1.
cheek (informal)
The fleshy side of the face below the eye, referred to in a casual and often affectionate way, especially when talking about children.
An informal, affectionate word for cheek. It is a colloquial variant of 頬/頬, with ほっぺ being an even shorter casual form.
Usage
- Used in casual conversation, especially when talking about children or in an affectionate context
- Not appropriate for formal or medical contexts, where 頬 or 頬 is used instead
- Often associated with cute, round, or soft cheeks
Common collocations
- ほっぺたが落ちる: so delicious your cheeks could fall off (idiomatic)
- ほっぺたをつねる: to pinch someone's cheek
- ほっぺたが赤い: to have red cheeks
- ほっぺたをふくらませる: to puff out one's cheeks (in displeasure)