Cheek in Different Languages
Discover 'Cheek' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Cheek
Afrikaans wang | ||
Albanian faqe | ||
Amharic ጉንጭ | ||
Arabic الخد | ||
Armenian այտ | ||
Assamese গাল | ||
Aymara ajanu | ||
Azerbaijani yanaq | ||
Bambara dafuruku | ||
Basque masailean | ||
Belarusian шчака | ||
Bengali গাল | ||
Bhojpuri गाल | ||
Bosnian obraz | ||
Bulgarian буза | ||
Catalan galta | ||
Cebuano aping | ||
Chinese (Simplified) 脸颊 | ||
Chinese (Traditional) 臉頰 | ||
Corsican guancia | ||
Croatian obraz | ||
Czech tvář | ||
Danish kind | ||
Dhivehi ކޯ | ||
Dogri खाख | ||
Dutch wang | ||
English cheek | ||
Esperanto vango | ||
Estonian põske | ||
Ewe alɔgo | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) pisngi | ||
Finnish poski | ||
French joue | ||
Frisian wang | ||
Galician meixela | ||
Georgian ლოყა | ||
German wange | ||
Greek μάγουλο | ||
Guarani tovayke | ||
Gujarati ગાલ | ||
Haitian Creole yon souflèt | ||
Hausa kunci | ||
Hawaiian papalina | ||
Hebrew לֶחִי | ||
Hindi गाल | ||
Hmong sab plhu | ||
Hungarian arcát | ||
Icelandic kinn | ||
Igbo agba | ||
Ilocano pingping | ||
Indonesian pipi | ||
Irish leiceann | ||
Italian guancia | ||
Japanese 頬 | ||
Javanese pipine | ||
Kannada ಕೆನ್ನೆ | ||
Kazakh щек | ||
Khmer ថ្ពាល់ | ||
Kinyarwanda umusaya | ||
Konkani गाल | ||
Korean 뺨 | ||
Krio jɔ | ||
Kurdish rû | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) ڕوومەت | ||
Kyrgyz жаак | ||
Lao ແກ້ມ | ||
Latin sine causa | ||
Latvian vaigs | ||
Lingala litama | ||
Lithuanian skruostas | ||
Luganda ettama | ||
Luxembourgish wang | ||
Macedonian образ | ||
Maithili गाल | ||
Malagasy takolany | ||
Malay pipi | ||
Malayalam കവിൾ | ||
Maltese ħaddejn | ||
Maori paparinga | ||
Marathi गाल | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) ꯈꯖꯥꯏ | ||
Mizo biang | ||
Mongolian хацар | ||
Myanmar (Burmese) ပါး | ||
Nepali गाला | ||
Norwegian kinn | ||
Nyanja (Chichewa) tsaya | ||
Odia (Oriya) ଗାଲ | ||
Oromo maddii | ||
Pashto ګال | ||
Persian گونه | ||
Polish policzek | ||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) bochecha | ||
Punjabi ਚੀਕ | ||
Quechua uya | ||
Romanian obraz | ||
Russian щека | ||
Samoan alafau | ||
Sanskrit गल्ल | ||
Scots Gaelic ceò | ||
Sepedi lerama | ||
Serbian образ | ||
Sesotho lerama | ||
Shona dama | ||
Sindhi گال | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) කම්මුල | ||
Slovak líca | ||
Slovenian lička | ||
Somali dhabanka | ||
Spanish mejilla | ||
Sundanese halis | ||
Swahili shavu | ||
Swedish kind | ||
Tagalog (Filipino) pisngi | ||
Tajik рухсора | ||
Tamil கன்னம் | ||
Tatar яңак | ||
Telugu చెంప | ||
Thai แก้ม | ||
Tigrinya ምዕጉርቲ | ||
Tsonga rihlaya | ||
Turkish yanak | ||
Turkmen ýaňak | ||
Twi (Akan) afono | ||
Ukrainian щока | ||
Urdu گال | ||
Uyghur مەڭزى | ||
Uzbek yonoq | ||
Vietnamese má | ||
Welsh boch | ||
Xhosa isidlele | ||
Yiddish באַק | ||
Yoruba ẹrẹkẹ | ||
Zulu isihlathi |
Etymology & Notes
| Language | Etymology / Notes |
|---|---|
| Afrikaans | The word 'wang' is also used in Afrikaans as a term of endearment for a child, similar to 'cheek' in English. |
| Albanian | The Albanian word "faqe" can also refer to a "page" or a "side". |
| Amharic | The word 'ጉንጭ' can also mean 'a small piece' or 'a bit' in Amharic. |
| Arabic | The cheek is also called الخدين and is the part of the face between the nose and the ear. |
| Armenian | The word "այտ" also has the alternate meaning of "aspect, view, side" and comes from Middle Persian "ād". |
| Azerbaijani | The Azerbaijani word "Yanaq" ("cheek") comes from the Turkic word "yan". "Yan" also means "beside" or "next to" in Azerbaijani language. |
| Basque | The word "masailean" can also refer to the masseter muscle, which is located on the side of the face. |
| Belarusian | "Шчака" also means "jaw". |
| Bengali | The word "গাল" (pronounced "Gaal") also has an alternate meaning in Bengali as "insult" or "disgrace" |
| Bosnian | In some Slavic languages, obraz also means "face" or "image". |
| Bulgarian | In Old Bulgarian, 'буза' meant 'lips', as it still does in Serbo-Croatian and Russian. |
| Catalan | The Catalan word "galta" (cheek) is a derivative of the Arabic word "halta" (cheekbone) |
| Cebuano | The Cebuano word "aping" originally meant "face" in Old Malay, and it still has that meaning in some Indonesian dialects. |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 脸颊 derives from the word 面颊, which means "face side" and refers to the sides of the face. |
| Chinese (Traditional) | "臉頰" is a homonym, with one meaning being "face" and the other "to be cheeky". |
| Corsican | In Corsican, the word "guancia" can also refer to the "jaw" or the "jowl" of an animal. |
| Croatian | The word "obraz" also means "face", "honor", "appearance", and "image" in Croatian. |
| Czech | The word "tvář" in Czech can also mean "face" or "surface". |
| Danish | The Danish word "kind" not only means "cheek" but also refers to the fleshy part of the face below the cheekbones. |
| Dutch | In Dutch, "wang" not only means "cheek" but also "face." |
| Esperanto | The word "vango" is borrowed from Serbian, where it means "cheek" and "face; visage." |
| Estonian | In Estonian, the word "põske" can also refer to the sides of a container or the cheeks of an animal. |
| Finnish | The word "poski" also means "a piece of bread crust" in eastern Finnish dialects. |
| French | The French word 'joue' originally meant the 'lower cheek or chin' and is related to Italian 'gota' ('drop') |
| Frisian | Frisian has a word 'wang' which is cognate to 'cheek' and also means 'side' |
| Galician | The term "meixela" comes from the Latin word "maxilla" and also refers to the jaw. |
| Georgian | The Georgian word 'ლოყა' (cheek) has a number of alternate meanings, including 'side' and 'portion'. |
| German | The word "Wange" can also refer to the inside of the mouth or the jawbone, in addition to its primary meaning of "cheek." |
| Greek | The word "μάγουλο" can also refer to the round shape of a fruit, such as an apple. |
| Gujarati | The Gujarati word "ગાલ" (gaal) can also refer to a "lump" or a "growth" on the body. |
| Haitian Creole | Yon souflèt (cheek) possibly derives from the French word souflet (slap or blow), a derivative of souffler meaning "to blow" due to its shape resembling an inflated object, or even of a slap which "makes the cheeks redden and swell (Haitian Creole Dictionary: https://www.yourdictionary.com/haitian-creole-english/yon%20soufl%C3%A8t). |
| Hausa | The word "kunci" also means "cheekbone" in Hausa. |
| Hawaiian | The Hawaiian word "papalina" can also refer to a variety of other anatomical features, such as the dimples on the face or the hollow of the cheek. |
| Hebrew | The Hebrew word "לֶחִי" (cheek) can also refer to the jaw, chin, or side of the face |
| Hindi | The word "गाल" (cheek) shares the same root as the word "गर्ल" (throat), both derived from the Proto-Indo-European word "*ǵʰel-/*ǵʰol-**, meaning "to swallow". |
| Hmong | The Hmong word "sab plhu" can also mean "face" or "visage". |
| Hungarian | In old Hungarian 'arcát' also meant 'face'. |
| Icelandic | The Old Norse word "kinn" could also refer to the jawbone or the side of the face. |
| Igbo | Agba also means 'side' or 'direction' in Igbo, and is cognate with the Yoruba word 'egbe' with the same meaning. |
| Indonesian | The Indonesian word 'pipi' can also refer to the sides of a boat. |
| Irish | "Leiceann" may refer to a cheek, hillside, or a stone with a flat surface for grinding. |
| Italian | "Guancia", the Italian word for "cheek," derives from the medieval Latin word *bucca*, itself borrowed from Proto-Germanic *buk- "cheek." |
| Japanese | The Japanese word "頬" (cheek) can also refer to the sides of the face and the back of the throat. |
| Javanese | Pipine, derived from the Proto-Austronesian word "p pipi", also denotes the lateral surface of an object or an area on the side of something. |
| Kannada | The Kannada word "ಕೆನ್ನೆ" is also used to refer to the "side" or "edge" of something, or to the "bank" of a river. |
| Kazakh | The Kazakh word "щек" has similar connotations of "cheekiness"} |
| Khmer | The word "ថ្ពាល់" can also refer to the "side" of something, such as a building or a mountain. |
| Kurdish | The word "rû" also means "face" or "beauty" in Kurdish, and is related to the Persian word "rôi" with the same meanings. |
| Kyrgyz | In Kyrgyz, the word "жаак" can also refer to a person's personality or character. |
| Latin | "Sine causa" literally means "without reason" in Latin and is used to describe something that is done without any apparent motive. |
| Latvian | The word "vaigs" in Latvian can also refer to the side of the mouth or the act of chewing. |
| Lithuanian | The word "skruostas" (cheek in Lithuanian) is cognate with the Latin word "scrobs" (ditch, trench), suggesting a possible connection to the facial depressions around the cheekbones. |
| Luxembourgish | In Luxembourgish, "Wang" can also mean "corner" or "direction". |
| Macedonian | "Образ" also denotes "image", "icon" and figuratively "face (human)". |
| Malagasy | From the Proto-Austronesian *taqalun, which also means 'ear' in some other Austronesian languages. |
| Malay | Malay "pipi" also means "flattened" and is cognate with Javanese "pipih" |
| Malayalam | The Malayalam word "കവിൾ" (kaviḷ) is derived from the Proto-Dravidian root "kav", meaning "to hold" or "to protect". |
| Maltese | The Maltese word "ħaddejn" comes from the Arabic word "khadd" and also means "side" or "face" in Maltese. |
| Maori | The word 'paparinga' is a Maori term for 'cheek', and also refers to the cheek of a fruit or plant tuber. |
| Marathi | The word "गाल" (cheek) in Marathi is derived from the Sanskrit word "गल" meaning "to swallow". |
| Mongolian | Хацар (cheek) is also used in Mongolian to mean "face" or "honor." |
| Myanmar (Burmese) | In informal speech, "ပါး" may also refer to a person's face, especially the area between the eyes and the lower lip. |
| Nepali | `गाला` (cheek) also means a village in the Himalayan region or a large space in a cave. |
| Norwegian | The word "kinn" can also refer to the "side of a mountain" or the "shore of a fjord". |
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | “Tsaya” can also mean an individual that doesn't pay attention while working as in “Ndi tsaya,” which translates to “He has become careless.” |
| Pashto | The Pashto word "ګال" also has the alternate meaning of "cheek of a firearm." |
| Persian | The word "گونه" can also refer to "a species". |
| Polish | In Polish, the word "policzek" can also mean a slap in the face (in this scenario, it's pronounced 'po-li-czek'), or a stroke in artistic brushwork (where it's pronounced 'po-li-tchek'). |
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | In Brazil, "bochecha" can also refer to a specific cut of beef steak. |
| Punjabi | The Punjabi word "ਚੀਕ" (cheek) is also used to refer to the cheekiness or impudence of a person. |
| Romanian | The Romanian word "obraz" derives etymologically from the Slavic word "obrazъ", meaning "image, icon" (as the face was perceived as an image or a reflection of the soul). |
| Russian | The word "щека" also means "check" in chess and "side" of the face; the word is a cognate of Ukrainian "щока" and Polish "szczęka" "jaw, cheek"]} |
| Samoan | The word "alafau" can also be used to refer to the jaw, mouth, or chin in Samoan, reflecting the close anatomical relationship between these facial features. |
| Scots Gaelic | In Scots Gaelic, "ceò" can also refer to a type of mist or fog found in mountainous areas, particularly in the Scottish Highlands. |
| Serbian | Besides meaning "cheek", "образ" can also refer to "face" or "image" in Serbian. |
| Sesotho | The word "lerama" in Sesotho can also refer to the side of a hill. |
| Shona | "Dama" also means "cheek" in the Ndau dialect, while in Zezuru, it means "a slap on the cheek". |
| Sindhi | The Sindhi word "گال" (pronounced "gaal") also refers to a type of traditional Sindhi dance. |
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | The Sinhala word "කම්මුල" comes from the Dravidian word "kammal" meaning "beauty". |
| Slovak | The word "líca" in Slovak is related to the Proto-Slavic word "lice" meaning "face" and is also used to refer to the "cover" or "surface" of something. |
| Slovenian | Lička in Slovenian has alternate meanings of "face" and, when used with the term "po lički", "to slap someone in the face". |
| Somali | Dhabanka is also colloquially used to refer to a child's "cute baby fat" as it forms over their cheeks or upper thigh area. |
| Spanish | The word "mejilla" also refers to the side or surface of a solid, such as a rock formation. |
| Sundanese | "Halis" in Sundanese, besides meaning "cheek", also refers to the sides of a building or the sides of a vehicle. |
| Swahili | "Shavu" also means "a part or side of anything dividing it into halves" in Swahili. |
| Swedish | In Swedish, "kind" can also mean "cheek" or a type of bone fragment. |
| Tagalog (Filipino) | The word "pisngi" in Tagalog also means "face" or "countenance". |
| Tajik | The word рухсора is a compound of "ру" (face) and "хсора" (beauty), thus, 'the beauty of the face', which specifically signifies cheeks |
| Tamil | In Tamil, the word "கன்னம்" not only refers to the cheek but also colloquially means "talk" or "conversation". This usage originated in the practice of resting one's cheek on the hand while engaging in a conversation. |
| Telugu | Telugu "చెంప" may also refer to a "lapel" or "a piece of cloth sewn to the front of a garment from the shoulder to the waist." |
| Turkish | Despite the word "yanak" primarily denoting "cheek" in Turkish, it also has secondary meanings of "face" and "honour". |
| Ukrainian | The word "щока" in Ukrainian can also refer to the "side" of something, such as a building or a road. |
| Urdu | The Urdu word "گال" has alternate meanings including "side" or "direction", |
| Uzbek | The word "yonoq" can also refer to "a place where the jaw meets the cheek" in Uzbek. |
| Vietnamese | The word "má" can also refer to "mother" or "grandmother" in the northern dialects of Vietnamese. |
| Welsh | The word "boch" is derived from the Proto-Celtic word "*bokko-s" meaning "side" or "cheek" and is also related to the words "bochog" (armhole) and "bocs" (box). |
| Xhosa | The word "isidlele" in Xhosa also refers to a particular hairstyle worn by married women, in which the hair is parted in the middle and gathered into two buns on either side of the head. |
| Yiddish | The word "bak" can also refer to a "side" in the context of food, like the side of a fish. |
| Yoruba | The word "erẹkẹ" can also refer to the sides of a fruit or vegetable. |
| Zulu | The word 'isihlathi' also means 'a bush' or 'a thicket' in Zulu. |
| English | "Cheek" can also refer to audacity, impudence, or insolence. |