新 — New, Fresh, Novel

Meaning

The kanji 新 means new, fresh, and novel. You'll encounter it daily — in newspaper names, product labels, train signs, and New Year greetings. Learn it early; it pays off immediately.

Etymologically, 新 is a compound ideograph (会意文字 — かいいもじ). The left side shows 立 (stand) above 木 (tree), and on the right sits 斤 (axe). The original image: an axe splitting freshly felled wood — timber that's raw and clean, untouched by time. From that picture of newly cut lumber, the meaning extended to anything new or just made.

The radical is 斤 (kin), an axe. Spot it on the right side of 新, and you'll recognize it again in 近 and 折. It anchors the character's original sense of cutting something fresh.

新 has 13 strokes and is introduced in Grade 2 Japanese elementary school — earlier than most learners expect. That early placement reflects how often this character appears in everyday Japanese text.

Readings

On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings

The on'yomi is シン (shin), borrowed from an ancient Chinese pronunciation. It appears in compound words (熟語 — じゅくご), especially in formal and written contexts. Most high-frequency vocabulary using 新 uses this reading.

Examples using the on'yomi シン:

• 新聞しんぶん (shinbun) — newspaper (literally "new hearing")
• 新幹線しんかんせん (shinkansen) — bullet train (literally "new trunk line")
• 新年しんねん (shinnen) — New Year
• 最新さいしん (saishin) — latest, most recent
• 新鮮しんせん (shinsen) — fresh, brand-new

Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings

新 has three kun'yomi readings. あたらしい (atarashii) is the everyday adjective — the form you'll use in most sentences. あらた (arata) is more formal or literary, appearing in set phrases and written language. にい (nii) shows up as a prefix in a small set of compounds meaning "newly" or "new."

Examples using kun'yomi:

• 新あたらしい (atarashii) — new, fresh (i-adjective for everyday use)
• 新あらた (arata) — new, renewed (formal or literary contexts)
• 新妻にいづま (niizuma) — newly-wed wife, new bride

Common Words & Compounds

新 pairs readily with other kanji to build a wide range of vocabulary. Here are the most useful groupings:

News & Information

• 新聞しんぶん (shinbun) — newspaper
• 新着しんちゃく (shinchaku) — new arrivals, just in
• 最新さいしん (saishin) — latest, most up-to-date

Time & Seasons

• 新年しんねん (shinnen) — New Year
• 新学期しんがっき (shingakki) — new school term
• 新春しんしゅん (shinshun) — New Spring (a poetic term for the New Year period)

People & Roles

• 新人しんじん (shinjin) — newcomer, rookie, new employee
• 新生しんせい (shinsei) — newborn, new life, rebirth
• 新婦しんぷ (shinpu) — bride
• 新郎しんろう (shinrou) — groom

Technology & Things

• 新幹線しんかんせん (shinkansen) — bullet train
• 新型しんがた (shingata) — new model, new type
• 新品しんぴん (shinpin) — brand-new item

Adjective Forms

• 新あたらしい (atarashii) — new, fresh
• 新鮮しんせん (shinsen) — fresh (food, ideas, air)
• 斬新ざんしん (zanshin) — strikingly original, boldly new

Example Sentences

Related Kanji

• 今 — Now, Present (Kanji N5)
• 半 — Half (Kanji N5)
• 分 — Minute, Part, Divide, Understand (Kanji N5)
• 金 — Gold, Money, Metal (Kanji N5)
• 午 — Noon, Midday (Kanji N5)
• 古 — Old, Ancient (Kanji N5)

Memory Tip

Picture someone standing beside a tree, swinging an axe (斤). The moment the blade connects, fresh wood splits open — bright, raw, never touched before. That instant is what 新 captures: something brand new.

Vietnamese learners have a built-in shortcut: TÂN maps directly onto familiar words — tân sinh viên (new student), tân hôn (newlywed), tân niên (new year). Same character, same meaning, already in your vocabulary.