Chinese word

刷牙

Pronunciation

Pinyinshuā yá

Meaning

  • verbbrush one's teeth

Example

我每天早上都刷牙。wǒ měi tiān zǎo shàng dōu shuā yá

I brush my teeth every morning.

Illustration for 刷牙 (brush one's teeth)

More examples

饭后要记得刷牙，这样可以预防蛀牙。fàn hòu yào jì de shuā yá zhè yàng ké yǐ yù fáng zhù yá

Remember to brush your teeth after meals; this can prevent cavities.

Core concept

A brush moves across the teeth, removing food and dirt from their surface.

Common phrases

  • 每天刷牙měi tiān shuā yá

    brush one's teeth every day

  • 早晚刷牙záo wǎn shuā yá

    brush one's teeth morning and night

  • 饭后刷牙fàn hòu shuā yá

    brush one's teeth after meals

  • 睡前刷牙shuì qián shuā yá

    brush one's teeth before bed

Similar words

洗牙xǐ yá: Uses dental tools or products to remove tartar and dirt from the teeth professionally.
漱口shù kǒu: Rinses the mouth with water or mouthwash and spits it out.
刷shuā: Uses a brush or bristles to scrub dirt away from a surface.

Definition in Chinese

用牙刷或类似工具清除牙齿表面污垢和食物残渣的动作。yòng yá shuā huò lèi sì gōng jù qīng chú yá chǐ biǎo miàn wū gòu hé shí wù cán zhā de dòng zuò

Word origin

刷牙 (shuāyá, "brush one's teeth") combines 刷 (shuā, "brush or scrub") + 牙 (yá, "tooth"), so its form directly describes the action.

Usage tips

  • Chinese usually leaves the possessor unstated when the body part is clear from context, so this routine does not normally need a word meaning "one's".

Other meanings

  • toothbrushingnoun

Word lists with this word