颊 (jiá): cheeks
颊 (jiá) is a Chinese character meaning “cheeks.” Classified as HSK Level 7-9 (HSK 3.0 Standard, CLEC 2022), it is composed of 夹 (structural) and 页 (structural). It ranks #2528 in character frequency (SUBTLEX-CH corpus).
Etymologically derived, 颊 the jaw in 夹 the head 页; 夹 also provides the pronunciation. Its radical form 页 (page) appears in many related characters such as 页 (xié, head), 顺 (shùn, to obey), 须 (xū, must).
Definitions
- cheeks
Etymology & Origin
ideographicThe jaw in 夹 the head 页; 夹 also provides the pronunciation
Decomposition: ⿰夹页 (layout: left-right)
Stroke Order
Practice writing 颊 with real-time feedback — trace each stroke in the correct order and build muscle memory in the HanziFeed app.
Words & Compounds
Common Compounds
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 脸颊 | liǎn jiá | cheek |
| 面颊 | miàn jiá | cheek |
| 紫颊直嘴太阳鸟 | zǐ jiá zhí zuǐ tài yáng niǎo | (bird species of China) ruby-cheeked sunbird (Chalcoparia singalensis) |
| 两颊生津 | liǎng jiá shēng jīn | mouth-watering |
| 齿颊生香 | chǐ jiá shēng xiāng | lit. to feel the taste in one's mouth (idiom) |
| 白颊山鹧鸪 | bái jiá shān zhè gū | (bird species of China) white-cheeked partridge (Arborophila atrogularis) |
| 黄颊麦鸡 | huáng jiá mài jī | (bird species of China) sociable lapwing (Vanellus gregarius) |
| 黄颊山雀 | huáng jiá shān què | (bird species of China) yellow-cheeked tit (Machlolophus spilonotus) |
| 白颊黑雁 | bái jiá hēi yàn | (bird species of China) barnacle goose (Branta leucopsis) |
| 白颊鹎 | bái jiá bēi | (bird species of China) Himalayan bulbul (Pycnonotus leucogenys) |
| 批颊 | pī jiá | to slap sb's cheeks |
| 白颊噪鹛 | bái jiá zào méi | (bird species of China) white-browed laughingthrush (Pterorhinus sannio) |
| 缓颊 | huǎn jiá | to urge reconciliation |
| 颊窝 | jiá wō | dimple |
| 栗颊噪鹛 | lì jiá zào méi | (bird species of China) rufous-cheeked laughingthrush (Garrulax castanotis) |
颊 appears in 16 compound words: 6 as the first character, 31 as the last, and 63 in a middle position. Compound statistics computed from SUBTLEX-CH and HSK 3.0 vocabulary data.
Strongest Collocations
Characters that most frequently co-occur with 颊 in natural Chinese text, ranked by NPMI (Normalized Pointwise Mutual Information) — a statistical measure of association strength.
Idioms & Chengyu (1)
Example Sentences
脸颊红润,气色很好。
Liǎnjiá hóngrùn, qìsè hěn hǎo.
Rosy cheeks indicate good complexion.
磨皮算法同样克制,鼻梁、脸颊本身的光影得以保留,仅弱化瑕疵与疲态。
mó pí suàn fǎ tóng yàng kè zhì , bí liáng , liǎn jiá běn shēn de guāng yǐng dé yǐ bǎo liú , jǐn ruò huà xiá cī yǔ pí tài .
The skin-smoothing algorithm is equally subtle, preserving the natural light and shadow on the bridge of the nose and cheeks while only minimizing blemishes and signs of fatigue.
当一只老鼠闯入上海动物园白颊长臂猿馆时,猴子没有试图吃掉它,或者驱赶它。
dāng yī zhī lǎo shǔ chuǎng rù shàng hǎi dòng wù yuán bái jiá cháng bì 猿 guǎn shí , hóu zǐ méi yǒu shì tú chī diào tā , huò zhě qū gǎn tā .
When a mouse wandered into the white-cheeked gibbon enclosure at the Shanghai Zoo, the gibbons did not try to eat it or chase it away.
两人紧紧相拥,C罗轻抚老队友的脸颊,仿佛回溯起曾经并肩战斗的峥嵘岁月。
liǎng rén jǐn jǐn xiāng yōng , C luó qīng fǔ lǎo duì yǒu de liǎn jiá , fǎng fó huí sù qǐ céng jīng bìng jiān zhàn dǒu de 峥 嵘 suì yuè .
The two embraced tightly, and Cristiano Ronaldo gently stroked his old teammate's cheek, as if reminiscing about the glorious days they had fought side by side.
届时,团队会引进更多凤梨品种,将凤梨从羊驼头顶种植到脸颊上。
jiè shí , tuán duì huì yǐn jìn gēng duō fèng lí pǐn zhǒng , jiāng fèng lí cóng yáng 驼 tóu dǐng zhǒng zhí dào liǎn jiá shàng .
At that time, the team will introduce more pineapple varieties and grow them not only on the alpacas’ heads but also on their cheeks.
一颗入口,两颊生津,既开胃消食,又消暑保健。
yī kē rù kǒu , liǎng jiá shēng jīn , jì kāi wèi xiāo shí , yòu xiāo shǔ bǎo jiàn .
Just one bite is enough to make your mouth water; it not only stimulates the appetite and aids digestion, but also helps beat the heat and promotes good health.
汤姆亲了玛丽脸颊。
Tāngmǔ qīn le Mǎlì liǎnjiá.
Tom kissed Mary on the cheek.
汤姆的脸颊上有一块伤痕。
Tāngmǔ de liǎnjiá shàng yǒu yīkuài shānghén.
Tom has a scar on his cheek.
她在他的脸颊上吻了一下。
Tā zài tā de liǎnjiá shàng wěn le yīxià.
She kissed him on the cheek.
我两个脸颊都被打了。
Wǒ liǎng ge liǎnjiá dōu bèi dǎ le.
I got slapped on both cheeks.
Character Family
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 颊 (jiá) mean in Chinese?
How many strokes does 颊 have?
What is the radical of 颊?
What are the components of 颊?
What are common words containing 颊?
What characters sound the same as 颊 (jiá)?
Is 颊 the same in simplified and traditional Chinese?
Practice writing 颊 with real-time feedback
Trace stroke sequences, hear native pronunciation, and build lasting retention with spaced repetition in the HanziFeed app.