HSK · Level 1
130 words
Chinese word
牙
Pronunciation
Pinyinyá
Meaning
- nountooth
Example
小孩摔倒了，掉了一颗牙。xiǎo hái shuāi dǎo le diào le yì kē yá
The child fell down and lost a tooth.
More examples
睡前要刷牙，保护牙齿健康。shuì qián yào shuā yá bǎo hù yá chǐ jiàn kāng
Before going to bed, brush your teeth to keep them healthy.
Core concept
An individual hard projection used for biting, ranging from an ordinary tooth to a pointed canine or animal tusk.
Common phrases
刷牙shuā yá
brush one's teeth
拔牙bá yá
have a tooth pulled
门牙mén yá
incisor
Similar words
牙齿yá chǐ: A general term for individual teeth or teeth as a group.
Definition in Chinese
牙是指口腔中单个的硬质突起，通常指一颗牙，可特指犬牙或门牙。yá shì zhǐ kǒu qiāng zhōng dān gè de yìng zhì tū qǐ tōng cháng zhǐ yì kē yá kě tè zhǐ quǎn yá huò mén yá
Word origin
The ancient character 牙 (yá, "tooth") depicts the projecting form of a tooth, which makes its meanings for sharp teeth and tusks easy to connect.
Usage tips
- The second tone in yá rises, so the syllable has a clear upward pitch rather than the flat pitch often used by English speakers when first guessing Chinese tones.