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Kotomora

膚

skin, body, grain, texture, disposition

JLPTN2StatusJōyō · secondary schoolFrequencyTop 2,000Strokes15

Readings

On'yomi

  • フ

Kun'yomi

  • はだ

Meaning

膚 centers on the physical surface and substance of a living thing: skin, body, and the texture or grain of that surface. The disposition sense extends this idea to one's innate bodily or temperamental makeup.

Most common words using 膚

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Etymology

膚 combines 虍 (tiger stripes) with 胃 (stomach), originally referring to the skin or surface of the body, possibly by analogy to the striped surface of a tiger. The exact historical development is uncertain, but the association with skin is well established.

Meaning mnemonic

The outer enclosure 虍 suggests tiger stripes, and inside is 胃 (stomach). Imagine a tiger's striped skin stretched over a belly: 膚 is the skin that covers the body.

Reading mnemonic

For フ, picture a full-body skin suit: full -> フ, and the suit covers every inch of your skin.