牙 (yá) · tooth, ivory

Measure Word

一颗牙 kē

Meanings

1 tooth
2 ivory

Characters

牙

yá

tooth; ivory

Examples

HSK 2

我牙疼。

Wǒ yá téng.

I have a toothache.

HSK 3

你每天刷牙吗？

Nǐ měitiān shuāyá ma?

Do you brush your teeth every day?

HSK 3

小孩子会换牙。

Xiǎoháizi huì huàn yá.

Children lose and replace their baby teeth.

Tips

usage

牙 is the colloquial word for tooth. The more formal/medical term is 牙齿 (yáchǐ). In compounds: 牙医 (yáyī, dentist), 牙膏 (yágāo, toothpaste), 牙刷 (yáshuā, toothbrush).

culture

In Chinese tradition, when a child loses a lower tooth, it's thrown onto the roof; an upper tooth is thrown under the bed. This is believed to help the new tooth grow in the right direction.

Components

pictograph

牙 yá

tooth; molar

A pictograph of upper and lower molars meshing - the diagonal strokes depict the interlocking bite of teeth, while the bent line traces the curve of the jaw. Its own Kangxi radical (#92), so 牙 is treated as a single indivisible image. One of the more abstract pictographs, but the toothy interlock is still readable.

Radical

Tooth Kangxi #92

A small radical group covering molars and ivory-shaped pieces. The ancient form pictured upper and lower molars meshing. Productivity is low. The canonical 牙 itself does most of the work, and learners mostly meet it as a standalone character rather than as a meaning clue inside compounds.