rechinar de dientes
/ret͡ʃinaɾ de djentes/from spelling rules
In Spanish, grinding teeth is said as rechinar de dientes.
The phrase rechinar de dientes refers to the act of rubbing the upper and lower teeth together, which often happens during sleep or due to stress. It can be used both literally to describe the medical condition of bruxism and figuratively to describe performing an action with great reluctance or resentment.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, the term bruxismo is commonly used in both formal and informal contexts to describe this condition.
How does it change in a sentence?
While rechinar de dientes is a valid way to express the concept, in natural spoken Spanish it is more common to use the direct object pronoun los instead of the preposition de, resulting in the phrase rechinar los dientes to mean 'to grind one's teeth'.
Did you know?
- While rechinar describes the sound of grinding, Spanish speakers use the verb apretar to specifically describe clenching the teeth tightly without movement.
- In religious texts, the phrase rechinar los dientes is the standard translation for the biblical 'gnashing of teeth', representing eternal torment.
- The word de in the phrase rechinar de dientes is a descendant of the Latin preposition dē, which originally expressed movement downwards or away from a source.
Examples in context
- Esta decisión fue aceptada con rechinar de dientes.This decision was accepted with grinding teeth.This sentence shows how rechinar de dientes can be used figuratively to express reluctant acceptance.Tatoeba #5973167 by albrusgher, translation #916220 by sacredceltic
- El bruxismo es un trastorno caracterizado por el rechinar de los dientes durante el sueño.Bruxism is a disorder characterized by the grinding of teeth during sleep.
- El rechinar de dientes le causa mucho dolor.The grinding of teeth causes him a lot of pain.
Example conversation
Sofía and Mateo are talking about sleep quality.
- SofíaMateo, ¿has notado que despierto con dolor?Mateo, have you noticed that I wake up in pain?
- MateoSí, escucho el rechinar de dientes por la noche.Yes, I hear the grinding of teeth at night.
- SofíaCreo que debo ir al dentista pronto.I think I should go to the dentist soon.
- MateoEs buena idea para proteger tus dientes.It is a good idea to protect your teeth.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
