caat3 ngaa4擦牙
Jyutpingcaat3 ngaa4
Yalechaat ngàh
Definition
To brush one's teeth.
colloquialdaily actionshealth
How it's used
While 擦牙 is widely understood, many native speakers prefer the term 刷牙. Using 擦牙 often carries a slightly more casual or regional nuance depending on the speaker's background. It functions as a separable verb, allowing for the insertion of aspect markers like 咗 or 緊 directly between the verb and the object.
Examples
I have to brush my teeth every morning.
Related words
Common phrases
to put toothpaste on the brush
brushed very clean
Common mistake
Learners often confuse 擦 with 刷, but 刷牙 is the more standard and universally accepted term in Hong Kong. Using 擦 might occasionally sound like you are scrubbing or wiping something else, so stick to 刷牙 to avoid any ambiguity.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
