Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 臉頰 / 脸颊 | liǎnjiá |
| 腮 | sāi |
| 腮幫子 / 腮帮子 | sāibāngzi |
| 臉蛋 / 脸蛋 | liǎndàn |
| 臉蛋子 / 脸蛋子 | liǎndànzi |
| 面頰 / 面颊 | miànjiá |
| 臉皮 / 脸皮 | liǎnpí |
| 頰 / 颊 | jiá |
| 腮頰 / 腮颊 | sāijiá |
| 兩頰 / 两颊 | liǎngjiá |
What does it mean word for word?
The term 兩頰 / 两颊 literally means 'both cheeks'.
Which one should you use?
臉頰 / 脸颊 is the standard, neutral term for 'cheek' used in most formal and everyday contexts. In contrast, 腮幫子 / 腮帮子 is a more colloquial and descriptive way to refer to the fleshy part of the cheeks. 臉蛋 / 脸蛋 is often used in a cute or affectionate way to describe a person's (often a child's) soft or chubby cheeks. 兩頰 / 两颊 is frequently used in literary or descriptive contexts to mean 'both cheeks'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
臉頰 / 脸颊 is the neutral, standard choice for any situation. 腮幫子 / 腮帮子 is more colloquial, while 臉蛋 / 脸蛋 carry an affectionate, informal tone. 兩頰 / 两颊 is more formal or literary.
How do you pronounce it?
liǎnjiá
What mistakes should you avoid?
Be careful with the term 臉皮 / 脸皮. While it literally means the skin of the face, it is most commonly used idiomatically to mean someone is 'thick-skinned' or shameless.
Did you know?
- In Chinese opera and traditional masks, the color of the 臉頰 / 脸颊 and the rest of the face indicates a character's morality or temperament.
- The character 頰 / 颊 in the word for 'cheek' contains the radical for 'bone', highlighting the structural importance of the cheek area in Chinese linguistic descriptions.
- To 'lose face' is a central cultural concept in China, where 臉 / 脸 represents one's social standing and dignity rather than just the anatomy of the cheek.
Examples in context
- 我摔倒了，疼到我的脸颊都红了。I fell down and hurt my cheeks, they turned red.
- 她的苍白的脸颊表明她生病了。Her pale cheeks indicate she is sick.
- 别搔我的脸颊，痒死了！Don't scratch my cheeks, it's so itchy!
- 看，她笑得两腮都鼓起来了。Look, she's laughing so much her cheeks are puffed up.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cheek” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
