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彫りの深い (ほりのふかい) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

彫ほりの深ふかい

Meanings

1

i-adjective

finely chiseled features; well-defined facial features

Describes a face with sharp, sculpted, or prominent features, often used for people of non-East Asian appearance or for striking, attractive faces.

彼かの女じょは彫ほりの深ふかい顔かお立だちで、モデルのようだ。
She has finely chiseled features and looks like a model.
外がい国こく人じんは彫ほりが深

ふか

い

と

言い

わ

れる

こと

が

多おお

い

。

Foreigners are often said to have well-defined facial features.

Kanji

彫carve, engrave, chisel
深deep, heighten, intensify

Similar words

彫ほり
彫り means 'carving' or 'engraving'; 彫りの深い uses this metaphorically for facial features, while 彫り alone does not describe faces.
顔かお立だち
顔立ち means 'facial features' in general, while 彫りの深い specifically emphasizes sharp, sculpted features.

Etymology

Compound of 彫り (carving, engraving) + の (possessive particle) + 深い (deep). The phrase literally means 'deep carving' and is used metaphorically to describe facial features that appear sharply defined, as if carved.