皮 pí — leather; skin; fur
香蕉的皮是黄色的。Xiāng jiāo de pí shì huáng sè de.The peel of a banana is yellow.
Common words: 皮包 (pí bāo)、皮肤 (pí fū)、皮鞋 (pí xié)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "skin"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "skin", including 皮 (pí), 肤 (fū). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words, and examples.
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "skin" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 皮 (pí), 肤 (fū) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span pí, fū — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 皮 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 皮 píleather; skin; furUseful words: 皮包, 皮肤
- 肤 fūskinUseful words: 皮肤, 肌肤
Common words for these 2 "skin" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 皮 (pí) — so "skin" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 2 ways to say "skin".
肤 fū — skin
多喝水可以让皮肤保持水润。Duō hē shuǐ kě yǐ ràng pí fū bǎo chí shuǐ rùn.Drinking more water keeps the skin hydrated.
Common words: 皮肤 (pí fū)、肌肤 (jī fū)、体肤 (tǐ fū)
All 2 characters
Open 皮、肤 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.