頬(ほほ)

ほほ

noun

cheek

body-part

1. cheek (of face)

The fleshy part of the face below the eye and between the nose and ear.

赤(あか)ちゃんの頬(ほほ)は柔(やわ)らかい。

A baby's cheeks are soft.

頬(ほほ)に涙(なみだ)が流(なが)れた。

Tears ran down my cheeks.

頬(ほほ)が赤(あか)くなった。

My cheeks turned red.

彼女(かのじょ)の頬(ほほ)にキスをした。

I kissed her on the cheek.

冷(つめ)たい風(かぜ)が頬(ほほ)に当(あ)たった。

The cold wind hit my cheeks.

Pronunciation

頬(ほお) and 頬(ほほ) are both standard. ほお is more common today and is the reading in compounds (頬紅(ほおべに), 頬杖(ほおづえ), 頬骨(ほおぼね)). In casual speech, especially with children, people say ほっぺ or ほっぺた.

Common expressions

頬(ほお)を膨(ふく)らませる: to puff out one's cheeks (sulking)
頬(ほお)が落(お)ちる: (food) so delicious one's cheeks might fall off; also ほっぺたが落(お)ちる
頬(ほお)を染(そ)める: to blush

Compounds

頬紅(ほおべに): blusher, rouge
頬杖(ほおづえ)をつく: to rest one's cheek on one's hand
頬骨(ほおぼね): cheekbone
頬(ほお)ずり: rubbing cheeks together (affection)

Watch out

ほほえむ (to smile) is written 微笑(ほほえ)む, not with 頬(ほほ).

Related Words

Synonym: 頬(ほお) (same word, reading ほお)

core

Added 2026.1.13 9:40 · Revised 2026.10.18 9:20

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