Learn Italian: Usano il dentifricio quando si lavano i denti. - They use toothpaste when they brush their teeth.

Usano il dentifricio quando si lavano i denti.

They use toothpaste when they brush their teeth.

Breakdown of Usano il dentifricio quando si lavano i denti.

Questions & Answers about Usano il dentifricio quando si lavano i denti.

Why does it say si lavano (they wash themselves) instead of just lavano?

In Italian, actions related to personal hygiene, like brushing teeth or washing hands, are usually expressed with reflexive verbs. So, instead of just saying 'they wash', you use the reflexive pronoun si to say 'they wash themselves' (si lavano).

Why is it i denti (the teeth) and not i loro denti (their teeth)?

When you talk about body parts, especially with a reflexive verb, Italian drops the possessive word (like my, your, or their). The reflexive pronoun si already makes it perfectly clear whose teeth are being brushed, so just using the definite article i (the) is enough.

Wait, does si lavano mean 'brush' or 'wash'?

Literally, it means 'they wash themselves.' Italian doesn't use a separate verb for brushing teeth. In this context, lavarsi i denti is the standard and natural way to say 'to brush one's teeth.'

How do we know who is using the toothpaste if there is no word for 'they' at the start of the sentence?

The verb ending gives it away! Usano ends in -ano, which is the 'they' (loro) ending for regular -are verbs. In Italian, you usually leave out the subject pronoun because the verb itself shows who is doing the action.