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Kotomora

皮

pelt, skin, hide, leather, skin radical (no. 107)

JLPTN2StatusJōyō · grade 3FrequencyTop 2,000Strokes5

Readings

On'yomi

  • ヒ

Kun'yomi

  • かわ

Meaning

皮 centers on the outer covering of an animal or object: skin, hide, pelt, or leather. The radical sense is the same skin shape used as a component in other characters.

Most common words using 皮

20 of 289
  • 皮かわ
    N3

    skin; hide; pelt; fur

  • 皮膚ひふ
    N3

    skin

  • 皮肉ひにく
    N2

    irony; sarcasm; cynicism; satire

  • 毛皮けがわ
    N2

    fur; skin; pelt

  • 頭皮とうひ

    scalp

  • 皮切りかわきり

    beginning; start

  • 皮田かわた

    lowly people (Edo period); eta

  • 脱皮だっぴ

    ecdysis; shedding (of skin); sloughing; molting; moulting; casting off

  • 表皮ひょうひ

    epidermis; cuticle

  • 松皮まつかわ

    barfin flounder (Verasper moseri)

  • 皮脂ひし

    sebum; sebaceous matter

  • 皮質ひしつ

    cortex

  • 樹皮じゅひ

    bark (of a tree, etc.)

  • 皮革ひかく

    leather; hide

  • 皮下ひか

    subcutaneous; hypodermic

  • 上皮うわかわ

    outer layer (e.g. of skin); cuticle; epidermis; bark; rind; crust; film (on the surface of a liquid); scum

  • 皮肉るひにくる

    to make a cynical remark (about); to make a sarcastic remark (about); to satirize; to mock

  • 包皮ほうひ

    foreskin; prepuce

  • 外皮がいひ

    skin; outer skin; integument; husk; hull; shell; crust; rind; envelope; exodermis; pellicle

  • 皮膜ひまく

    film; membrane

Explore all words using 皮 →

Study

Etymology

皮 is a pictograph of a hand peeling skin from an animal carcass. The modern form preserves the hand shape 又 and the skin shape, though the exact ancient drawing is stylized.

Meaning mnemonic

The top part suggests a hand 又 peeling off a layer of skin or hide. Picture a hand stripping the outer covering from an animal: 皮 is skin, leather, or pelt.

Reading mnemonic

For ヒ, imagine a hand peeling off a piece of skin and saying 'he' (ヒ) as it comes off: he -> ヒ, and the skin is removed.