颊 (jiá) — cheek (bound form, used in compounds)
Definition
A bound literary form meaning 'cheek,' used only inside compounds (e.g. 面颊, 双颊). The everyday word for 'cheek' is 脸蛋儿; use 颊 in writing or set phrases.
bound form
cheek (bound form, used in compounds)
Examples
- 。Tā de liǎn jiá hěn hóng.Her cheeks are very red.
- 。Tā yòng shǒu mō le mō miàn jiá.He touched his cheek with his hand.
- 颊。Tā shuāng jiá fàn hóng.Her cheeks flushed.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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.
Appears in
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.