tooth decay; cavity; dental caries
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 3 examplesnoun
tooth decay; dental cavity; caries
informalA colloquial, metaphorical term for dental caries, based on the idea that a cavity looks like it was caused by a "worm" or "bug" eating the tooth. Widely understood in daily life.
Wǒ我
xiǎo小
shí时
hou候
chī吃
tài太
duō多
táng糖
，
zhǎng长
le了
hǎo好
jǐ几
kē颗
chóng虫
yá牙
。
When I was a kid, I ate too much candy and got several cavities.
Yá牙
yī医
shuō说
wǒ我
zhè这
ge个
chóng虫
yá牙
xū需
yào要
bǔ补
yī一
xià下
。
The dentist said this cavity of mine needs to be filled.
Show 1 more exampleShow fewer examples
“
Yá牙
téng疼
bù不
shì是
bìng病
，
téng疼
qǐ起
lái来
zhēn真
yào要
mìng命
”
，
shuō说
de的
jiù就
shì是
chóng虫
yá牙
。
The saying "A toothache isn't a sickness, but when it hurts it's deadly" refers to the pain of a cavity.