皮 meaning and stroke order
Skin; peel; rind; outer layer; leather; hide; fur; cover; wrapping; outer covering
How to write 皮, stroke by stroke
5 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
Meaning of 皮
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- skin; peel; rind; outer layer
- leather; hide; fur
- cover; wrapping; outer covering
- (of food) no longer crisp; soggy
- (coll.) naughty; mischievous
- pico- (10⁻¹²)
How 皮 is built
Pictographic character. A hand using a tool 攴 to strip the hide from a carcass.
How to remember 皮
Picture a hand holding a tool, shown by 攴, pulling the hide off an animal. What gets stripped away is the outer layer, the skin 皮 (pí).
皮 covers any outer layer: human skin, animal leather, fruit peel, and the wrapper of a dumpling. In casual speech it also means naughty, as in 调皮 (tiáopí). 这个孩子很皮。(Zhège háizi hěn pí.) This kid is really mischievous.
Common mistake: Learners often write 皮 when they mean 波 (bō, wave) or 被 (bèi, by), since many characters use 皮 as a sound part with different tones and initials. Also, for human skin in a medical or formal sense, use 皮肤 (pífū) rather than 皮 alone.
Common words with 皮
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 皮包 | píbāo | handbag; briefcase | HSK 3 |
| 调皮 | tiáopí | naughty; mischievous | HSK 4 |
| 皮肤 | pífū | skin | HSK 5 |
| 皮鞋 | píxié | leather shoes | HSK 5 |
| 顽皮 | wánpí | naughty | HSK 6 |
| 皮球 | píqiú | ball (made of rubber, leather etc) | HSK 6 |
| 皮带 | pídài | strap; leather belt | HSK 7-9 |
| 橡皮 | xiàngpí | rubber; an eraser | HSK 7-9 |
| 皮条客 | pítiáokè | pimp | |
| 皮夹 | píjiā | wallet; Taiwan pr. [pi2 jia2] | |
| 皮革 | pígé | leather | |
| 皮毛 | pímáo | fur; fur clothing | |
| 眼皮底下 | yǎnpídǐxia | in front of one's eyes | |
| 嬉皮 | xīpí | hippie (loanword) (Tw) |
皮 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 皮
Learning 皮 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 皮
How many strokes are in 皮?
皮 is written with 5 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 皮 mean?
皮 (pí) means skin; peel; rind; outer layer; leather; hide; fur; cover; wrapping; outer covering. A common word with it is 皮包 (píbāo), meaning "handbag; briefcase".
How do you pronounce 皮?
皮 is pronounced pí, in the second tone (rising).
Is 皮 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 皮 is part of the HSK 3 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
How do I say peel an apple using 皮?
Say 削苹果皮 (xiāo píngguǒ pí) for peeling with a knife, or 剥皮 (bāo pí) for peeling with your fingers, like a banana or orange.
Does 皮 mean soggy when talking about food?
Yes. When crisp food like crackers or fried snacks absorbs moisture and goes soft, people say it has gone 皮 (pí), as in 饼干皮了 (bǐnggān pí le), the biscuits have gone soft.