Korean Dictionary
How to say "Cheek" in Korean
“Cheek” in Korean is 뺨 (pronounced "ppyam").
뺨
ppyam
Usage & Context
The side of the face below the eyes. Often mentioned in beauty and cosmetics discussions. Important for describing facial expressions.
Example Sentence
뺨이 빨개요.
My cheeks are red.
How to use 뺨 naturally
Quick answer
The Korean word for “Cheek” is 뺨, romanized as ppyam.
Usage tip
Learn this word together with a complete Korean sentence. Meaning often depends on particles, politeness level, and word order.
Common mistake
Do not rely only on the English meaning. Read the Korean example sentence and notice the particles, word order, and politeness level around 뺨.
Pronunciation Guide
Pronounced 'ppyam' with a tense double-p sound, like tightening your lips before the 'p' in 'span'. The vowel is a clear 'yah' and the final 'm' closes the mouth fully.
More Example Sentences
Cooing over a baby's face
아기 뺨이 진짜 통통해요.
The baby's cheeks are really chubby.
Walking outside in winter
추워서 뺨이 얼얼해요.
My cheeks are stinging from the cold.
Pointing out food on a friend's face at lunch
뺨에 뭐 묻었어요.
You have something on your cheek.
Cultural Context
뺨 is the anatomical word for 'cheek,' but in everyday speech Koreans more often say 볼 for a softer, cuter nuance, especially when talking about babies or describing a chubby face. 뺨 shows up bluntly in the idiom 뺨을 때리다 (to slap in the face), so the word alone can sound a little dramatic out of context. Beauty YouTubers often use 볼 when teaching blush placement, while 뺨 appears in medical or literary contexts.
Editorial note
We review entries like 뺨 for pronunciation, example sentence fit, and learner mistakes so the page answers more than a direct dictionary lookup.
Reviewed by Min-jung Park, Korean Language Teacher. Updated May 31, 2026. See our editorial standards.
Common Phrases
볼이 빨개졌어요.
My cheeks turned red.
볼에 뽀뽀해 주세요.
Give me a kiss on the cheek.
볼살이 귀여워요.
Your chubby cheeks are cute.
Related Expressions
볼
bol
cheek (softer, more common in daily speech)
볼살
bolsal
cheek fat / chubby cheeks
광대
gwangdae
cheekbone
뺨을 때리다
ppyameul ttaerida
to slap someone's cheek
More Body Parts Words
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