[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/bilingual/)

[dictionaries](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [English](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/) / [B](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/b/) / bilingual

# bilingual

adjective (bilingual); noun (a bilingual, bilinguals — rare)

«bilingual» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Able to speak two languages well: «a bilingual child». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bilingual/#m1)
2. Written or spoken in two languages: «a bilingual dictionary», «bilingual signs». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bilingual/#m2)

### In the lessons

In language lessons and everyday life, many children are bilingual: they speak one language at home and another at school. In Canada signs are bilingual (English and French), in Wales (English and Welsh), in Ireland (English and Irish). Being bilingual is a skill, not a problem. Related: monolingual (one), trilingual (three), multilingual (many).

### Examples

- My friend is bilingual in English and Polish. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bilingual/#x1)
- Road signs in Wales are bilingual. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bilingual/#x2)
- Canada has a bilingual government. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bilingual/#x3)
- I used a bilingual dictionary in French class. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bilingual/#x4)
- Bilingual children often switch languages in one sentence. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bilingual/#x5)
- Our school newsletter is bilingual. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bilingual/#x6)

### Note

bi- means two (bicycle, biannual). Say «by-LING-gwul». Myth: learning two languages does not confuse children; most become fluent in both. Noun: bilingualism.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «bilingual» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bilingual/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«bilingual» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/bilingual.html) on Mova free.