lingua
/ˈlin.ɡwa/feminine
The English word "tongue" is lingua in Italian.
lingua refers to the anatomical organ in the mouth. It is also the word used to refer to a language, such as the Italian language itself. For example, the phrase lingua madre is used to refer to one's native language or "mother tongue".
Meaning: organ (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of lingua is lingue.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables, with the stress on the first syllable: /ˈlin.ɡwa/.
Did you know?
- The phrase aver la lingua lunga literally means 'to have a long tongue' and is used to describe someone who talks too much or cannot keep a secret.
- The expression tenere a freno la lingua means to hold one's tongue, but literally translates to 'keeping the tongue on a brake'.
- The word lingua shares the same Latin root as the English word 'linguistics'.
Examples in context
- Si morda la lingua!Bite your tongue.This sentence shows how to use lingua when telling someone to bite their tongue.Tatoeba #1853000 by Guybrush88, translation #1850263 by CK
- Si morse la lingua.He bit his tongue.This sentence uses lingua to describe a past action of biting one's tongue.Tatoeba #11740443 by Guybrush88, translation #10036497 by sundown
- Mi bruciai la lingua.I burnt my tongue.This sentence uses lingua to describe the sensation of burning one's tongue.Tatoeba #5141573 by Guybrush88, translation #1624934 by marcelostockle
- La lingua italiana è molto bella e musicale.The Italian tongue is beautiful and melodic.
- Mi sono bruciato la lingua bevendo il caffè.I burned my tongue while drinking coffee.
- La tua lingua madre è l'italiano, vero?Your native tongue is Italian, right?
- 118 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A doctor examines Sofia in a clinic.
- AlessandroApri la bocca, per favore.Open your mouth, please.
- SofiaDevo mostrare la lingua?Do I need to show my tongue?
- AlessandroSì, così posso controllare la lingua.Yes, so I can check the tongue.
- SofiaVa bene, eccola.Okay, here it is.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “tongue” translations and entries lingua, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries lingua, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
