come to mind
spring to mind

The first thing that comes to mind is the language.

What comes to mind when someone says the word war?

Now let us begin with the first question that comes to mind.

She didn't have any words ready, and nothing was coming to mind.

Something that he was sure would come to mind almost at once.

I am sure it has been tried at some time although nothing comes to mind.

All of the women in my life coming to mind, he thought.

Were he on his home world, a number of things would come to mind; here was nothing.

When he said it, a word did come to mind.

Those were the first two things to come to mind.