牙关 (yá guān) — mandibular joint; jaw joint

Definition

Literally 'jaw joint' (the hinge of the jaw), but in everyday use it almost always appears in the set phrase 咬紧牙关 — 'to clench one's jaw' and figuratively 'to grit one's teeth / steel oneself'.

noun

mandibular jointjaw joint

Examples

牙关。
Tā téng dé yǎo jǐn le yá guān.
He clenched his jaw from the pain.
牙关，。
Yī shēng jiǎn chá le tā de yá guān, shuō méi wèn tí.
The doctor checked his jaw and said there was no problem.
，。
Jǐn zhāng de shí hou, tā zǒng shì bú zì jué dì yǎo jǐn yá guān.
When nervous, he unconsciously clenches his jaw.

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