Breakdown of У меня болят зубы, поэтому я пойду к стоматологу.
я
I
у
at, by
поэтому
so (therefore)
пойти
to go (perfective, on foot) / to start (of rain, snow)
Questions & Answers about У меня болят зубы, поэтому я пойду к стоматологу.
Why is the plural form зубы used here instead of зубья?
Russian has some nouns with two plural forms that carry distinct meanings. Зубы specifically refers to biological teeth in a mouth. Зубья refers to the 'teeth' on an inanimate object, like a saw, a gear, or a comb. Since you are going to the dentist, you definitely mean зубы!
Why do we use the plural verb болят instead of the singular болит?
In Russian, the body part that hurts is the grammatical subject of the sentence, not the person experiencing the pain. Because зубы (teeth) is plural, the verb must also be in the plural form болят. If only one tooth hurt, you would use the singular and say у меня болит зуб.
Why do we use the preposition к (к стоматологу) rather than в or на?
When you talk about going to a person (like a doctor, a friend, or a dentist), you must use the preposition к followed by the dative case. You only use в or на (with the accusative case) when going to a physical place, such as в клинику (to the clinic).
Is there a difference between стоматолог and зубной врач?
Yes, though they are often used interchangeably in everyday speech. Стоматолог is the modern, professional term for a dentist with a full medical degree. Зубной врач can sound a bit more old-fashioned or technically refer to a dental practitioner with a mid-level medical education.