Meaning & use
native speakers
Last updated
“native speakers” is a form of “native speaker”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meaning
nounplural
People who learned a language as children and speak it fluently and naturally.
Grammar: Countable noun; the singular is 'native speaker'. Often followed by 'of' plus a language.
Patterns
- native speakers of English
- native speakers of a language
- a native speaker
Many native speakers of Spanish find it easy to learn Portuguese.
The course is designed for non-native speakers, but native speakers can also benefit.
She grew up in Tokyo and is a native speaker of Japanese.
Word forms
| singular | native speaker |
|---|
Common combinations
- native speakers of English
- Native speakers of English often use contractions in casual speech.
- non-native speakers
- The conference welcomes both native and non-native speakers.
- a native speaker
- He is a native speaker of Arabic.
- fluent native speakers
- Fluent native speakers can usually understand regional accents.
Synonyms and how they differ
- first-language speakers
- This term is more neutral and academic; it avoids the idea that 'native' is the only standard.
- mother-tongue speakers
- Similar, but 'mother tongue' emphasizes the language of one's family or childhood home.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: native speakers or mother tongue?
native speakers vs mother tongue
Mother tongue is the language itself, not the person. A native speaker speaks their mother tongue.
Practice
She is a native ______ of French.
Choose one answer.
The singular noun is 'speaker', and 'a native speaker of French' is the correct pattern. 'Speakers' is plural and does not match 'a'; 'speaking' and 'spoken' are verb forms and cannot follow 'a native'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “native speakers”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.