rechinar los dientes
/ret͡ʃinaɾ los djentes/from spelling rules
To grind teeth in Spanish is rechinar los dientes.
This phrase describes the act of rubbing the upper and lower teeth together, which often happens due to stress or while sleeping. While you can use rechinar los dientes to describe the action, the specific medical term for the condition of grinding teeth is bruxismo.
What does it mean word for word?
The verb rechinar literally means to creak or to grind, such as the sound a door hinge might make.
How does it change in a sentence?
When referring to body parts in Spanish, use the definite article los (the) instead of a possessive adjective like 'my' or 'his'. Therefore, you say rechinar los dientes rather than using a possessive.
Did you know?
Examples in context
- El estrés hizo que comenzara a rechinar los dientes durante la noche.The stress caused me to start grinding my teeth at night.
- Él suele rechinar los dientes cuando está estresado.He tends to grind his teeth when he is stressed.
- Siento que suelo rechinar los dientes al dormir.I feel like I tend to grind my teeth while sleeping.
- El dentista dice que suelo rechinar los dientes.The dentist says that I grind my teeth.
Example conversation
Lucía is talking to Javier about his sleep habits.
- Lucía¿Te duele la mandíbula al despertar, Javier?Does your jaw hurt when you wake up, Javier?
- JavierSí, creo que suelo rechinar los dientes de noche.Yes, I think I tend to grind my teeth at night.
- LucíaDeberías ir al médico para revisarlo.You should go to the doctor to have it checked.
- JavierTienes razón, lo haré pronto.You are right, I will do it soon.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries los, CC BY-SA 4.0.
