Después de desayunar, me cepillo los dientes y dejo el cepillo al lado del lavabo.

After breakfast, I brush my teeth and leave the brush next to the sink.

Breakdown of Después de desayunar, me cepillo los dientes y dejo el cepillo al lado del lavabo.

• yo: I
• después de: after
• y: and
• desayunar: to have breakfast
• dejar: to leave
• cepillarse los dientes: to brush one's teeth
• el cepillo: the brush
• al lado de: next to
• el lavabo: the sink

Questions & Answers about Después de desayunar, me cepillo los dientes y dejo el cepillo al lado del lavabo.

Why is it después de desayunar and not something like después desayuno?

Because after después de, Spanish normally uses an infinitive when the subject stays the same.

So:

• Después de desayunar = After having breakfast / After breakfast
• literally: after to have breakfast

This is very common in Spanish:

• Después de comer = after eating
• Después de estudiar = after studying
• Después de ducharme = after showering

If you say después desayuno, that would sound like later I eat breakfast, which is a different structure and meaning.

Why is there no subject pronoun like yo?

Spanish often leaves out subject pronouns because the verb ending already shows who the subject is.

• me cepillo = I brush
• dejo = I leave / I put down

The -o ending tells you the subject is I. So yo is usually unnecessary unless you want emphasis or contrast.

For example:

• Después de desayunar, me cepillo los dientes... = normal
• Después de desayunar, yo me cepillo los dientes... = more emphatic, like I brush my teeth

Why is it me cepillo los dientes instead of just cepillo los dientes?

Because in Spanish, actions you do to yourself often use a reflexive pronoun.

• me cepillo = I brush myself / I brush for myself
• te cepillas = you brush
• se cepilla = he/she brushes

With body-care actions, Spanish very often uses this reflexive structure:

• me lavo las manos = I wash my hands
• me peino el pelo = I comb my hair
• me cepillo los dientes = I brush my teeth

English does not usually say I brush myself the teeth, but Spanish naturally does it this way.

Why does Spanish say los dientes instead of mis dientes?

With body parts, Spanish usually uses the definite article (el, la, los, las) rather than a possessive like mi/mis, especially when the owner is already clear from the reflexive pronoun.

So:

• me cepillo los dientes = literally I brush the teeth, but naturally it means I brush my teeth
• me lavo las manos = I wash my hands
• me duele la cabeza = my head hurts

Using mis dientes is not impossible, but it is less natural here and can sound overly explicit.

Is cepillo a verb or a noun here?

It is both, in different parts of the sentence.

1. me cepillo
   Here cepillo is the verb cepillarse / cepillar, in the I form:

   • (yo) cepillo = I brush

2. el cepillo
   Here cepillo is a noun:

   • the brush

So the sentence uses the same word in two ways:

• me cepillo los dientes = I brush my teeth
• dejo el cepillo... = I leave the brush...

In context, el cepillo means the toothbrush.

Why does el cepillo mean the toothbrush if it just literally says the brush?

Because Spanish often leaves out extra words when the meaning is obvious from context.

Here, since the sentence is about brushing your teeth, el cepillo naturally means the toothbrush.

If you wanted to be fully explicit, you could say:

• el cepillo de dientes = the toothbrush

But in everyday speech, once the context is clear, el cepillo is enough.

What exactly does dejo mean here?

Dejo is from dejar, which has several meanings depending on context. Here it means:

• I leave
• I put down
• I leave behind/in a place

So:

• dejo el cepillo al lado del lavabo = I leave / put the toothbrush next to the sink

It does not mean leave in the sense of go away from a place here. It means placing something somewhere and leaving it there.

Why is it al lado del lavabo?

Because al and del are contractions:

• a + el = al
• de + el = del

So:

• al lado de = next to / beside
• al lado del lavabo = next to the sink

Word by word:

• a = to
• el lado = the side
• de = of
• el lavabo = the sink

Literally, it is something like at the side of the sink, but the natural English meaning is next to the sink.

Why do we need de in al lado de?

Because al lado de is a fixed expression in Spanish meaning next to or beside.

You cannot normally say just al lado el lavabo. The de is required:

• al lado de la cama = next to the bed
• al lado del coche = next to the car
• al lado del lavabo = next to the sink

So it is best to learn al lado de as one chunk.

What does lavabo mean in Spain?

In Spain, lavabo usually means sink or washbasin, especially the one in a bathroom.

So in this sentence:

• al lado del lavabo = next to the sink

A useful distinction in Spain is:

• lavabo = bathroom sink / washbasin
• fregadero = kitchen sink

So if the sentence is about brushing your teeth, lavabo makes perfect sense.

Could I say me lavo los dientes instead of me cepillo los dientes?

Not usually, if you specifically mean brush my teeth.

• me cepillo los dientes = I brush my teeth
• me lavo los dientes = literally I wash my teeth

Spanish normally uses cepillarse los dientes for brushing teeth.
You might hear lavarse los dientes in some contexts or regions, but cepillarse los dientes is the standard and clearest choice for to brush one’s teeth.

Why is the sentence in the present tense if it seems to describe a routine?

Because Spanish often uses the simple present to talk about habits and routines, just like English does.

• Después de desayunar, me cepillo los dientes... = After breakfast, I brush my teeth...

This can describe something you usually do, not just what you are doing right now.

Other examples:

• Me levanto a las siete. = I get up at seven.
• Después de cenar, veo la tele. = After dinner, I watch TV.

So the present tense here is completely normal for a daily routine.

Why is there a comma after desayunar?

Because Después de desayunar is an introductory time phrase, and a comma is commonly used after that kind of opening element.

So:

• Después de desayunar, me cepillo los dientes...

This helps separate the setup from the main action. In short sentences, Spanish punctuation can sometimes be a bit flexible, but the comma here is very natural and standard.

Can desayunar mean both to have breakfast and to eat breakfast?

Yes. Desayunar is the normal verb for to have breakfast.

So:

• desayunar = to have breakfast / to eat breakfast
• después de desayunar = after having breakfast

Spanish uses a single verb here, whereas English often uses the expression have breakfast.

How would the sentence change if I were talking about another person?

You would change the reflexive pronoun and the verb endings.

For example:

• Después de desayunar, te cepillas los dientes y dejas el cepillo al lado del lavabo.
  = After breakfast, you brush your teeth and leave the toothbrush next to the sink.

• Después de desayunar, se cepilla los dientes y deja el cepillo al lado del lavabo.
  = After breakfast, he/she brushes his/her teeth and leaves the toothbrush next to the sink.

Notice that los dientes stays the same. What changes is the pronoun and the verb form:

• me cepillo = I brush
• te cepillas = you brush
• se cepilla = he/she brushes

Could I put the reflexive pronoun somewhere else?

In this sentence, with the verb conjugated normally, the reflexive pronoun goes before the verb:

• me cepillo los dientes

That is the standard position with a finite verb.

But with an infinitive, gerund, or affirmative command, the pronoun can attach to the end:

• voy a cepillarme los dientes
• estoy cepillándome los dientes
• cepíllate los dientes

So in your sentence, me cepillo is correct because cepillo is a conjugated verb.