頰 means “cheek”

ほお · hoo

Also: cheeks, jaw

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

ほお, ほほ

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

キョウ

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 16 strokes

The story

A big figure (大) with two small ones (人人) tucked under its arms (夾), beside a head (頁): the two sides of the face. 頰張る is to stuff your cheeks full, and 頰杖 is chin in hand. Signs and screens often show it as 頬.

Used in 頰 (hoo, cheek), 頰張る (hoobaru, to stuff one's cheeks), and 頰杖 (hoozue, resting one's chin in one's hand)

More from Head to Toe

• 脚 leg
• 眼 eye
• 尻 buttocks
• 掌 palm
• 脇 armpit
• 舌 tongue
• 胴 torso
• 拳 fist
• 唇 lips
• 爪 nail
• 瞳 pupil (of the eye)
• 眉 eyebrow

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Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.