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This article explores the complexity of passing on the mother tongue within families where the child and parent do not share the same first language. What are the issues at stake relating to linguistic transmission in migration? This question prompts a deeper reflection on the role of language in the family, identity, and integration within a multilingual society. Drawing on a clinical situation encountered in a transcultural consultation and using a complementary analytical approach, the authors seek to highlight the challenges of transmitting the mother tongue in a complex family context marked by separations, which can play out again during the child’s adolescence. While all studies agree on the importance of mother tongue transmission, it is shown here that this is not always a straightforward matter. This challenge becomes even more pronounced when the language is deeply intertwined with a family history marked by breakups, which resurface for the child during adolescence. While transmission is possible, even in the absence of a strong common language, it comes with a significant psychological cost for children caught between multiple worlds, lacking the support of a shared language and community.