brosse-toi les dents
The English phrase "brush your teeth" is translated into French as brosse-toi les dents.
The phrase is used to instruct someone to clean their teeth using a toothbrush and toothpaste.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, brosse-toi les dents translates to "brush to yourself the teeth".
Which one should you use?
Brosse-toi les dents is the imperative form used when addressing a single person as tu (informal). In contrast, brossez-vous les dents is used when addressing more than one person or when using the polite vous form with a single person.
How does it change in a sentence?
When referring to body parts in this context, French uses the definite article les instead of the possessive adjective tes. Therefore, you say les dents (the teeth) rather than "your teeth" in a literal sense.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying brosse tes dents, which is a common error made by translating "your" directly from English. Instead, use the definite article les to refer to the teeth.
Did you know?
- If a French speaker uses the possessive tes dents instead of les dents, it can sound like they are talking about a set of teeth that have been removed from the mouth.
- The verb 'brosser' is a versatile tool in French, used not just for teeth but also for hair, clothes, or even painting a wall. A clumsy person might hear 'brosser' and think of a paintbrush rather than a toothbrush.
- The word 'dents' comes from the Latin 'dens', making it a distant linguistic cousin to the English word 'dental'. This shared root is the reason why medical specialists for teeth are called 'dentistes' in both languages.
Examples in context
- Brosse-toi les dents chaque jour.Brush your teeth every day.This sentence is useful for seeing the phrase used with a frequency instruction.Tatoeba #559122 by sacredceltic, translation #322432 by Swift
- Brosse-toi les dents après chaque repas.Brush your teeth after every meal.This sentence is useful for seeing the phrase used with a timing instruction.Tatoeba #859129 by sacredceltic, translation #855245 by piksea
- Brosse-toi les dents au moins deux fois par jour.Brush your teeth at least twice a day.Tatoeba #559121 by sacredceltic, translation #5298876 by Joseph
- Brosse-toi les dents régulièrement.Brush your teeth regularly.
- N'oublie pas de te brosser les dents avec du dentifrice.Don't forget to brush your teeth with toothpaste.
- Utilise du dentifrice quand tu brosses tes dents.Use toothpaste when you brush your teeth.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A mother is talking to her son before bedtime.
- ChloéLucas, va dans la salle de bain.Lucas, go into the bathroom.
- LucasJe vais me coucher maintenant.I am going to sleep now.
- ChloéD'abord, brosse-toi les dents.First, brush your teeth.
- LucasD'accord, j'y vais.Okay, I'm going.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries les, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
