Japanese word

ほっぺた

Pronunciation

Romajihoppeta

Meaning

  • nouncheek

Example

母が私のほっぺたをなでました。haha ga watashi no ho ppe ta o na de ma shi ta

My mother stroked my cheek.

Illustration for ほっぺた (cheek)

More examples

冬の冷たい風で、ほっぺたが赤くなりました。fuyu no tsume ta i kaze de ho ppe ta ga aka ku na ri ma shi ta

My cheeks turned red from the cold winter wind.

Core concept

Names the visible facial area between the eye and mouth, especially in its soft, rounded aspect.

Common phrases

  • ほっぺたをつねるho ppe ta o tsu ne ru

    pinch the cheek

  • ほっぺたをなでるho ppe ta o na de ru

    stroke the cheek

  • ほっぺたが赤いho ppe ta ga aka i

    have red cheeks

Similar words

頬hō: The standard term for the fleshy area of the face between the eye and mouth.
ほっぺhoppe: A familiar, informal word for the soft, rounded area between the eye and mouth.

Definition in Japanese

顔の目の下から口の横にかけてある、ふっくらした部分。kao no me no shita ka ra kuchi no yoko ni ka ke te a ru fu kku ra shi ta bu bun

Word origin

The modern form ほっぺた (hoppeta) developed through sound change from ほおべた (hōbeta), a compound of ほお (hō, "cheek") and べた (beta, "surface or side").

Usage tips

  • In everyday Japanese, ほっぺた (hoppeta) gives descriptions of a person's cheek a familiar and sometimes affectionate tone.

Word lists with this word