Origin

The character 膚 combines flesh (the left component 虍, a variant form related to body parts) with 胃, which means stomach. Together, these components represent the outer layer of the body—your skin—as distinct from the internal organs. The stomach component helps specify that this character refers to the body's physical surface and texture rather than just any general body part. Over time, this combination came to mean skin in the broad sense, including its appearance, texture, and the disposition or impression it gives.

AI-generated (claude-haiku-4-5), not yet reviewed. Formation type (automated guess): Compound ideographic (combined meanings).