dents
The English phrase "teeth" is translated into French as dents.
dents refers to the hard white structures in the mouth used for biting and chewing food.
Which one should you use?
While dents is the standard term, La dentition is used to refer to the set of teeth as a whole, often in medical or scientific contexts and Les quenottes is used specifically to refer to children's teeth.
How does it change in a sentence?
The singular form of dents is dent.
Did you know?
- The French expression avoir les dents longues literally means 'to have long teeth' but actually describes someone who is overly ambitious or greedy.
- The term dentelle (lace) shares an unexpected linguistic root with words related to teeth and edge-work, referring to the delicate, serrated edges.
- In French, you do not say you 'have' a toothache, but rather that you have 'mal aux dents', which literally translates to 'pain to the teeth'.
Examples in context
- J'ai mal aux dents.My teeth hurt.This sentence is useful for expressing that your dents are causing pain.Tatoeba #4583797 by dadidas, translation #4583360 by ddnktr
- Tom perd ses dents.Tom is losing his teeth.This sentence is useful for describing the process of losing one's dents.Tatoeba #10087829 by felix63, translation #10370255 by CK
- Elle serra les dents.She clenched her teeth.This sentence is useful for describing the action of clenching one's dents.Tatoeba #10638986 by lbdx, translation #7384737 by CH
- Je vais rendre visite à mon dentiste pour vérifier mes dentsI'm going to visit my dentist to check my teeth
- L'orthodontiste a analysé ma dentitionThe orthodontist analyzed my teeth
- Mon petit frère a perdu ses quenottesMy little brother lost his baby teeth
- 247 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Manon and Hugo are talking about their morning routine.
- ManonEst-ce que tu t'es brossé les dents ?Did you brush your teeth?
- HugoOui, je le fais tous les matins.Yes, I do it every morning.
- ManonC'est important pour garder des dents saines.It is important to keep healthy teeth.
- HugoJe suis d'accord avec toi, Manon.I agree with you, Manon.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
