How to say "skin" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 肌はだnounThe skin of a person's body, especially as felt or seen — texture, complexion, bare skin. This is the everyday word when talking about someone's skin, such as skin that is smooth, dry, or sensitive.
- 皮かわnounSkin as an outer layer, especially the hide or pelt of animals, or the peel of fruit. For human skin it is not the usual choice; 肌 or 皮膚 is what you want.
- 皮膚ひふnounSkin as the organ of the body — the anatomical or medical term. It is the word you meet in contexts like skin conditions, skin care, or dermatology, rather than in casual talk about how skin looks or feels.
- nounThe loanword, used mainly in set borrowed expressions and commercial contexts such as cosmetics. For ordinary reference to skin, a native word like 肌 is usually the better choice.
- godan verb, transitive verbA verb, not the noun: it means to peel or skin something, such as removing skin or a peel from fruit. It never serves as the noun 'skin' itself.
Use 肌 for skin on the body, 皮膚 for skin as anatomy or in medical contexts, 皮 for animal hide or peel, 「スキン」 for loanword uses, and 「むく」 only for the verb 'to skin'.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
This browser can't play pronunciations (needs Safari 18.4 or later, or Chrome / Edge / Firefox).
