牙垢

yágòu

noun #37,025

Meanings

1 dental plaque
2 tartar
3 tooth grime

Characters

Examples

定期洗牙可以清除牙垢。

Dìngqī xǐyá kěyǐ qīngchú yágòu.

Regular cleanings can remove dental plaque.

他的牙垢太多,牙医建议立刻处理。

Tā de yágòu tài duō, yáyī jiànyì lìkè chǔlǐ.

He has too much tartar; the dentist recommends treating it right away.

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