ngaa4 gau3牙垢
Jyutpingngaa4 gau3
Yalengàh gau
Definition
Tartar or dental calculus; hardened plaque on the teeth.
colloquialhealthbody
How it's used
Refers specifically to the hardened, calcified plaque that cannot be removed by simple brushing. While people often use it interchangeably with plaque, dentists distinguish it as the hardened stage that requires professional scaling to remove. It is a common topic when discussing oral hygiene or the necessity of visiting a dentist.
Examples
You have too much tartar buildup, go get your teeth cleaned soon.
Why can I still see tartar there after brushing my teeth?
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse it with 牙漬, which refers to surface stains from coffee or tea that are not necessarily calcified. Unlike 牙漬, which might be polished off, 牙垢 usually requires mechanical removal by a professional.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
