歯を磨いてきなさい
ha o migaite kinasai
To say "go brush your teeth" in Japanese, use 歯を磨いてきなさい (ha o migaite kinasai).
This phrase is an imperative used to tell someone, often a child, to go and clean their teeth. It is most naturally used when the speaker expects the person to perform the action and then return to the current location or activity.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 歯 (teeth), を (the object marker), 磨いて (brushing) and きなさい (a command meaning 'go and do something and return').
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The form 歯を磨いてきなさい is an authoritative command typically used by parents to children or teachers to students. For a softer, more casual way to tell someone to brush their teeth in close family settings, you can use 歯を磨いて.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb is formed by the te-form of 磨く (to brush) combined with the auxiliary verb くる (to come), which implies performing an action and then returning.
How do you pronounce it?
ha o migaite kinasai
Did you know?
- The verb 磨く used for teeth also means 'to polish' or 'to refine'. In a metaphorical sense, it is used when someone is 'polishing' their skills or character to reach a higher level of perfection.
- The word 磨く is also used for polishing shoes. Using the same verb for both teeth and footwear highlights the Japanese linguistic focus on the act of rubbing a surface to make it shine.
- Because きなさい implies a return, saying 歯を磨いてきなさい to an adult who is leaving the house for the day would be grammatically odd and potentially insulting.
Examples in context
- 歯を磨いてきなさい。Go brush your teeth.This sentence is useful for practicing the phrase 歯を磨いてきなさい.Tatoeba #10551958 by small_snow, translation #1908472 by Spamster
- 太郎、歯を磨いてきなさい。Taro, go brush your teeth.This sentence is useful for practicing how to address someone by name before saying 歯を磨いてきなさい.Tatoeba #882418 by thyc244, translation #852690 by Swift
- 寝る前に、ちゃんと歯を磨いてきなさい。Neru mae ni, chanto ha o migaite kinasai.Go brush your teeth properly before you go to bed.
Example conversation
A mother is telling her son to get ready for bed.
- 結衣 Yui蓮、もう寝る時間よ。歯を磨いてきなさい。Ren, mou neru jikan yo. Ha o migaite kinasai.Ren, it is already time for bed. Go brush your teeth.
- 蓮 Renあと少しだけ、ゲームをしてもいい？Ato sukoshi dake, geemu o shite mo ii?Can I play my game just a little bit longer?
- 結衣 Yuiだめよ。早く準備して。Dame yo. Hayaku junbi shite.No. Get ready quickly.
- 蓮 Renわかった、今行くよ。Wakatta, ima iku yo.Okay, I'm going now.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
