牙 yá tooth

源How it came to be

Two rows of back teeth meshed together, upper set into lower. It is the bite rather than a single tooth, which is why the shape has the interlock drawn into it.

用How it is used

• Everyday word for tooth - 刷牙 (shuā yá) brush teeth, 牙疼 (yá téng) toothache.
• 牙齿 (yáchǐ) is the disyllabic noun for 'teeth'; bare 牙 dominates in verb collocations (刷牙, 拔牙 bá yá pull a tooth) and product names (牙膏 yágāo toothpaste, 牙刷 yáshuā toothbrush).
• 蛀牙 (zhùyá) = a cavity / decayed tooth, the thing the dentist fills.

字Characters built with 牙

• 穿 wear
• 呀 ah
• 讶 amazed
• 芽 bud
• 邪 wrong
• 雅 elegant
• 鸦 crow

词Words with 牙

• 牙刷yáshuātoothbrushHSK 3
• 牙膏yágāotoothpasteHSK 4
• 牙齿yáchǐtoothHSK 5
• 蛀牙zhùyátooth decayHSK 9

句Example sentences

• 我每天都刷牙。 Wǒ měi tiān dōu shuāyá.I brush my teeth every day.
• 我在挤牙膏准备刷牙。 Wǒ zài jǐ yágāo zhǔnbèi shuāyá.I am squeezing toothpaste in preparation to brush my teeth.