頰張る

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 頰張る is read as ほおばる and means to stuff one’s mouth or take a big bite.
• Basic usage: It can describe stuffing one’s mouth with rice or taking a large bite of an apple.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Stuffing one’s mouth with rice
  • 頰張り: The child stuffed their mouth with freshly cooked rice. Example: 子どもは炊きたてのご飯を頰張りました。
• Taking a big bite of an apple
  • 頰張る: When I took a big bite of the large apple, sweet juice filled my mouth. Example: 大きな林檎を頰張ると甘い果汁が広がりました。