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Words and Their StoriesLearning Expressions with VOA
Processed with VS1Explore expressions about diligence, family roles, first languages, and the natural world.
VOA source audio
Source: VOA Learning English · Words and Their Stories
View original article & transcriptThe program explores expressions using “mother,” including “mother tongue” for a language learned at home, “Mother Nature” for the natural world, and “necessity is the mother of invention” for new solutions created in response to a need. Its featured saying, “Diligence is the mother of good luck,” suggests that careful, continued effort creates opportunities that may look like luck.
Cultural note: “Mother tongue” usually means a person’s first or home language; it does not require that the language was taught by their mother. “Mother country” can carry different meanings and associations across speakers and contexts. Mother’s Day dates also vary by country, so the U.S. date mentioned in the source is not universal.
Keep exploringThese phrases link “mother” with beginnings and causes: language learned at home, nature as a source of life, and effort that helps opportunity grow.
Phrase guide · 5 expressions
Original explanations and examples, created for learners. Save a card for later or hear the phrase spoken by your browser.
Connect steady work with the chances it can create.
Meaning
Careful, continued hard work helps create opportunities for success.
Tone & use
A proverb-like saying that credits preparation and effort rather than chance alone.
Example
“She practiced every day before the audition; diligence was the mother of her good luck.”
Talk about a first or home language without assuming who taught it.
Meaning
A person’s first language or the language they learned at home.
Tone & use
A conventional expression; speakers may have more than one first or home language.
Example
“He grew up speaking two languages, so he considers both his mother tongues.”
Meaning
A person’s native country or ancestral homeland.
Tone & use
Can sound patriotic, formal, or political; use “home country” when you want a more neutral phrase.
Example
“After many years abroad, she returned to the motherland her grandparents had described.”
Recognize expressions for nature and solutions born from need.
Meaning
A personified way of referring to nature and its forces.
Tone & use
Often used in informal or literary language, especially when describing weather or natural events.
Example
“The farmers hoped Mother Nature would bring steady rain before summer.”
Meaning
A strong need can inspire people to create a new solution.
Tone & use
Use when a problem or shortage motivates a practical invention or new method.
Example
“When the team could not afford new equipment, necessity became the mother of invention.”
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