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牙齿 (yá chǐ) — tooth; teeth

Definition

牙齿 is the standard word for 'tooth/teeth', used in everyday and medical contexts. 牙 alone is the short colloquial form; 牙齿 is more complete and formal.

noun
toothteeth
Measure word · 颗

Examples

  • 牙齿。
    Wǒ yǒu yì kē yá chǐ téng.
    I have a tooth that hurts.
  • 牙齿。
    Yī shēng bāng wǒ jiǎn chá le yá chǐ.
    The doctor examined my teeth.
  • 牙齿。
    Nǐ yào hǎo hǎo bǎo hù yá chǐ.
    You should take good care of your teeth.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

牙yátooth
齿chǐtooth

Both 牙 and 齿 refer to teeth, and the pair forms the common word for teeth.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 牙 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 齒; 齿 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 齒 originally drew a mouth full of teeth, and later gained a part that gives a clue to its sound. The simplified 齿 is a later shorthand.

Open 齿 →
Appears in
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