How to Write 皮 (pí) — Meaning “Skin; leather”

Q: How can I remember the character 皮?

Imagine the top hook as a hanger for a leather jacket, and the rest of the strokes as the jacket's shape. The sound 'pí' is like 'peel,' which reminds you of removing skin or peeling fruit.

Q: What are important writing tips for 皮?

The first stroke is a horizontal hook, not a straight line. The stroke order is: horizontal hook, left-falling, vertical, right-falling, and finally a horizontal hook that curves left. A common mistake is writing the last stroke as a simple hook pointing right.

Q: What are common expressions with 皮?

Common words include 皮肤 (pí fū, skin), 皮鞋 (pí xié, leather shoes), and 果皮 (guǒ pí, fruit peel). For example, '我要买一双皮鞋' means 'I want to buy a pair of leather shoes.'

Q: When and how is 皮 used in modern Chinese?

皮 is used in everyday vocabulary for materials and body parts, such as skin or leather. It also appears in cultural phrases like '皮笑肉不笑' (a forced smile), and can be a surname.

Q: What common words use 皮?

Common words containing 皮 include: 皮肤 (pí fū) — skin; 皮鞋 (pí xié) — leather shoes; 果皮 (guǒ pí) — fruit peel; skin.

pí HSK Level 3 5 strokes Radical: 皮

皮 (pí) means "Skin; leather" in Chinese. It has 5 strokes with the radical 皮, and is HSK Level 3.

Rated 2.3/5 in difficulty (moderate).

Harder than 3% of HSK Level 3 characters.

Appears in 3+ common words including 皮肤 (pí fū), 皮鞋 (pí xié), 果皮 (guǒ pí).

Hanzi Writer's stroke validation shows learners typically need 5-8 attempts to write 皮 with correct proportion and order.

Practice Writing 皮 (pí)

Open Hanzi Writer to see the animated stroke order and practice writing 皮 with real-time feedback.

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How to Write 皮

The character 皮 (pí) is written with 5 strokes. Follow the standard Chinese stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. The radical 皮 is one of its key components.

Practice the correct stroke order with the Hanzi Writer app to see animated stroke-by-stroke guidance with real-time feedback.

What Does pí (皮) Mean in Chinese?

皮 means Skin; leather.

As an HSK Level 3 character, 皮 is an intermediate-level character.

Character Data

Character	皮
Pinyin	pí (pi)
Meaning	Skin; leather
Strokes	5
Radical	皮
HSK Level	3
Difficulty	2.3/5

Origin of 皮

皮 originally depicted a hand (又) holding a knife or tool to strip the hide from an animal, with the upper part representing the skin or animal's head. Over time, the form simplified into the modern character, symbolizing skin or leather as the result of that peeling action.

💡 Memory Tip: Picture a hand (又) reaching out to pinch a piece of loose skin (the top stroke 丿 and dot 丶), like when you peel a sunburn.

Common Words with 皮

皮肤 pí fū

skin

皮鞋 pí xié

leather shoes

果皮 guǒ pí

fruit peel; skin

Example Sentences

他的皮肤很好。

tā de pí fū hěn hǎo

His skin is very good.

我买了一双皮鞋。

wǒ mǎi le yī shuāng pí xié

I bought a pair of leather shoes.

不要乱扔果皮。

bú yào luàn rēng guǒ pí

Don't throw fruit peels around.

Practice Writing 皮 (pí)

Open Hanzi Writer to see the animated stroke order and practice writing 皮 with real-time feedback.

✨ Animated stroke order · Handwriting recognition · HSK-graded practice · Free to use

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Frequently Asked Questions about 皮

What is the structure of the character 皮?

The character 皮 is a pictograph that originally depicted a hand removing skin from an animal. It is its own radical and does not break into smaller meaningful parts.

How can I remember the character 皮?

What are important writing tips for 皮?

What are common expressions with 皮?

When and how is 皮 used in modern Chinese?

What common words use 皮?

How to Write 皮 (pí) — Meaning “Skin; leather”

Practice Writing 皮 (pí)

How to Write 皮

What Does pí (皮) Mean in Chinese?

Character Data

Origin of 皮

Common Words with 皮

Example Sentences

Practice Writing 皮 (pí)

Frequently Asked Questions about 皮

More HSK Level 3 Characters

Characters with Radical 皮

Other 5-Stroke Characters