HSK · Level 4
132 words
Chinese word
皮
Pronunciation
Pinyinpí
Meaning
- nounskin
Example
这个苹果的皮很薄。zhè ge píng guǒ de pí hěn báo
The skin of this apple is very thin.
More examples
妹妹把香蕉的皮扔进了垃圾桶。mèi mèi bǎ xiāng jiāo de pí rēng jìn le lā jī tǒng
My younger sister threw the banana peel into the trash can.
Core concept
A protective covering that can remain part of a living body, a fruit, or a useful material.
Common phrases
苹果皮píng guǒ pí
apple skin
香蕉皮xiāng jiāo pí
banana peel
橘子皮jú zi pí
tangerine peel
Similar words
皮肤pí fū: The soft outer tissue covering a person's or animal's body.
果皮guǒ pí: The outer layer covering a fruit.
外皮wài pí: The outer layer covering an object.
皮革pí gé: A strong material made by treating animal hide.
Definition in Chinese
覆盖在器物或生物外表的外层，既可指生物的皮肤，也可指果实的皮、动物剥取后的皮或制作成的皮革。fù gài zài qì wù huò shēng wù wài biǎo de wài céng jì kě zhǐ shēng wù de pí fū yě kě zhǐ guǒ shí de pí dòng wù bāo qǔ hòu de pí huò zhì zuò chéng de pí gé
Word origin
The character 皮 (pí, "skin") comes from an early picture of an animal hide being stripped away, which explains its extension from hide to other coverings.
Usage tips
- In everyday compounds, the word's meaning is often narrowed by the word before or after it, so a familiar English equivalent does not always work by itself.