ngaa4 ci2牙齒牙齿
Jyutpingngaa4 ci2
Yalengàh chí
Definition
Tooth or teeth; organs in the mouth of humans or animals used to grind and tear food.
neutralbodyhealth
How it's used
While 牙齒 is the standard term for teeth, native speakers almost exclusively use the single character 牙 in daily conversation. Using the full two-character form sounds slightly formal or clinical, similar to saying 'dentition' or 'dental structure' instead of just 'teeth'.
Measure word
zek3隻jekExamples
Have you brushed your teeth today?
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often mistakenly use the measure_word 個 for teeth, but the correct classifier is 隻. Using 個 will sound very unnatural to a native speaker.
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.
