bì phu

Vietnamese

Etymology

Sino-Vietnamese word from 皮膚, composed of 皮 and 膚.

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [ʔɓi˨˩ fu˧˧]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [ʔɓɪj˦˩ fʊw˧˧]
• (Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA^(key): [ʔɓɪj˨˩ fʊw˧˧]

Noun

bì phu

1. (Chinese fiction and historical contexts and alternative medicine) skin; dermis

   Synonyms: da, da dẻ

   Mười hôm sau, Biển Thước về yết kiến Hoàn Hầu, lại nói: “Vua có bịnh ở bì phu, phải chữa đi.”

   Ten days later, Bian Que returned to have an audience with the Marquis Huan, and said: "The king has an illness in his skin, and it must be treated".

2. (literary, obsolete) the outside; the surface; the superficial part