What it means
مسواک زدن (mesvâk zadan) means to brush your teeth. The noun مسواک (mesvâk) comes from Arabic miswak, which referred to a small stick made from the Salvadora persica tree, used for cleaning teeth before modern toothbrushes existed. In contemporary Persian the word simply means toothbrush, and مسواک زدن is the standard phrase for the daily act of brushing. The light verb زدن (zadan) covers quick, repeated striking or rubbing actions, which is why it fits brushing naturally. There is no competing synonym: this is the phrase every Persian speaker uses.
How to use it
- مسواک زدی؟ (mesvâk zadi?) “Did you brush your teeth?”
- قبل از خواب مسواک بزن. (qabl az khâb mesvâk bezan.) “Brush your teeth before bed.”
- بچهها مسواک بزنین. (bachcheh-hâ mesvâk bezanin.) “Kids, brush your teeth.”
- دو بار در روز مسواک میزنم. (do bâr dar ruz mesvâk mizanam.) “I brush twice a day.”
Cultural note
The miswak stick that gave this word its name has a long history in Islamic practice: several hadith recommend its use, making dental hygiene a matter of religious observance as well as health. While the wooden stick is rarely used in Iran today, the Arabic noun carried over completely into modern Persian when toothbrushes became standard. Dentists in Iran often use the phrase مسواک زدن صحیح (correct brushing technique) in public health campaigns.