bilingual meaning
bilingual :
able to speak two languages
adjective
▪ She is bilingual in English and Spanish.
▪ She can speak English and Spanish.
▪ The bilingual teacher helps students.
▪ The teacher who speaks two languages helps students.
paraphrasing
▪ multilingual – able to speak many languages
▪ polyglot – speaking several languages
▪ dual-language – involving two languages
▪ two-tongued – speaking two languages
bilingual :
a person who can speak two languages
noun
▪ He is a bilingual who travels a lot.
▪ He is a person who speaks two languages and travels a lot.
▪ Many bilinguals work as translators.
▪ Many people who speak two languages work as translators.
paraphrasing
▪ linguist – a language expert
▪ interpreter – a person who translates
▪ translator – a person who converts languages
▪ communicator – a person who conveys information
Pronunciation
bilingual [baɪˈlɪŋ.ɡwəl]
The stress is on 'lin' and sounds like 'bye-ling-gwuhl'.
Common phrases and grammar about bilingual
bilingual - Common meaning
adjective
able to speak two languages
noun
a person who can speak two languages
Part of Speech Changes for "bilingual"
▪ bilingualism (noun) – the ability to speak two languages
▪ bilingually (adverb) – in a way that involves two languages
Common Expressions with "bilingual"
▪ bilingual education – teaching in two languages
▪ bilingual dictionary – a book translating two languages
▪ bilingual community – a group where two languages are spoken
▪ bilingual family – a family that speaks two languages
Important examples of bilingual in TOEIC
Vocabulary examples from the TOEIC test
In TOEIC vocabulary questions, bilingual often refers to job requirements or language skills.
Example of a confusing word: biannual (occurring twice a year)
Grammar examples from the TOEIC test
As an adjective, bilingual often modifies nouns like 'person', 'teacher', or 'staff' in TOEIC questions.
bilingual
Idioms and fixed expressions in TOEIC
bilingual education
'teaching in two languages', used in educational contexts.
speak with a forked tongue
means 'to say one thing and mean another', not directly related but can be used to contrast with bilingual communication.
Differences between similar words and bilingual
bilingual
,
multilingual
differences
Bilingual means speaking two languages, while multilingual means speaking more than two.
Words with the same origin as bilingual
The origin of bilingual
The word bilingual comes from the Latin 'bi-' meaning 'two' and 'lingua' meaning 'language'.
Word structure
It has the prefix bi (two), root lingua (language), and suffix al (adjective), so bilingual means 'two languages'.
Words with the same origin
The root of bilingual is lingua (language). Words with the same root include linguistics (study of language), lingua franca (common language), linguist (language expert).
