皮かわ

か

わ

○

Common wordJLPTN3Freq.FrequencyTop 5,000

Meanings

noun

skin; hide; pelt

Refers to the outer skin of a person or animal, and by extension an animal hide or pelt. For processed leather as a material, 革 is usually the more specific spelling/word.

See also: 革

転ころんでひざの皮かわがむけた。
I fell and scraped the skin off my knee.

この太たい鼓こは動どう物ぶつの皮かわで作つくられている。

This drum is made with animal hide.

noun

peel; rind; husk; bark

Used for the outer layer of fruit, vegetables, nuts, trees, and similar natural objects: a peel, rind, husk, or bark depending on the item.

みかんの皮かわをむいて食たべた。
I peeled the mandarin and ate it.
古ふるい木きの皮かわがはがれている。
The bark of the old tree is peeling off.

noun

outer covering; casing; wrapper; sheath

Covers flexible or enclosing outer layers that are not literally skin, such as a food wrapper, casing, sheath, or protective covering.

餃子ぎょうざの皮かわを買かってきてください。
Please buy some dumpling wrappers.
電でん線せんの皮かわをむくと中なかの銅どう線せんが見みえる。
If you strip the covering off the wire, you can see the copper wire inside.

noun

mask; false appearance; seeming

Figurative use, especially in the idiom 化けの皮がはがれる, meaning that someone's disguise, pretense, or true nature is exposed.

Kanji

皮pelt, skin, hide

Similar words

革かわ
Usually means processed leather, especially as a material for shoes, bags, and other goods; 皮 is skin, hide, peel, or an outer covering more broadly.
肌はだ
Refers mainly to human skin or complexion; 皮 is more general and can refer to animal hide, fruit peel, bark, or wrappers.
殻から
Usually a hard shell or husk, such as an eggshell or nut shell; 皮 often suggests a skin-like, peelable, or flexible outer layer.

Etymology

The reading かわ is the regular Japanese reading associated with 皮. The kanji 皮 conventionally represents skin or an outer covering; the exact historical derivation of the Japanese word is not specified.