ELONIO
Log inSign up

Ci laviamo i denti con il dentifricio.

Ci laviamo i denti con il dentifricio.
We brush our teeth with toothpaste.
From Lesson 60:Reflexive verbs (mi lavo, ti lavi)·Italian

Breakdown of Ci laviamo i denti con il dentifricio.

con
with
lavarsi
to wash oneself
il dente
the tooth
il dentifricio
the toothpaste

Questions & Answers about Ci laviamo i denti con il dentifricio.

Why does this use ci laviamo instead of just laviamo?
In Italian, daily routines involving your body (like washing, getting dressed, or brushing teeth) are often reflexive. Ci laviamo literally means "we wash ourselves". Because the verb is lavarsi, we need the reflexive pronoun ci to match the "we" form of the verb.
Wait, doesn't laviamo mean "we wash"? Why is it translated as "we brush"?
Exactly! Italians say lavarsi i denti (literally, "to wash one's teeth") rather than using a different verb for brushing. It is a set phrase you use for daily hygiene.
Why does the Italian sentence say i denti (the teeth) instead of i nostri denti (our teeth)?
When you use a reflexive verb for an action done to your own body parts, Italian uses the definite article (i in this case) instead of a possessive word like "our" or "my". Since ci laviamo already shows whose teeth are being washed, saying "our" again is not needed.
How do I say "I brush my teeth" based on this sentence?
You would change the reflexive pronoun to mi (myself) and the verb to the "I" form, lavo. So, "I brush my teeth" is mi lavo i denti.

Learn Ci laviamo i denti con il dentifricio and more in Italian

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free
Start learning Italian →