Key Facts
- Hangul: 피부; Revised Romanization: pibu
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: Sino-Korean (皮膚)
- Register: Neutral; common in beauty and health contexts.
Skin in Korean: What Does 피부 Mean?
피부 is human skin, the surface you moisturise, protect and show to a doctor. The word is frequent in shop talk about creams and in clinic talk about rashes. It does not stretch to fruit or tree surfaces, which have their own word.
How Do You Pronounce 피부?
Two syllables: pi-bu. The first consonant is ㅍ, aspirated: let a small puff of air out. The second ㅂ is soft between vowels, close to b. Both vowels are short, so the word is quick: pi-bu. The final ㅜ is rounded, with the lips pushed forward.
Example Sentences with 피부
피부가 좋아요.
Pibuga joayo.
Your skin is nice.
The compliment form. 좋아요 praises the skin, and 가 marks 피부 as the subject. It is a pleasant thing to say.
피부가 건조해요.
Pibuga geonjohaeyo.
My skin is dry.
건조해요 means dry. The sentence states how your skin feels, and a pharmacist can use it to suggest a product.
피부과에 가요.
Pibugwa-e gayo.
I am going to the dermatologist.
피부과 is the dermatology clinic and 에 gives the destination. 가요 means going, so you are on your way.
Phrases and Collocations with 피부
The first entry is about how skin looks, the second about looking after it, and the third about the specialist clinic.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 피부가 좋다 | to have good skin |
| 피부 관리 | skin care |
| 피부과 | dermatology clinic |
The Mistake to Avoid
Wrong: ✗ 피부 for the peel of a fruit
Correct: ✓ 껍질
Why: 피부 is for human or animal skin. The peel of fruit or the bark of a tree uses 껍질. Using 피부 for an apple makes it sound as if the apple has a face.
피부 Compared with Similar Words
Two words cover other layers. One covers peels and shells, the other the soft body underneath.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 껍질 | peel, skin (of fruit) | The peel of fruit and vegetables, or the bark of a tree. |
| 살 | flesh | The soft body under the skin; in casual speech it can point to the surface too. |
Where Does 피부 Come From?
피부 is Sino-Korean, written 皮膚: 皮 means skin and 膚 means skin or flesh. The two overlapping characters stress the idea of the body surface.
At a Cosmetics Shop: Describing Dry Skin
A shopper asks an assistant to help find a cream. The conversation focuses on how the shopper describes their skin.
Shopper
요즘 피부가 많이 건조해요.
Yojeum pibuga mani geonjohaeyo.
My skin has been very dry lately.
Assistant
어떤 제품을 찾으세요?
Eotteon jepumeul chajeuseyo?
What kind of product are you looking for?
Shopper
향이 없는 크림을 찾고 있어요.
Hyangi eomneun keurimeul chatgo isseoyo.
I’m looking for a cream without fragrance.
Assistant
이 제품은 향이 없어요.
I jepumeun hyangi eopseoyo.
This product has no fragrance.
요즘 means “these days” or “lately”, so it presents the dryness as a recent experience. The shopper then names the product and a feature they want. Describing 피부 and describing a cream are separate steps: the first explains the situation, and the second makes the request specific.
Describing Skin in Everyday Korean
피부가 건조하다 means to have dry skin. 피부가 민감하다 means to have sensitive skin. Both put 피부 before 가 and then describe its condition. They are useful personal descriptions in a shop or conversation, without supplying a diagnosis or saying what caused the condition.
피부 타입 means skin type. You may see 건성 피부 for dry skin, 지성 피부 for oily skin and 복합성 피부 for combination skin. These are category labels in beauty talk. Compare 피부가 건조해요, which can describe how your skin feels today even if you are not naming your usual skin type.
피부에 바르다 means to apply something to the skin. 에 marks the surface receiving the product. In 피부를 보호하다, “to protect the skin”, 를 marks the skin as the object being protected. The two particles show different roles for the same noun.
피부가 좋다 is a common way to praise someone’s complexion. In the existing example 피부가 좋아요, the context supplies “your”. Without that context, the same words could describe the speaker or a third person. Korean does not need to repeat a possessive when the listener already knows whose skin is being discussed.
A Figurative Phrase You May Hear
피부로 느끼다 literally means “to feel with the skin”. It also means to feel something directly or personally. In a conversation about rising prices, a speaker may mean that daily shopping makes the change tangible. The subject is lived experience rather than a sensation on the body’s surface.
The verb helps you read this phrase. 피부가 건조하다 describes a skin condition, while 피부로 느끼다 describes how directly someone experiences something. In a news interview, listen for the wider topic before assuming every mention of 피부 belongs to beauty or health.
Where the Word Appears outside Beauty Talk
피부과 on a building sign identifies a dermatology department or clinic. The ending 과 names the specialist department. A sentence about going to 피부과 tells you where someone is going; it does not tell you which skin condition they have or what treatment they will receive.
For materials, 가죽 means leather or hide. A 가죽 가방 is a leather bag. For an apple’s peel, use 껍질. English uses “skin” across several of these contexts, so decide whether you mean a living body surface, a peel or a material before choosing the Korean word.
Related Face and Body Words
| Korean | Meaning | Useful distinction |
|---|---|---|
| 얼굴 | face | The body area; 피부 is its skin surface. |
| 손 | hand | Names the body part rather than its skin. |
| 가죽 | leather; hide | Used for a material such as leather in bags. |
| 피부과 | dermatology department or clinic | Names a specialist medical service. |
The body vocabulary lesson puts 피부 beside the body areas you may want to describe. Combining an area with a skin description makes it easier to explain exactly what you mean.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 피부가 건조해요 necessarily name your permanent skin type?
- What does 피부로 느끼다 mean in a discussion of rising prices?
- Which word would you use for a leather bag’s material?
Show answers
- No. It can describe a current condition.
- To experience the change directly or personally.
- 가죽.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say skin in Korean?
Say 피부 (pibu).
How do you compliment someone's skin in Korean?
Say 피부가 좋아요, literally "(your) skin is good".
What is a skin doctor called?
The clinic is 피부과. It means a dermatology clinic.
Can I use 피부 for fruit skin?
No. Fruit peel is 껍질.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: body parts vocabulary sits skin beside the other body parts.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- Practice: add it to the vocabulary flashcard decks.
- Next in the list: the page for stomach.