Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 皮膚 / 皮肤 | pífū | ||
| 皮 | pí | /pʰi³⁵/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /pʰiə̯ɻ³⁵/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Erhua, Sinological IPA) |
|
| 皮子 | pízi | /pʰi³⁵ d͡z̥ɹ̩³/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /pʰi²¹ t͡sɹ̩⁵³/ (Mandarin, Chengdu, Sinological IPA) |
|
| 皮膚 / 皮肤 | phê-hu / phêr-hu / phôe-hu | Hokkien |
The word for skin varies depending on whether you are discussing human biology, food preparation or animal hides. When talking about human skin, 皮肤 is the standard term. In the context of food preparation, 皮 is used to refer to the skin of animals, such as chicken or fish, as well as the peel or rind of fruits and vegetables. When referring to animal hides or skins, the form 皮子 is common.
What does it mean word for word?
The single character 皮 can mean skin, leather or a fruit's peel/rind depending on the context.
Which one should you use?
While 皮 can refer to animal skin or fruit peels, 皮肤 is the standard term used specifically for human skin. The form 皮子 is typically used for animal hides or skins.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The form 皮子 is often used in Northern Chinese dialects to refer to animal hides or skins. In Dungan, you may also encounter пифу and пизы.
How do you pronounce it?
phê-hu / phêr-hu / phôe-hu
Did you know?
- In Chinese, the word 皮 is used to describe a person who is naughty or mischievous, as in the phrase 'very 皮'.
- The character 皮 originated as a pictograph showing a hand stripping fur from an animal pelt.
- Because 皮 means 'surface', the Chinese language uses it in idioms to describe something superficial or a 'thin veneer' of politeness.
Examples in context
- 魚去骨去皮。Skin and debone the fish.This sentence is useful for practicing the use of 皮 when discussing food preparation.Tatoeba #9203436 by xjjAstrus, translation #9419260 by BobbyLee
- 我吃不下鸡皮。I don't eat chicken skin.This sentence is useful for practicing the use of 皮 when discussing food preferences.Tatoeba #2031425 by ydcok, translation #953420 by CK
- 她的皮肤比雪还白。Her skin is more white than snow.This sentence is useful for practicing the use of 皮 in a descriptive context.Tatoeba #1422180 by sadhen, translation #780841 by ingenius000
- 她的皮肤很白，非常光滑。Her skin is very fair and smooth.
- 这位舞者的肌肤如雪般细嫩。The dancer's skin is as delicate as snow.
- 21 more sentences on Tatoeba
Sources
- Wiktionary, “skin” translations and entries 皮, 皮子, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 皮, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
