noun #35,173

Meanings

  1. 1 dimple
  2. 2 small depression on the cheek when smiling

Characters

Examples

Tā xiào qǐlái yǒu liǎng gè qiǎnqiǎn de jiǔyè.
When she smiles, two shallow dimples appear.
Xiàoyè rú huā, ràng rén kàn le xīndòng.
Her dimpled smile is like a flower — it makes hearts skip.

Tips

register
Literary character — everyday speech says 酒窝 (jiǔwō) 'wine pit' for dimples. mostly survives in compounds like (xiàoyè, dimpled smile) and (jiǔyè, dimples).
culture
In 《红楼梦》 (Dream of the Red Chamber), Lin Daiyu is described as — 'a sorrowful air rising from her two dimples,' fixing as a marker of delicate beauty in classical Chinese literature.

Stroke Order