bilingual
gb/baɪlˈɪŋɡwəl/ us/baɪlˈɪŋɡwəl/
B1
English
~ 9200
Senses
0 senses
adjective
B1
property
1
able to use two languages
Able to speak and understand two languages well.
Usage pattern:
[someone] is bilingual
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"He is a bilingual"* when they simply mean *"He is bilingual"*. Using 'bilingual' as an adjective (without 'a') is more common in everyday speech. Also, some learners think 'bilingual' means 'speaks many languages'; for more than two, 'multilingual' is more accurate.
Synonyms
fluent in two languages (More descriptive phrase; focuses on fluency level rather than just number of languages.)
|
multilingual (Often implies more than two languages; slightly broader than 'bilingual'.)
Antonyms
monolingual (Describes someone who can use only one language, the opposite of speaking two.)
Collocations
bilingual person
|bilingual speaker
|bilingual child
|bilingual family
|bilingual staff
|fully bilingual
Themes
language
|education
|culture
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She grew up in Canada and is fully bilingual in English and French.
- Many companies in the region prefer to hire bilingual employees.
- As a child of immigrants, he became bilingual without even thinking about it.
- The tour guide was bilingual and could switch easily between Spanish and English.
- Raising children to be bilingual can give them more opportunities later in life.
Learner examples
- My teacher is bilingual in English and Spanish.
- I want to be bilingual so I can work in another country.
- Her parents are bilingual, so she hears two languages at home.
- Many people in this city are bilingual.
- He is bilingual and can help you translate this letter.
unknown
B1
property
2
written or provided in two languages
Using two languages in the same thing, like a book, sign, or program.
Usage pattern:
a bilingual [book/sign/program/school]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'bilingual' with 'translated'. A text can be bilingual if it shows two languages together, while a translated text might appear in only one language at a time. They may also use 'bilingual' for a place where many languages are spoken, even if there are more than two; in that case, 'multilingual' or 'multi-language' may be better.
Synonyms
dual-language (Common in education; emphasizes two official languages in a program or setting.)
|
in two languages (Plain descriptive phrase rather than a single-word adjective.)
Antonyms
monolingual (Describes materials or systems that use only one language instead of two.)
Collocations
bilingual education
|bilingual school
|bilingual program
|bilingual sign
|bilingual label
|bilingual dictionary
Themes
language
|education
|society
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The museum offers bilingual tours in English and Japanese.
- All official forms are now bilingual to serve both language communities.
- We bought a bilingual picture book so our kids can see both languages side by side.
- The city installed bilingual signs at the airport to help international travelers.
- He works in a bilingual school where classes are taught in German and Italian.
Learner examples
- This is a bilingual book with English and French.
- The city has bilingual street signs.
- Our children go to a bilingual school.
- The website is bilingual, so you can choose your language.
- We watched a bilingual video with two languages on the screen.
Noun
B2
entity
3
a person who uses two languages
A person who can speak and understand two languages well.
Usage pattern:
[someone] is a bilingual; bilinguals [verb]
Common mistake:
Learners may overuse the noun form *"a bilingual"* in everyday conversation. In casual speech, people more often say *"He is bilingual"* than *"He is a bilingual"*. The noun is common in academic or professional contexts (e.g., in research on bilinguals).
Synonyms
speaker of two languages (More explicit description; slightly more formal and wordy.)
|
multilingual (Can include people who speak two or more languages; broader than strictly two.)
Antonyms
monolingual (A person who speaks only one language; conceptual opposite of a bilingual person.)
Collocations
a bilingual
|early bilinguals
|balanced bilinguals
|heritage bilinguals
|raise [someone] as a bilingual
Themes
language
|education
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- As a bilingual, she often helps her relatives communicate with doctors and teachers.
- Many bilinguals report that they switch languages depending on who they are talking to.
- The study followed adult bilinguals who learned their second language later in life.
- Growing up as a bilingual gave him a strong interest in linguistics.
- Bilinguals sometimes mix languages when they speak with close friends.
Learner examples
- He is a bilingual and works as a translator.
- Many bilinguals live in this border town.
- The class is for bilinguals who speak Spanish and English.
- Her parents are bilinguals and speak two languages at home.
- As a bilingual, she can find work in many countries.
Grammar
Dictionary form
bilingual
IPA
GB/baɪlˈɪŋɡwəl/
US/baɪlˈɪŋɡwəl/
Syllables & stress
bi - lin - gual (3 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (lin)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: bilingual
Noun
- Base: bilingual
- Plural: bilinguals
Word family
Forms
bilinguals
noun
Core family
bilingualism
noun
Related words
multilingual
adjective
trilingual
adjective
Negative and opposite forms
monolingual
adjective
Advanced or less common
bilingually
adverb
Expressions
bilingual dictionary
1/baɪlˈɪŋɡwəl dˈɪkʃənˌɛɹi/
fixed phrase
dictionary between two languages
A book or digital tool that shows a word in one language and the same word in another language.
Examples
- He always carries a small bilingual dictionary when he travels.
- Using a bilingual dictionary can help beginners understand new words quickly.
- The app includes bilingual dictionaries for more than thirty language pairs.
bilingual education
1/baɪlˈɪŋɡwəl ˌɛd͡ʒəkˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
schooling that uses two languages
A way of teaching where students learn in two languages, not just one.
Examples
- The government is investing more money in bilingual education.
- Many parents support bilingual education because it helps children keep their home language.
- Bilingual education programs often divide the day between two languages.
bilingual household
1/baɪlˈɪŋɡwəl hˈaʊshˌoʊld/
fixed phrase
home where two languages are spoken
A home where people often speak two different languages.
Examples
- Growing up in a bilingual household, she learned both languages naturally.
- In many bilingual households, parents use one language and grandparents use another.
- Living in a bilingual household can help children feel close to both cultures.
bilingual program
1/baɪlˈɪŋɡwəl pɹˈoʊɡɹˌæm/
fixed phrase
program taught in two languages
A set of classes or a course where teaching is done in two languages.
Examples
- The university offers a bilingual program in business and law.
- We enrolled our son in a bilingual program at his primary school.
- Funding for bilingual programs has increased in recent years.
bilingual school
1/baɪlˈɪŋɡwəl skˈul/
fixed phrase
school teaching in two languages
A school where classes are taught in two different languages.
Examples
- Their children attend a bilingual school in the city center.
- The new bilingual school offers instruction in both Portuguese and English.
- Demand for bilingual schools has increased over the past decade.
bilingual signage
1/baɪlˈɪŋɡwəl sˈaɪnɪd͡ʒ/
fixed phrase
public signs in two languages
Public signs that show the same information in two different languages.
Examples
- The airport now has bilingual signage to help international visitors.
- Bilingual signage is required by law in that region.
- Tourists appreciated the clear bilingual signage around the city center.
bilingual upbringing
1/baɪlˈɪŋɡwəl ˈʌpbɹˌɪŋɪŋ/
fixed phrase
being raised with two languages
The way parents raise a child so that the child grows up with two languages.
Examples
- Her bilingual upbringing helped her work easily in international teams.
- Parents sometimes worry that a bilingual upbringing will confuse their child.
- A bilingual upbringing can shape a child's view of identity and culture.