Translingual

Han character

頬 (radical 181 頁+6, 15 strokes, cangjie input 大廿一月金 (KTMBC), composition ⿰夹頁)

References

• KangXi: not present, would follow page 1404, character 7
• Hanyu Da Zidian: not present, would follow volume 7, page 4367, character 16
• Unihan data for U+982C

Japanese

Kanji

(uncommon “Hyōgai” kanji, shinjitai kanji, kyūjitai form 頰)

Readings

• Goon: きょう (kyō), (historical) けふ (kefu)
• Kan’on: きょう (kyō), (historical) けふ (kefu)
• Kun: ほほ (hoho), ほお (hoo), つら (tsura)
• Nanori: かわ (kawa), すえみつ (suemitsu), すえもと (suemoto), つら (tsura), のりみち (norimichi), ほほ (hoho)

Compounds

• 頬髭 (ほおひげ) ‎(hōhige)

Etymology 1

From Old Japanese.

Pronunciation

• Kun'yomi
• (Tokyo) ほ​ほ [hóꜜhò] (Atamadaka - [1])^[1]
• IPA^(key): [ho̞ho̞]

Noun

頬 ‎(hiragana ほほ, romaji hoho)

1. (anatomy) cheek, (the side of the face)

Etymology 2

[ho̞ho̞] → [ho̞ː]

Derived from hoho above.^[2]

Pronunciation

• Kun'yomi
• (Tokyo) ほ​お [hóꜜò] (Atamadaka - [1])^[1]
• IPA^(key): [ho̞ː]

Noun

頬 ‎(hiragana ほお, romaji hō, historical hiragana ほほ)

1. (anatomy) cheek

Usage notes

The reading hō is more common when used as a standalone noun.

Etymology 3

Of same origin as 列 ‎(tsura, “a string or lineup of things”). Extending from the meaning of "lineup", the meaning changed to indicate the side of the items lined up. In reference to people, this came to mean the cheeks as the side of the face, and then by extension the face as a whole.^[2]

Pronunciation

• Kun'yomi
• (Tokyo) つら​ [tsùráꜜ] (Odaka - [2])^[1]
• IPA^(key): [t͡sɯᵝɾ̠a̠]

Noun

頬 ‎(hiragana つら, romaji tsura)

1. the cheeks
2. the face (usually written 面)
3. one's facial expression
4. the side of something
5. the surface or front of something
6. one's honor: "face" as in save face or lose face

Alternative forms

• 面

Synonyms

• (face of a person): 顔 (かお) ‎(kao)
• (facial expression): 顔 (かお)つき ‎(kaotsuki), 表情 (ひょうじょう) ‎(hyōjō)
• (face, front): 面 (おもて) ‎(omote)
• (side): 側 (側) ‎(側), 傍 (かたわ)ら ‎(katawara)
• (surface, front): 表 (おもて) ‎(omote)
• (honor): 体面 (たいめん) ‎(taimen), 面目 (めんぼく) ‎(menboku), 面子 (めんつ) ‎(mentsu)

Etymology 4

Used as ateji in various names.

Proper noun

頬 ‎(hiragana すえみつ, romaji Suemitsu)

1. A male given name

Proper noun

頬 ‎(hiragana すえもと, romaji Suemoto)

1. A male given name

Proper noun

頬 ‎(hiragana のりみち, romaji Norimichi)

1. A male given name

References

1. 1 2 3 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, ISBN 4-385-13905-9
2. 1 2 1988, 国語大辞典（新装版） (Kokugo Dai Jiten, Revised Edition) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan