Spanish Phrase
¿Te cepillas los dientes?
Meaning
Literally, “Do you brush your teeth?” It asks about the habit of brushing teeth, usually referring to the daily routine.
When to use
Use this question when you want to check someone's oral‑hygiene routine, during a health‑check conversation, or when giving advice about dental care.
✦Grammar Breakdown
¿Tecepillaslosdientes?
Pronoun 'te'
The clitic pronoun 'te' indicates the action is performed on yourself (reflexive).
Verb 'cepillar' (present tense)
'Cepillas' is the second‑person singular (tú) present indicative form of the reflexive verb 'cepillarse'.
Definite article 'los'
'Los' agrees in gender and number with 'dientes' and marks the noun as specific.
Noun 'dientes'
Plural of 'diente' (tooth); used here to refer to all teeth.
🗨In Conversation
¿Te cepillas los dientes?
Do you brush your teeth?
Sí, me cepillo dos veces al día, por la mañana y por la noche.
Yes, I brush twice a day, in the morning and at night.
✕Common Mistakes
¿Te cepilla los dientes?
Missing the second‑person singular ending –s; the verb must agree with 'tú'.
¿Te cepillas los diente?
The noun must be plural to match the meaning of all teeth.
¿Te cepillas a los dientes?
The verb 'cepillarse' is reflexive and does not take a preposition before the object.
↔Alternatives
¿Te lavas los dientes?
Do you wash your teeth?
¿Te cepillas los dientes cada mañana?
Do you brush your teeth every morning?
¿Te cepillas los dientes antes de acostarte?
Do you brush your teeth before going to bed?
Cultural Tip
In most Spanish‑speaking countries, brushing teeth twice a day is the norm and is often mentioned in school health lessons. The phrase is informal but polite; using the reflexive form shows personal responsibility for the habit. In some regions (e.g., parts of Mexico) people may say "lavarse los dientes" instead of "cepillarse los dientes," but "cepillarse" is the most common verb for brushing.