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Glite Dictionary
to speak someone's language

to speak someone's language

4.4
To talk in a way someone understands and likes
  • idiom
translation icon : hablar el idioma de alguien
  • You don't know what a relief it is to run into somebody who speaks my language.

And when you offer an online platform, you kind of speak one language, OK to your people initially anyway because you have the program.

Examples

Synonyms

to communicate
vsto speak someone's language
773 2.3

Share information, ideas, or feelings with someone

adapts message to be easily understood and liked by a specific person

Antonyms

to alienate
123 6.7

To make someone feel alone and lose support from others

How Relatable

to connect with
236 3.2
to speak someone's language
4.4
to speak to
∞ 1.7
to talk
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

speak someone's language infinitive
speaking someone's language present participle
speaks someone's language third person singular
spoke someone's language past
spoken someone's language past participle

Morphology

speak + someone's + language

The phrase is built from highly transparent constituents ('speak' + 'someone's' + 'language') so a B1 learner can readily infer it concerns communicating in the other person's language or in a way they understand. However, the common figurative extension — to adapt one's style or to 'relate' rather than literally use the same language — is a metaphorical shift that may not be fully predictable without prior exposure, although cross-linguistic parallels make it relatively accessible.

Etymology

Speak someone's language comes from the simple image of literally speaking the same language or using the same words and style as another person so they understand. So it means 'to communicate in a way someone easily understands or appreciates'.