me cepillo los dientes
/me θepiʝo los djentes/from spelling rules
To say "I brush my teeth" in Spanish, use me cepillo los dientes.
The phrase me cepillo los dientes is a statement used to express that you are cleaning your teeth with a toothbrush. For example, you can use the related form Él se cepilla los dientes to say "He brushes his teeth".
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, Me cepillo los dientes. is used to say "I brush my teeth." In Argentina, Me lavo los dientes. is used to say "I brush my teeth."
How does it change in a sentence?
When referring to body parts involved in a reflexive action, Spanish uses the definite article los instead of the possessive adjective "mis". Therefore, you use los dientes rather than "mis dientes".
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly say me cepillo mis dientes by translating "my" literally. To sound natural, use los instead of mis.
Did you know?
- If you were to use mis dientes instead of los dientes, a native speaker might think you are referring to a set of dentures or teeth outside your mouth.
- The word cepillo is actually a diminutive of the word cepo, which refers to a 'branch' or a 'stock'.
- The word cepillo can be used as both a noun for the tool and a verb for the action of scrubbing.
Examples in context
- Me cepillo los dientes.I brush my teeth.This example shows the basic statement of brushing your teeth.Tatoeba #1676369 by Shishir, translation #526275 by mutskt
- Me cepillo los dientes después de comer.I brush my teeth after eating.This sentence is useful for expressing when you brush your teeth after eating.Tatoeba #2152580 by Shishir, translation #453460 by saasmath
- Me cepillo los dientes cada mañana.I brush my teeth every morning.This sentence is useful for expressing how often you brush your teeth in the morning.Tatoeba #1649146 by alexmarcelo, translation #1648242 by Spamster
- Me cepillo los dientes dos veces al día.I brush my teeth twice a day.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
In the bathroom in the morning.
- LucíaPrimero me cepillo los dientes.First, I brush my teeth.
- AlejandroEstá bien, Lucía.That's fine, Lucía.
- AlejandroYo también me cepillo los dientes.I also brush my teeth.
- LucíaEs un buen hábito.It is a good habit.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cepillo, los, me, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
