牙垢

yágòu
noun #37,025

Meanings

  1. 1 dental plaque
  2. 2 tartar
  3. 3 tooth grime

Examples

HSK 5
Tā de yágòu tài duō, yáyī jiànyì lìkè chǔlǐ.
He has too much tartar; the dentist recommends treating it right away.
HSK 7-9
Dìngqī xǐyá kěyǐ qīngchú yágòu.
Regular cleanings can remove dental plaque.

Tips

memory
The character 垢 (gòu, grime) shows up in 污垢 (wūgòu, filth) and 油垢 (yóugòu, greasy grime). Once you know 垢 = grime, 牙垢 reads literally as 'tooth grime'.

Stroke Order

牙 yá
垢 gòu