Chinese word

牙缝

Pronunciation

Pinyinyá fèng

Meaning

  • nounspace between teeth

Example

吃东西时，牙缝里常常卡东西。chī dōng xī shí yá fèng lǐ cháng cháng kǎ dōng xī

Food often gets stuck between your teeth when you eat.

Illustration for 牙缝 (space between teeth)

More examples

刷牙时记得清理牙缝，可以用牙线或牙缝刷。shuā yá shí jì de qīng lǐ yá fèng ké yǐ yòng yá xiàn huò yá fèng shuā

When brushing your teeth, remember to clean between them; you can use dental floss or an interdental brush.

Core concept

A narrow opening along the meeting line of neighboring teeth.

Common phrases

  • 塞牙缝sāi yá fèng

    get caught between teeth

  • 牙缝里yá fèng lǐ

    between the teeth

  • 牙缝清洁yá fèng qīng jié

    clean between the teeth

Similar words

牙缝儿yá fèngr: A casual spoken expression for a gap between teeth.
牙隙yá xì: A thin gap separating neighboring teeth.
缝隙fèng xì: A thin space formed between separate things or parts.

Definition in Chinese

两颗牙齿接触处形成的空隙，有时因牙齿排列或磨损而变大。liǎng kē yá chǐ jiē chù chù xíng chéng de kòng xì yǒu shí yīn yá chǐ pái liè huò mó sǔn ér biàn dà

Word origin

牙 (yá, "tooth") + 缝 (fèng, "gap") gives a concrete name for the small opening formed where neighboring teeth meet.

Usage tips

  • When food gets stuck, Chinese uses 卡 (kǎ, "get stuck") for the event, while 牙缝 (yáfèng, "space between teeth") identifies the location.

Related words

  • 牙缝刷yá fèng shuāinterdental brushnoun

Word lists with this word