ביקור ראשון אצל השיננית עם ילדים קטנים

What does “letsachtseach” mean in Hebrew?

A children’s dental hygienist explains her gentle first-visit routine, ending on the real goal: «איך לצחצח נכון» (“how to brush correctly”). לצחצח (letsachtseach) means “to brush” your teeth, but also “to polish, scrub, or shine” almost anything.

You לצחצח שיניים (brush teeth), לצחצח נעליים (polish shoes), even לצחצח חרבות (figuratively “to cross swords,” rattle sabers). The doubled-up root (צ-ח-צ-ח) is Hebrew’s way of marking a repetitive, scrubbing action. One verb covers the dentist’s chair and the shoe-shine stand alike.