The kanji character 皮 primarily represents "skin," "hide," or "peel." It refers to the outer covering of something, whether it be a living being, a fruit, or an object. The core meaning revolves around an external layer or surface that protects what lies beneath.

・On-yomi (音読み): ヒ (hi) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): かわ (kawa)

⚫︎ 皮膚 (ひふ) Translation: Skin; Dermatology ⚫︎ 皮をむく (かわをむく) Translation: To peel (a fruit, etc.) ⚫︎ 革皮 (かくひ) Translation: Leather

The kanji 皮 is a pictograph. It depicts the skin being removed from a body or object. The character originally showed the image of an animal skin being stretched out. Over time, the depiction simplified to its current form. The horizontal line on the top represents the skin, and the vertical stroke on the left represents the "bone."