brosse à dents
/bʁɔ.s‿a dɑ̃/feminine
The English word toothbrush is brosse à dents in French.
brosse à dents refers to a brush used for cleaning the teeth and the tongue.
Meaning: brush for cleaning the teeth and tongue (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of brosse (brush), à (for/with) and dents (teeth).
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun is feminine, so you would say une brosse à dents for a toothbrush.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /bʁɔ.s‿a dɑ̃/.
Did you know?
- If the Celtic theory is right, your brosse à dents is etymologically linked to the word for 'heather', a wild flowering shrub.
- French uses the same word brosse for a toothbrush, a hairbrush and a scrubbing brush.
- In French, the word dents in brosse à dents is plural, as the tool is meant for all the teeth rather than just one.
Examples in context
- Où est la brosse à dents?Where's the toothbrush?The first example is useful for asking for the location of the brosse à dents.Tatoeba #5381219 by Scorpionvenin14, translation #5380859 by aboubasha
- N'oublie pas ta brosse à dents !Don't forget your toothbrush.The second example is a reminder to not forget your brosse à dents.Tatoeba #3668023 by sacredceltic, translation #3667179 by Hybrid
- Avez-vous pensé à votre brosse à dents ?Did you think about your toothbrush?The third example asks if you have thought about your brosse à dents.Tatoeba #6783431 by felix63, translation #6900725 by kaiperkins271
- Je dois acheter une brosse à dentsI need to buy a toothbrush
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa is packing her bag for a trip.
- GabrielTu as pris ta brosse à dents ?Did you take your toothbrush?
- LéaOui, elle est dans ma trousse.Yes, it is in my toiletry bag.
- GabrielN'oublie pas le dentifrice aussi.Don't forget the toothpaste too.
- LéaNe t'inquiète pas, Gabriel.Don't worry, Gabriel.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “toothbrush” translations and entries brosse à dents, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries brosse, à, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
