脸颊

• Pinyin: liǎn jiá
• Hanzi breakdown: 脸 = 月 + 佥 (face — flesh/body combined); 颊 = 夹 + 页 (cheek — clamped head)

Meaning

Cheek; the fleshy side of the face between the eye and the jaw.

Used in both literary and medical contexts. Common in descriptions of appearance, emotion, or physical condition. In literary Chinese, often collocates with 绯红 (flushed), 丰润 (plump), 消瘦 (gaunt), and 冰冷 (ice-cold). More precise and formal than the colloquial 脸蛋.

Examples

1. 寒风刺骨，她的脸颊冻得通红。 The cold wind cut to the bone, and her cheeks were red from the chill.
2. 他轻轻抚摸孩子柔软的脸颊，眼中满是慈爱。 He gently stroked the child’s soft cheek, his eyes full of affection.
3. 那幅画细腻地描绘了少女脸颊上隐约可见的酒窝。 The painting delicately depicts the faint dimples on the girl’s cheeks.

Usage Guide

Context: literature, medicine, appearance description

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 她的脸颊因激动而泛起了一抹红晕。(Her cheeks flushed with a tinge of red from excitement.)
• 医生检查了患者脸颊的肿胀情况，判断为腮腺发炎。(The doctor examined the swelling on the patient's cheek and diagnosed parotid gland inflammation.)

Don't Say

• 用'脸颊'指整张脸 — 脸颊专指面部两侧的区域，泛指脸部整体应用'面部'或'脸部'

Origin & History

脸 (face) + 颊 (cheek) — both characters refer to facial areas, combined for anatomical precision

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal