革(かわ)

かわ

noun

leather; hide

clothing

See also: 皮(かわ) (skin, peel (皮))

1. leather; tanned hide

Animal skin that has been processed (tanned) for use in making goods such as bags, shoes, belts, and jackets.

革(かわ)のバッグを買(か)った。

I bought a leather bag.

この革(かわ)は手触(てざわ)りがいい。

This leather has a nice feel to it.

本革(ほんがわ)の靴(くつ)は手入(てい)れをすれば長持(ながも)ちする。

Genuine leather shoes last a long time if you take care of them.

Refers specifically to processed animal skin (leather), as distinct from 皮(かわ) which means raw skin, hide, or peel. In practice, the two characters are sometimes used interchangeably, but the distinction matters in formal or technical contexts.

Common collocations

本革(ほんがわ) — genuine leather
合成(ごうせい)革(かわ) / 合皮(ごうひ) — synthetic leather
革(かわ)製品(せいひん) — leather goods
革(かわ)靴(ぐつ) — leather shoes
革(かわ)ジャンパー — leather jacket

Similar words

皮(かわ): skin, hide, peel — raw/unprocessed skin; also used for fruit peel
レザー: leather — English loanword used in fashion contexts
革(かわ) vs 皮(かわ): 革(かわ) = tanned/processed leather; 皮(かわ) = raw skin or covering. A cow has 皮(かわ); a handbag is made of 革(かわ)

Related Words

Related: 皮(かわ) (raw skin/hide/peel)

Compare: 毛皮(けがわ) (fur, pelt)

Related: 人工皮革(じんこうひかく) (synthetic leather)

general

Added 2026.3.25 15:09 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01

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