Než jdu spát, vždycky si čistím zuby kartáčkem a pastou.

Než means before here.

In Než jdu spát..., the structure is literally something like Before I go sleep..., which English expresses as Before I go to sleep...

A very common learner point is that než can also appear in comparisons, where it means than:

• Jsem vyšší než on. = I am taller than him.

So in Czech, než can mean either before or than, depending on the sentence.

Czech often uses jít + infinitive to express go and do something or go to do something.

So:

• jdu = I go / I am going
• spát = to sleep

Together, jdu spát means I am going to sleep / I go to sleep.

This is a very common pattern:

• Jdu pracovat. = I’m going to work.
• Jdu vařit. = I’m going to cook.

So jdu spát is a natural Czech way to say go to sleep.

After verbs like jít in this pattern, Czech uses the infinitive.

So:

• jdu spát = I go to sleep
• not a conjugated form like jdu spím

This is similar to English I’m going to sleep, where sleep stays in a basic verb form after to.

Vždycky means always.

In this sentence:

• Než jdu spát, vždycky si čistím zuby...
• = Before I go to sleep, I always brush my teeth...

Its placement is flexible, but the position here is very natural. Czech word order is often more flexible than English, and adverbs like vždycky can move depending on emphasis.

For example:

• Vždycky si čistím zuby, než jdu spát.
• Než jdu spát, si vždycky čistím zuby.
  This is possible, but less neutral and less natural for a learner to copy.

The given word order is a good standard model.

Si is a reflexive pronoun. In this sentence it shows that the action is done to oneself.

So čistit si zuby is literally something like:

• to clean oneself the teeth

But in natural English, that is simply:

• to brush one’s teeth

Czech often uses this reflexive structure for personal care actions:

• čistím si zuby = I brush my teeth
• myju si ruce = I wash my hands
• češu si vlasy = I comb my hair

Without si, the meaning changes or sounds less natural in this context.

The basic verb here is čistit, which means to clean.

So čistit si zuby literally means to clean one’s teeth, but it is the normal Czech way to say brush one’s teeth.

Czech does also have verbs related to brushing in other contexts, but for teeth, čistit si zuby is the standard expression.

So even though English uses brush, Czech uses clean in this idiom.

Zuby is the accusative plural form of zub (tooth).

The verb čistit takes a direct object, so you need the accusative:

• čistím zuby = I clean/brush teeth

Singular and plural forms:

• zub = tooth
• zuby = teeth

Here Czech normally uses the plural, because people usually brush all their teeth, not just one.

They are in the instrumental case.

The instrumental is often used for the tool or means by which something is done.

So:

• kartáčkem = with a toothbrush
• pastou = with toothpaste

This matches the idea:

• čistím si zuby kartáčkem a pastou
• I brush my teeth with a toothbrush and toothpaste

Base forms:

• kartáček = toothbrush
• pasta = paste / toothpaste

Instrumental forms here:

• kartáčkem
• pastou

Because the instrumental case itself often carries the meaning of with, especially when talking about an instrument or tool.

So Czech can simply say:

• kartáčkem a pastou

instead of explicitly adding a separate word meaning with.

This is very common:

• Píšu perem. = I write with a pen.
• Krájím nožem. = I cut with a knife.

So kartáčkem a pastou works the same way.

Yes, pasta literally means paste, but in this context it naturally means toothpaste.

Because the sentence is about brushing teeth, pastou is understood as zubní pastou (toothpaste), even though zubní is omitted.

You could say the fuller version:

• čistím si zuby kartáčkem a zubní pastou

But that is less necessary because the meaning is obvious.

Yes, but it changes the feel a little.

• Než jdu spát... = Before I go to sleep...
• Předtím než jdu spát... = Before I go to sleep... / Before that, before I go to sleep...

The version with just než is shorter and very natural here.

Learners often try to translate English word-for-word and add extra words, but Czech often prefers the simpler version.

It describes a habitual action.

That comes mainly from:

• vždycky = always
• the present tense form jdu, čistím

In Czech, present tense can describe both:

1. what is happening now, and
2. what someone regularly does.

Here the meaning is clearly habitual:

• Before I go to sleep, I always brush my teeth...

Czech word order is more flexible than English because grammatical roles are often shown by case endings rather than fixed position.

In English, word order is very important:

• I brush my teeth with a toothbrush.

In Czech, endings already show a lot:

• zuby = object
• kartáčkem, pastou = instruments

So Czech can move parts around more freely for emphasis or style. The given sentence is neutral and natural:

• Než jdu spát, vždycky si čistím zuby kartáčkem a pastou.

A learner should usually start by copying this natural order rather than trying too many variations early on.

People would understand you, but čistím si zuby is more natural and idiomatic.

The reflexive si is normally used for actions involving one’s own body or personal care.

Compare:

• Čistím si zuby. = I brush my teeth.
• Čistím zuby. = This sounds more like I clean teeth, possibly in a more general or unusual sense.

So for everyday speech about your own routine, keep si.

Kartáček is the diminutive form of kartáč (brush), and by itself it can mean a small brush.

But in the context of cleaning teeth, kartáček is naturally understood as a toothbrush.

If you want to be fully explicit, you can say:

• zubní kartáček = toothbrush

But in this sentence, just kartáčkem is completely natural.