頬紅(ほほべに)

ほほべに
noun
blush; rouge (cheek makeup)
tool
1. blush; rouge (cosmetic applied to the cheeks to add color)
A cosmetic in powder, cream, or liquid form applied to the cheeks to give them a healthy, rosy color. The native Japanese term, slightly more old-fashioned than the loanword チーク.
頬紅(ほほべに)を薄(うす)く塗(ぬ)る。
I lightly apply blush.
頬紅(ほほべに)の色(いろ)を春(はる)らしいピンクに変(か)えた。
I changed my blush to a spring-like pink color.
頬紅(ほほべに)をつけると顔色(かおいろ)が明(あか)るく見(み)える。
Wearing blush makes my complexion look brighter.
祖母(そぼ)は若(わか)い頃(ころ)、口紅(くちべに)と頬紅(ほほべに)だけのシンプルなお化粧(けしょう)をしていたそうだ。
My grandmother says that when she was young, she wore simple makeup — just lipstick and blush.

頬紅(ほほべに) combines 頬(ほほ) (cheek) and 紅(べに) (rouge, red). It is a native Japanese term for blush makeup, somewhat traditional in feel; younger speakers and modern cosmetic packaging more often use the loanword チーク (from "cheek").

Common collocations

Similar words

  • チーク / チークカラー: blush (modern loanword, by far more common in marketing and casual speech)
  • 口紅(くちべに): lipstick (uses the same 紅(べに) morpheme)
  • ほお紅(べに) (alt. spelling): same word, with ほお written in hiragana — common in cosmetic ads aimed at older customers
  • アイシャドウ: eyeshadow
  • ファンデーション: foundation

Usage

  • The reading ほほべに and ほおべに are both used; modern dictionaries list ほおべに as the more common standard, but ほほべに is also widely accepted, especially in older or literary contexts.
  • In cosmetics product names, the form チーク is dominant in Japan — 頬紅(ほほべに) is more often found in articles, novels, or by older speakers.

Related Words

Compare: 口紅(くちべに) (lipstick)
Compare: ファンデーション (foundation)
general
Added 2026.5.9 20:31 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02
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