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tongue
/tʌŋ/
When referring to the organ in the mouth, 'tongue' is a countable noun. When referring to language (as in 'mother tongue'), it is also countable but often used in specific set phrases. In most modern contexts, using 'tongue' as a verb is rare and primarily describes animal behavior or very specific physical actions. Be careful not to confuse the anatomical 'tongue' with 'language' unless you are speaking poetically or referring to a native language.
💬Casual Conversation
🎬Tuesday afternoon, David is in a meeting while Jessica is frantically organizing the quarterly review.
Jessica
The client from Tokyo is coming. Do we have a translator or are you just winging it?
David
I've got this. I'm practically fluent in their mother tongue.
💡
Jessica is anxious about the logistics of a foreign client visit, while David uses the idiom 'mother tongue' to overconfidently claim native-level fluency in Japanese, reflecting his tendency to exaggerate his capabilities using corporate-adjacent terminology.