Have a sweet tooth means to love sweet food. In English, this love isn't a type of person but a “tooth” that a person has. The phrase is conversational and warm; people say it about themselves and their loved ones with no hint of criticism.
When would you say have a sweet tooth?
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have (got) a sweet tooth; have a bit of a sweet tooth; satisfy your sweet tooth
- I have a sweet tooth, so I always check the dessert menu first.
- My dad's got a sweet tooth and keeps a box of biscuits in his car.
- This café is perfect if you have a sweet tooth: the cakes are huge.
What changed
First versionI'm a sweet tooth, so I always order dessert.
RevisionI have a sweet tooth, so I always order dessert.
It's tempting to treat sweet tooth as a word for a person, like coffee lover, and say I'm a sweet tooth. But a sweet tooth is a liking that a person has, so it needs have: I have a sweet tooth. In British speech, people often say I've got a sweet tooth.
Savoury describes the opposite taste: I'm more of a savoury person, meaning you prefer salty food to sweets. To treat someone with a sweet tooth, people say satisfy your sweet tooth: Grab a cookie to satisfy your sweet tooth. In IELTS Speaking, on the topic of food, the phrase sounds natural; in an essay, like sweet food is more neutral.
Your turn
My brother ___ a sweet tooth: he can't drink tea without biscuits.
Show the answer
has — The brother can't drink tea without biscuits, so he has a liking for sweet things: has a sweet tooth. With is, the sentence would mean the brother himself is a tooth.
Describe someone who loves sweet things. Say who it is and which treat they choose most often.
My grandmother has a sweet tooth and always buys honey cake when she goes to the market.
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