Spanish vocabulary · Beginner
How to Say Toothpaste in Spanish: Pasta de Dientes & Pasta Dental
Pasta de dientes · noun (feminine) · PAHS-tah deh DYEHN-tehs
Toothpaste in Spanish is pasta de dientes (literally paste of teeth). Regional variants include pasta dental (Mexico), crema dental (Colombia, Venezuela), and the formal dentífrico found on product packaging.
PAHS-tah deh DYEHN-tehs (pasta de dientes) · PAHS-tah dehn-TAHL (pasta dental)
Se me acabó la pasta de dientes; tengo que comprar más.
I ran out of toothpaste; I need to buy more.
Toothpaste in Spanish: Quick Reference
Below are the most common Spanish words for toothpaste, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.
| Spanish | English | Pronunciation | Region / Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| pasta de dientes | toothpaste | PAHS-tah deh DYEHN-tehs | Default, widely understood |
| dentífrico | toothpaste | formal, product labels | |
| pasta dental | toothpaste | Mexico, Central America | |
| crema dental | toothpaste | Colombia, Venezuela |
How Native Speakers Use Pasta de dientes
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
Daily routine
Pon un poco de pasta de dientes en el cepillo.
Put a little toothpaste on the brush.
Pasta de dientes is the most widely understood term across all regions.
Shopping in Mexico
¿Dónde está la pasta dental? No la encuentro en el pasillo.
Where is the toothpaste? I can't find it in the aisle.
Pasta dental is standard in Mexican stores and advertising.
Reading a label
El dentífrico contiene flúor para proteger el esmalte.
The toothpaste contains fluoride to protect the enamel.
Dentífrico is the technical term used on packaging and in dental offices.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Pasta de dientes
Literal translation attempt
Incorrect: ¿Tienes dientepasta?
Correct: ¿Tienes pasta de dientes?
Spanish does not compound words the way English does. Toothpaste is expressed as paste of teeth (pasta de dientes), not a single compound.
Confusing pasta (paste) with pasta (noodles)
Incorrect: Quiero pasta de dientes con salsa. (confusion)
Correct: Context makes it clear: pasta de dientes = toothpaste; pasta con salsa = pasta with sauce.
Pasta means paste or dough. With de dientes it is toothpaste; alone or with food words it refers to noodles/pasta.
Lock in Toothpaste Vocabulary with the Parrot Method
Why word lists alone don't stick
Memorizing a translation feels productive, but most learners forget 70% of what they studied within 48 hours. Vocabulary needs spaced repetition AND real-world exposure to transfer to long-term memory.
See Pasta de dientes used by native speakers
Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using pasta de dientes in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear Se me acabó la pasta de dientes; tengo que comprar más. while watching someone live the moment, connecting meaning, sound, and rhythm at once.
Save, review, repeat, stay consistent
Tap any word to save it. Parrot's spaced-repetition system surfaces it right before you'd forget, no manual flashcard creation. The watch, parrot back, save, review cycle turns recognition into fluency at 2.7x the speed of traditional study.
Common Questions About Toothpaste in Spanish
- How do you say toothpaste in Spanish?
- The most common term is pasta de dientes. In Mexico you will hear pasta dental, in Colombia crema dental, and on labels the formal word dentífrico.
- Is pasta de dientes one word or three?
- It is three separate words: pasta de dientes (paste of teeth). There is no single-word equivalent in everyday Spanish.
- How do you say toothbrush in Spanish?
- Toothbrush is cepillo de dientes (literally brush of teeth) or cepillo dental.