The word spazzolino (masculine, plural: spazzolini) in Italian literally means ‘little brush’ and can be used to denote a brush, or spazzola, with small dimensions. However, if someone uses this word without any surrounding context, you can safely assume that they are talking about a toothbrush, with the full name being spazzolino da denti.
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An electric toothbrush is known as a spazzolino (da denti) elettrico whereas a bamboo toothbrush is a spazzolino (da denti) di bambù.
Ho bisogno di comprare un nuovo spazzolino da denti.
I need to buy a new toothbrush.
Of course, a toothbrush on its own isn’t much use without the following oral care products!
- dentifricio = toothpaste
- collutorio = mouthwash
- filo interdentale = floss
- stuzzicadenti = toothpick
Although the feminine form spazzolina does exist, it only ever refers to a generic small brush, never a toothbrush.
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Heather Broster is a graduate with honours in linguistics from the University of Western Ontario. She is an aspiring polyglot, proficient in English and Italian, as well as Japanese, Welsh, and French to varying degrees of fluency. Originally from Toronto, Heather has resided in various countries, notably Italy for a period of six years. Her primary focus lies in the fields of language acquisition, education, and bilingual instruction.
Mi piace molto. Sono Slovak di Lučenec