Childish or affectionate word for cheek; often used when speaking to or about children. The adult equivalent is 頬 (ほほ) or 頬っぺた (ほっぺた).
See also: ほっぺた
赤ちゃんのほっぺはぷにぷにしてるね。
The baby's cheeks are so squishy, aren't they?
おばあちゃんが私のほっぺをつねった。
Grandma pinched my cheek.
Usually written in kana; the kanji form 頬っぺ is rare.
Rare kanji form; learners should use the kana spelling.
A child-language variant of 頬 (ほほ), with the diminutive suffix っぺ.