Usage note
牙用来指人的牙齿。
yá lái zǔ rén de dǐ sī.
牙 is used to refer to teeth in humans.
Context note
牙常见于描述口腔健康和饮食习惯。
yá jìng chuán yú miáo shù kǒu qiān jiàn gòu hé yǐn shí xí guàn.
牙 is commonly used in describing oral health and eating habits.
5 examples
我有两颗牙掉了。
wǒ yǒu liǎng kē yá diào le。
I have two teeth that fell out.
每天刷牙两次。
měi tiān shuā yá liǎng cì。
Brush your teeth twice a day.
妈妈叫我少吃糖，保护牙齿。
mā ma jiào wǒ shǎo chī táng， bǎo hù yá chǐ。
Mom told me to eat less sugar to protect my teeth.
牙医可以治疗蛀牙。
yá yī kě yǐ zhì liáo zhù yá。
A dentist can treat cavities.
我每天早上刷牙。
wǒ měi tiān zǎo shàng shuā yá。
I brush my teeth every morning.
5 mini stories
小明每天早上起床后要先刷牙，然后再吃早餐。
xiǎo míng měi tiān zǎo shàng qǐ chuáng hòu yào xiān shuā yá， rán hòu zài chī zǎo cān。
Xiaoming brushes his teeth after getting up in the morning before having breakfast.
妈妈说晚上睡觉前也要刷牙。
mā ma shuō wǎn shàng shuì jiào qián yě yào shuā yá。
Mom says to brush teeth before going to bed at night.
小红的牙齿很干净，因为她每天刷牙。
xiǎo hóng de yá chǐ hěn gān jìng， yīn wèi tā měi tiān shuā yá。
Xiaohong's teeth are very clean because she brushes them every day.
爸爸经常提醒我，刷牙可以保持口腔清洁。
bà ba jīng cháng tí xǐng wǒ， shuā yá kě yǐ bǎo chí kǒu qiāng qīng jié。
Dad often reminds me that brushing teeth can keep the mouth clean.
姐姐告诉我，多吃水果对牙齿好。
jiě jie gào sù wǒ， duō chī shuǐ guǒ duì yá chǐ hǎo。
My sister told me that eating more fruits is good for teeth.
Mini dialogue
刷牙
A
你每天刷几次牙？
Nǐ měitiān shuā jǐ cì yá?
How many times do you brush your teeth every day?
B
我每天刷两次牙，早上和晚上。
Wǒ měitiān shuā liǎng cì yá, zǎoshang hé wǎnshang.
I brush my teeth twice a day, morning and night.
换牙
A
你怎么了？
Nǐ zěnme le?
What's wrong with you?
B
我的牙松了，可能要换牙了。
Wǒ de yá sōng le, kěnéng yào huàn yá le.
My tooth is loose, I might be getting a new tooth.
Related words and contrasts
similar
牙齿
yá chǐ
tooth (formal)
牙 is common in daily talk; 牙齿 is slightly more formal.
related
牙刷
yá shuā
toothbrush
You use a toothbrush to clean your teeth.