頬
hoho[ho̞ho̞]
The English word "cheek" is 頬 (hoho) in Japanese. Wiktionary also lists ほっぺ (hoppe).
Meaning: part of face (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 頬 | hoho | [ho̞ho̞] (narrow) [ho̞ː] (narrow) |
| ほっぺ | hoppe | [ho̞p̚pe̞] (narrow) |
This noun refers to a part of the face.
Which one should you use?
The word 頬 (hoho) is the standard, more formal or anatomical term for cheek. In contrast, ほっぺ (hoppe) is a more colloquial, cute or childish way to say cheek.
How do you pronounce it?
hoho
Did you know?
- The word 頬 (hoho) shares a distant ancestor with the word 列 (retsu), which means 'a line' or 'a row'. It originally described the 'side' of a lineup before being applied to the side of a person's face.
- In traditional Japanese theater and art, the way a character's 頬 (hoho) is painted can signal a specific emotion or social status to the audience.
Examples in context
- 私は自分の頬をつねった。I pinched my cheek.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use the form 頬.Tatoeba #10979926 by small_snow, translation #12022439 by Winter
- 彼女は彼の頬にキスをした。She kissed him on the cheek.This sentence shows the use of the form 頬.Tatoeba #1497089 by bunbuku, translation #887258 by CK
- ほっぺにキスしただけだろ。It was only a kiss on the cheek.This sentence demonstrates the use of the form ほっぺ.Tatoeba #8876980 by bunbuku, translation #4265772 by patgfisher
- 彼女の白い 頬 が赤くなった。Her white cheeks turned red.
- 幼児の 頬 にキスをする。Give a kiss on the baby's cheek.
- 彼の 頬 がちょっと赤くなっている。His cheeks are slightly red.
- ほら、猫の ほっぺ がぷくぷくしている！Look, the cat's cheeks are puffy!
- 21 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ren and Yui are walking outside in the cold.
- 結衣 Yui蓮、顔がすごく赤いよ。Ren, kao ga sugoku akai yo.Ren, your face is very red.
- 蓮 Ren寒さで頬が痛いよ。Samusa de hoho ga itai yo.My cheeks hurt from the cold.
- 結衣 Yui温かい飲み物を飲もう。Atatakai nomimono o nomou.Let's drink something warm.
- 蓮 Renそうだね、ありがとう。Sou dane, arigatou.That's a good idea, thanks.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cheek” translations and entries 頬, ほっぺ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 頬, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
