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皮肉 (pí ròu) — skin and flesh; the physical body; the physical body as opposed to the spirit or mind

Definition

Literary pair meaning 'skin and flesh' — used for the physical body, especially in contrast to the mind or spirit (精神). Often appears in fixed phrases like 皮肉之苦 (physical suffering) or 皮肉之伤 (bodily injury).

noun
skin and fleshthe physical bodythe physical body as opposed to the spirit or mind

Examples

  • 皮肉，。
    Tā de pí ròu bèi dāo zi huá shāng le, xuè liú bù zhǐ.
    His skin and flesh were cut by the knife, and blood wouldn't stop flowing.
  • 皮肉。
    Zhè cì shì gù ràng tā shòu jìn le pí ròu zhī kǔ.
    This accident made him suffer severe physical pain.
  • 皮肉，。
    Tā zhī zhuī qiú pí ròu de xiǎng lè, hū lüè le jīng shén shēng huó.
    He only pursues physical pleasures, ignoring his spiritual life.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

皮pískin
肉ròuflesh

皮 means skin, 肉 means flesh; together the body's flesh.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

皮 shows a hand pulling fur off an animal pelt, with the pelt drawn at the upper left.

Open 皮 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The original shape of 肉 showed ribs of an animal’s torso, or simply a slice of meat.

Open 肉 →
Appears in
Body Parts

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