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Meaning & use

fluent in

phrase·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˈfluːənt ɪn/
US/ˈfluːənt ɪn/

Meanings

  1. phrasefixed phrase

    Able to speak or write a language easily, smoothly, and without stopping to search for words.

    Grammar: Follows the verb be or become and takes the name of a language: She is fluent in Arabic.

    Patterns

    • be fluent in a language
    • become fluent in a language
    • fluent in something

    After two years in Madrid, he is fluent in Spanish.

    She became fluent in Japanese while working in Tokyo.

    Are you fluent in any language besides English?

  2. phrasefixed phrasefigurative

    Very skilled and smooth at doing a particular activity, so that it looks easy.

    Grammar: Used with skills and activities, not usually with languages: fluent in the local dialect of dance.

    Patterns

    • be fluent in an activity
    • fluent in the language of something

    By his third season he was fluent in the fast breaks of professional basketball.

    She is fluent in the unspoken rules of office life.

Common combinations

fluent in English
The job requires you to be fluent in English.
fluent in a foreign language
Employers value graduates who are fluent in a foreign language.
completely fluent in
After a year abroad she was completely fluent in Italian.
become fluent in
It takes years of practice to become fluent in Mandarin.
fluent in both languages
Growing up in Montreal, he is fluent in both languages.

Synonyms and how they differ

proficient in
Proficient in suggests solid ability but not necessarily the easy, natural flow that fluent in implies.
conversant in
Conversant in is more formal and means you can hold a conversation, often less advanced than fluent in.
at home in
At home in is a looser, more figurative way to say you are comfortable using a language or skill.

Opposites

unable to speakrusty in

Word family

fluency noun
The quality of speaking or writing a language smoothly and easily.
fluently adverb
In a smooth, easy way, especially when speaking a language.

Commonly confused: fluent in or fluid? fluent in or fluent at?

fluent in vs fluid

Fluid means able to flow or likely to change; fluent describes smooth, skilled language use. They sound similar but mean different things.

fluent in vs fluent at

Fluent at is used with activities and skills (fluent at chess), while fluent in is used mainly with languages.

Practice

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