lengua
tongue; language
noun LEN-gwah Less Common
Origin: From Latin lingua (tongue, language).
Usage Note
Lengua means both the physical tongue and a natural language — habla tres lenguas (she speaks three languages). It is a near-synonym of idioma in the language sense, but lengua is preferred in academic/linguistic contexts (lengua materna = mother tongue). Cooked tongue is also a dish (lengua de res is beef tongue). Do not confuse with lenguaje, which means 'language' in the sense of a system of signs or style of expression.
Examples
"La lengua oficial es el español."
Natural Translation
The official language is Spanish.

Free starter pack
Building your Spanish vocabulary?
Get the 100 most common Spanish words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.
Related Words
Explore Spanish by topic