Italian Phrase
Ti sei lavato i denti?
Meaning
A casual question asking whether the listener has brushed their teeth. It’s often used in the morning, before bedtime, or when checking a child’s hygiene routine.
When to use
Use it in informal settings with friends, family members, or children. It’s too familiar for a business meeting or a formal conversation with strangers.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Tiseilavatoidenti?
Reflexive pronoun (Ti)
‘Ti’ is the second‑person singular reflexive pronoun that indicates the action is performed on yourself.
Auxiliary ‘essere’ (sei)
In the passato prossimo, reflexive verbs use ‘essere’ as the auxiliary; ‘sei’ is the present indicative form for ‘you’.
Past participle agreement (lavato)
The past participle agrees with the subject in gender and number – ‘lavato’ for a male speaker, ‘lavata’ for a female.
Definite article + noun (i denti)
‘i denti’ means ‘the teeth’; the article is plural masculine because ‘denti’ is a regular masculine plural noun.
🗨In Conversation
Ti sei lavato i denti?
Did you brush your teeth?
Sì, li ho appena lavati.
Yes, I just brushed them.
✕Common Mistakes
Hai lavato i denti?
Reflexive verbs use ‘essere’ as the auxiliary, not ‘avere’.
Ti sei lavata i denti?
If the speaker is male, the past participle must be masculine (lavato).
Sei ti lavato i denti?
The reflexive pronoun ‘ti’ must stay before the auxiliary; placing it after changes the meaning.
↔Alternatives
Ti sei spazzolato i denti?
Did you brush your teeth?
Hai già lavato i denti?
Have you already brushed your teeth?
Ti sei pulito i denti?
Did you clean your teeth?
Cultural Tip
In Italy, ‘lavarsi i denti’ is perfectly correct, but most people say ‘spazzolarsi i denti’ because a toothbrush is the usual tool. When speaking to children, adults often ask this question as part of a bedtime routine. Remember to match the past participle to your own gender – a female speaker would say ‘Ti sei lavata i denti?’.