新
new
xīn
What does 新 mean?
新 (xīn) is the basic adjective 'new' — newly made, recently acquired, or freshly arrived. Like all Chinese adjectives, it works directly with nouns without 'is/are': 新书 ('new book'), 新朋友 ('new friend'), 我是新来的 ('I'm new here'). When 新 is used predicatively (X is new), Chinese adds 很: 这本书很新 ('this book is new').
新 also forms many compounds for 'fresh' or 'novel' senses: 新鲜 (xīnxiān, 'fresh' for food/news), 新闻 (xīnwén, 'news' — literally 'newly heard'), 新年 (xīnnián, 'New Year'), 新人 (xīnrén, 'newcomer / newlywed')
Character breakdown
new; fresh (originally 'to cut firewood,' showing freshness)
Memory hook: 新 contains 斤 (axe) — chopping fresh wood means something new and just-made.
Example sentences
我买了一本新书。
Wǒ mǎi le yì běn xīn shū.
I bought a new book.
neutral
这是我的新朋友。
Zhè shì wǒ de xīn péngyou.
This is my new friend.
spoken
新年快乐！
Xīnnián kuàilè!
Happy New Year!
neutral
我是新来的，请多指教。
Wǒ shì xīn lái de, qǐng duō zhǐjiào.
I'm new here, please show me the ropes.
polite
Common phrases with 新
Synonyms
崭新 means 'brand new' — emphatic, often for things straight from the box. 新 is general; 崭新 stresses 'never used before.' 一台崭新的电脑 ('a brand-new computer').
全新 = 'completely new / all new,' marketing-flavored. 全新设计 ('all-new design'). Use 新 in casual speech; 全新 in advertising and product copy.
Don't confuse 新 with
FAQ
Acquire by listening
Hear 新 in real Chinese, not in a flashcard.
Fluentide picks the next news episode at your level, so this word shows up again and again in real sentences. Pinyin, translation, and the episode where you heard it — every time. Free to start, no card.