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脸颊 (liǎn jiá) — cheek

Definition

脸颊 refers specifically to the cheeks — the soft area on each side of the face. It is more concrete and local than 面孔, which names the face as a whole.

noun
cheek
Measure word · 张

Examples

  • 脸颊。
    Tā hài xiū dì mō le mō zì jǐ de liǎn jiá.
    She shyly touched her own cheek.
  • 脸颊。
    Tā de liǎn jiá yīn wèi yùn dòng biàn de tōng hóng.
    His cheeks turned bright red from exercise.
  • 脸颊。
    Nǎi nai de liǎn jiá shàng yǒu liǎng gè shēn shēn de liǎn jiá shàng yǒu liǎng gè jiǔ wō.
    Grandma has two dimples on her cheeks.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

脸liǎnface
颊jiácheek

脸 and 颊 both refer to areas of the face, and together they name the cheek.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 臉; 脸 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
⺼Written in full as肉ròubody part
Sound part声符shēngfú
僉
僉qiān臉liǎn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 臉 combines ⺼ (肉, body part) with 僉 as a sound part; the simplified 脸 is a later abbreviation.

Open 脸 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 頰; 颊 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
頁頁yèhead
Sound part声符shēngfú
夾
夾jiā頰jiá
Same sound today

In the traditional form 頰, 夾 gives the sound and 頁 shows the head, for a part of the head.

Open 颊 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Body Parts

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