At the Dentist in Chinese 看牙
kànyá
Dentist in Chinese is 牙医 (yá yī).
Also searched for as: dentist, teeth, toothache.
What about your teeth? 15 essential at the dentist words in Mandarin Chinese, with pinyin and English. Open it in the app to hear each word, tick off the ones you know and turn them into flashcards.
The word for dentist in Chinese is 牙医 (yá yī), and going to the dentist is simply 看牙 (kàn yá), 'look at teeth'. Most dental words are built on 牙 (yá), tooth, which makes them easy to remember: 补牙 (bǔ yá) is to have a filling, 拔牙 (bá yá) to have a tooth out and 洗牙 (xǐ yá), literally 'wash teeth', to have your teeth cleaned. These words cover booking, the chair and the instructions you'll hear.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 牙医 | yá yī | dentist |
| 看牙 | kàn yá | to see the dentist |
| 牙疼 | yá téng | toothache |
| 蛀牙 | zhù yá | cavity |
| 补牙 | bǔ yá | to fill a tooth |
| 拔牙 | bá yá | to pull a tooth |
| 洗牙 | xǐ yá | to have your teeth cleaned |
| 牙龈 | yá yín | gums |
| 张嘴 | zhāng zuǐ | to open your mouth |
| 麻药 | má yào | anaesthetic |
| 牙线 | yá xiàn | dental floss |
| 漱口 | shù kǒu | to rinse your mouth |
| 矫正 | jiǎo zhèng | to correct; to straighten (teeth) |
| 敏感 | mǐn gǎn | sensitive |
| 刷牙 | shuā yá | to brush your teeth |
Usage tips
- Teeth are counted with 颗 (kē), not 个: 两颗蛀牙 (liǎng kē zhù yá), two cavities, and 一颗智齿 (yī kē zhì chǐ), a wisdom tooth.
- In the chair you'll mostly hear short commands: 张嘴 (zhāng zuǐ), open wide, 漱口 (shù kǒu), rinse, and 疼就举手 (téng jiù jǔ shǒu), raise your hand if it hurts.
- 牙齿 (yá chǐ) is the general word for teeth, but in speech people usually just say 牙 (yá): 我牙疼 (wǒ yá téng) sounds more natural than 我牙齿疼.
Common mistakes
- Learners translate 'have my teeth cleaned' as 清洁我的牙; the natural word is 洗牙 (xǐ yá): 我想洗牙.
- 刷牙 (shuā yá) is brushing your own teeth, while 洗牙 (xǐ yá) is the professional clean at the dentist; mixing them up gives sentences like 我每年刷一次牙, 'I brush my teeth once a year'.
Mini dialogue
- A你哪颗牙疼？Nǐ nǎ kē yá téng?Which tooth hurts?
- B右边下面这颗，吃冷的东西特别敏感。Yòu bian xià mian zhè kē, chī lěng de dōng xi tè bié mǐn gǎn.This one at the bottom on the right. It's really sensitive to cold things.
- A请张嘴，我看看。哦，有一颗蛀牙。Qǐng zhāng zuǐ, wǒ kàn kan. Ò, yǒu yī kē zhù yá.Open wide, let me see. Ah, there's a cavity.
- B要补牙吗？会疼吗？Yào bǔ yá ma? Huì téng ma?Does it need a filling? Will it hurt?
- A别担心，打了麻药就不疼了。Bié dān xīn, dǎ le má yào jiù bù téng le.Don't worry, once you've had the anaesthetic it won't hurt.
Example sentences
- 我约了牙医。I've got a dentist appointment.
- 明天要去看牙。I'm going to the dentist tomorrow.
- 我牙疼得厉害。I've got a bad toothache.
- 你有两颗蛀牙。You have two cavities.
- 这颗牙要补一下。This tooth needs a filling.
- 我拔了一颗智齿。I had a wisdom tooth out.
- 我每年洗一次牙。I get my teeth cleaned once a year.
- 刷牙的时候牙龈出血。My gums bleed when I brush.
- 请张嘴。Please open wide.
- 打了麻药就不疼了。With the anaesthetic it won't hurt.
- 每天用牙线。Floss every day.
- 请漱口。Please rinse.
- 她在矫正牙齿。She's having her teeth straightened.
- 我的牙齿对冷的东西很敏感。My teeth are sensitive to cold things.
- 每天刷两次牙。Brush your teeth twice a day.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The At the dentist speaking island has 8 everyday questions about at the dentist to prepare your own answers to.