Definitions
(noun)
skin; leather; hide
(adjective)
naughty; mischievous
Etymology
Pictograph of a hand (又) peeling off the skin from an animal.
About
The character 皮 (pí) originated as a compound ideograph, graphically depicting a hand peeling the hide from an animal. This structure, with a hand shown in the upper portion, clearly represents the act of stripping off skin, establishing its core meaning as an animal’s hide or raw leather. From this base, the sense naturally extended to human skin, the outer rinds of fruits and vegetables, and the bark of trees. It further generalized to denote the outermost surface, covering, or layer of any object, and is sometimes used adjectivatively to describe someone as naughty, mischievous, or shamelessly thick-skinned.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
我的皮肤很白。
这个苹果皮很薄。
他调皮地笑了。
皮革制品很耐用。
西瓜皮可以做成菜。
她的皮包是红色的。
剥橘子皮时小心点。
这种皮肤病需要治疗。