sin dientes
/sin djentes/from spelling rules
The phrase "no teeth" is translated into Spanish as sin dientes.
sin dientes describes the state of lacking teeth.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the preposition sin (without) and the plural noun dientes (teeth).
Which one should you use?
If you want to be more formal, you can use desdentado to describe a person who lacks teeth or falta de dentadura to refer specifically to the lack of a set of teeth.
Did you know?
- Spanish has a specific tradition involving El Ratón Pérez, a mouse who collects teeth, making the transition to being sin dientes a celebrated event for children.
- In some Spanish-speaking regions, the term desdentado can be used as a colloquial or mocking insult to describe someone as weak or powerless, rather than just describing their physical appearance.
- The word sin is a close relative of the English word 'sans', as both trace their roots back to the Latin word sine.
Examples in context
- El paciente está sin dientes y necesita exámenes dentales periódicos.The patient has no teeth and needs regular dental checkups.
- El abuelo está sin dientes.The grandfather is without teeth.
- Mi abuelo vive sin dientes.My grandfather lives without teeth.
- Es difícil comer sin dientes.It is difficult to eat without teeth.
Example conversation
Javier and Lucía are talking about an old family photo.
- Javier¿Por qué mi abuelo sale sin dientes en la foto?Why is my grandfather without teeth in the photo?
- LucíaPorque en ese entonces ya estaba sin dientes.Because at that time he was already without teeth.
- JavierÉl se veía muy gracioso así.He looked very funny like that.
- LucíaSí, era un hombre muy divertido.Yes, he was a very funny man.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries sin, CC BY-SA 4.0.
