This is the 854th most frequent Japanese word.


Skin, hide, or peel.


皮 is used here to mean the outer skin or layer of an object, specifically the peel of a fruit, which is tangible and removable.

りんごの皮をむいて食べました。

I peeled the apple's skin and ate it.


皮 is used metaphorically here to refer to the superficial layer or facade, indicating a lack of depth or content.

彼の話は皮だけで中身がありませんでした。

His story had only the facade and no substance.


皮 is used in a biological context to describe the natural covering that is shed by certain animals, like the skin of a snake.

蛇が皮を脱ぎました。

The snake shed its skin.