Chinese word

牙刷

Pronunciation

Pinyinyá shuā

Meaning

  • nountoothbrush

Example

我每天早上都用牙刷刷牙。wǒ měi tiān zǎo shàng dōu yòng yá shuā shuā yá

I use a toothbrush to brush my teeth every morning.

Illustration for 牙刷 (toothbrush)

More examples

出差时我把牙刷和牙膏一起放进洗漱包。chū chāi shí wǒ bǎ yá shuā hé yá gāo yì qǐ fàng jìn xǐ shù bāo

When I go on a business trip, I put my toothbrush and toothpaste together in my toiletry bag.

Core concept

A small handle ending in bristles, guided over the teeth to clear away what eating leaves behind.

Common phrases

  • 电动牙刷diàn dòng yá shuā

    electric toothbrush

  • 买牙刷mǎi yá shuā

    buy a toothbrush

  • 换牙刷huàn yá shuā

    replace a toothbrush

Similar words

牙膏yá gāo: A paste or gel used on the teeth to help remove dirt.
牙线yá xiàn: Thin thread used to remove dirt and food from between the teeth.
牙签yá qiān: A thin pointed tool for removing small pieces of food caught between the teeth.
刷子shuā zi: A general cleaning tool with bundled bristles or nylon fibers for scrubbing away dirt.

Definition in Chinese

清洁牙齿的器具，通常由握柄与刷毛构成，用以去除牙齿表面的污渍和食物残留。qīng jié yá chǐ de qì jù tōng cháng yóu wò bǐng yǔ shuā máo gòu chéng yòng yǐ qù chú yá chǐ biǎo miàn de wū zì hé shí wù cán liú

Word origin

The compound 牙 (yá, "tooth") + 刷 (shuā, "brush") identifies both the target and the action of this cleaning tool.

Usage tips

  • Product labels often use 软毛 (ruǎnmáo, "soft bristles") and 硬毛 (yìngmáo, "firm bristles"), which helps identify the feel of the bristles when choosing a product.

Related words

  • 电动牙刷diàn dòng yá shuāelectric toothbrushnoun
  • 牙刷头yá shuā tóutoothbrush headnoun
  • 牙刷盒yá shuā hétoothbrush casenoun

Word lists with this word