes.This sentence is useful for describing a situation where a native speaker corrected mistakes.Tatoeba #10491482 by lbdx, translation #10476996 by Ooneykcall
- Les participants doivent être des locuteurs natifs de la langue française.The participants must be native speakers of the French language.
- L'accent de cet homme est celui d'un locuteur non natif.This man's accent is that of a non-native speaker.
- Nous recherchons des locuteurs de langue maternelle pour notre programme d'échange linguistique.We are looking for native speakers for our language exchange program.
- 31 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Léa are discussing language learning techniques at a cafe.
- HugoEst-ce qu'il faut être un locuteur natif ?Do you have to be a native speaker?
- LéaPas du tout, Hugo, l'important est de pratiquer.Not at all, Hugo, the important thing is to practice.
- HugoTu as raison, la pratique est essentielle.You are right, practice is essential.
- LéaOui, même si je ne suis pas une locutrice native.Yes, even if I am not a native speaker.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “native speaker” translations and entries locuteur natif, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries locuteur, natif, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
