新
new
HSK level
- Pinyin
- xīn
- Part of speech
- adjective
- Level
- HSK 2
- Strokes
- 13
- Register
- neutral
- In episodes
- 1
Stroke order for 新
新 is written with 13 strokes. The animation replays automatically.
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'). 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.
Memory hook: 新 contains 斤 (axe) — chopping fresh wood means something new and just-made.
Hear 新 in real episodes
新 appears in 1 Fluentide podcast episode at natural native speed. Each sentence plays at the easiest difficulty it exists in — switch it to hear the same moment at your level, with full pinyin and English throughout.
这里有很多新树。
There are many new trees here.
Could Gene-Edited Trees Save Florida's Citrus Industry From Greening?
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
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.
Frequently asked questions
Related words from the same episodes
Acquire it by listening
Meet 新 again — in real Chinese, at your level.
You just saw 新 in 1 episode. Fluentide keeps feeding you news episodes at your level, so this word — and thousands like it — resurface in real sentences until they stick. Full pinyin and translation every time. Free to start.