new
HSK level
新 is written with 13 strokes. The animation replays automatically.
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'). The opposite is 旧 (jiù, 'old' for things) — note Chinese has TWO words for English 'old': 旧 for things, 老 (lǎo) for people and animals.
新 appears in 2 Fluentide podcast episodes at natural native speed — each with the full Chinese script, pinyin, and line-by-line English translation.
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
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.
心 means 'heart / mind.' Same pinyin xīn but completely different meaning and character. 新心 = 'new heart'; one 'new,' one 'heart.'
辛 means 'spicy / hard / bitter (toil).' Same pinyin xīn. 辛苦 ('hard work / tiring'). The character looks slightly similar to part of 新, but they're distinct words.
信 means 'letter; to believe' (different tone, xìn). 新 = new; 信 = letter/believe. Don't mix 新闻 ('news') with anything involving 信.
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