Mnemonic
A lobster scuttles across a page boy's face and clamps its claws onto his cheeks! The page shrieks, but the lobster squeezes harder—his cheeks swell and flush bright red, perfectly matching the lobster's scarlet shell. Everyone can see the claw marks on his cheeks for days.
Additional thoughts
Lobster claws = pinching cheeks. The page boy's cheeks turn lobster-red. Red cheeks are the emotional bridge between both radicals.Quick recall
A lobster pinches a page boy's cheeks until they turn lobster-red.Details
The keyword for 頬 is cheeks. This kanji refers to the soft, fleshy sides of the face between the nose and the ears, below the eyes and above the jawline. It encompasses both cheeks as a facial feature and is used in contexts describing facial expressions, blushing, or physical contact with that part of the face. The character conveys the warm, expressive area of the face that often reflects one's emotions.
- On'yomi
- きょう
- Kun'yomi
- ほお、ほほ