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.
頬紅を薄く塗る。
I lightly apply blush.
頬紅の色を春らしいピンクに変えた。
I changed my blush to a spring-like pink color.
頬紅をつけると顔色が明るく見える。
Wearing blush makes my complexion look brighter.
祖母は若い頃、口紅と頬紅だけのシンプルなお化粧をしていたそうだ。
My grandmother says that when she was young, she wore simple makeup — just lipstick and blush.
頬紅 combines 頬 (cheek) and 紅 (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:
- 頬紅を塗る: to apply blush
- 頬紅をつける: to put on blush
- 頬紅をぼかす: to blend blush
- 頬紅の色: the color of one's blush
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: lipstick (uses the same 紅 morpheme)
- ほお紅 (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 NOTES:
- 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 is more often found in articles, novels, or by older speakers.