skin

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 皮 has 5 strokes and refers to an outer covering such as peel or hide.
• Basic usage: 皮 is read かわ, and 皮肉 is read ひにく.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Peel and figurative expressions
  • りんごの皮 means apple peel.
  • 動物の皮 means animal hide.
  • The 皮 in 皮肉 is read ひ.
  • 彼の皮肉 means his sarcasm.
  • 電車が遅れるとは皮肉だ means it is ironic that the train is delayed. 皮肉 can describe a situation contrary to expectations as well as a way of speaking.