新
| Property |
Value |
| Meaning |
new |
| Strokes |
13 |
| JLPT Level |
N5 |
| On-reading (音読み) |
シン |
| Kun-reading (訓読み) |
あたら-しい、あら-た、にい |
| Radical |
斤 (おのづくり - ono-zukuri) [U+65A4] |
Stroke Order
The kanji 新 is written in 13 strokes. It follows the standard rules of top-to-bottom and left-to-right.
- Left side (立): Dot (1) → Horizontal (2) → Dot (3) → Dot (4) → Horizontal (5).
- Middle (木): Vertical (6) → Horizontal (7) → Left slant (8) → Right slant (9).
- Right side (斤): Left slant (10) → Horizontal (11) → Vertical (12) → Hook (13).
Note: Pay attention to the "tree" (木) component in the middle, which is slightly compressed to fit the other radicals.
Radical Analysis
The kanji 新 is a phono-semantic compound:
- Left side (立): Represents "standing."
- Middle (木): Represents a "tree."
- Right side (斤): The radical 斤 (axe/cleaver).
Meaning logic: The original meaning relates to "cutting wood with an axe." When you cut a tree, you reveal the "new," fresh wood inside. Thus, the combination of "standing tree" and "axe" evolved to represent the concept of something "new."
Mnemonic
Imagine a tree (木) standing (立) in the forest. A lumberjack takes his axe (斤) and chops it down. When he splits the trunk, the inside is bright, fresh, and new (新).
On-readings (音読み) with Examples
シン (Shin)
| Word |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
| 新聞 |
しんぶん |
shinbun |
newspaper |
| 新幹線 |
しんかんせん |
shinkansen |
bullet train |
| 新年 |
しんねん |
shinnen |
new year |
| 新人 |
しんじん |
shinjin |
newcomer/rookie |
Kun-readings (訓読み) with Examples
あたら-しい (Atara-shii)
| Word |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
| 新しい |
あたらしい |
atarashii |
new |
| 新し物 |
あたらしもの |
atarashimono |
novelty/new thing |
あら-た (Arata)
| Word |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
| 新たな |
あらたな |
arata na |
fresh/new |
にい (Nii)
| Word |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
| 新潟 |
にいがた |
niigata |
Niigata (prefecture) |
JLPT N5 Words Using 新
| Word |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
JLPT |
| 新しい |
あたらしい |
atarashii |
new |
N5 |
| 新聞 |
しんぶん |
shinbun |
newspaper |
N5 |
| 新年 |
しんねん |
shinnen |
new year |
N5 |
| 新幹線 |
しんかんせん |
shinkansen |
bullet train |
N4 |
| 新人 |
しんじん |
shinjin |
newcomer |
N4 |
| 新鮮 |
しんせん |
shinsen |
fresh |
N3 |
| 最新 |
さいしん |
saishin |
latest |
N3 |
| 新型 |
しんがた |
shingata |
new model |
N3 |
Example Sentences
| Japanese |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
| 新しい靴を買いました。 |
あたらしいくつをかいました。 |
Atarashii kutsu o kaimashita. |
I bought new shoes. |
| 毎日新聞を読みます。 |
まいにちしんぶんをよみます。 |
Mainichi shinbun o yomimasu. |
I read the newspaper every day. |
| 新幹線はとても速いです。 |
しんかんせんはとてもはやいです。 |
Shinkansen wa totemo hayai desu. |
The bullet train is very fast. |
| 新しい年が始まりました。 |
あたらしいとしがはじまりました。 |
Atarashii toshi ga hajimarimashita. |
The new year has begun. |
| これは最新のモデルです。 |
これはさいしんのもでるです。 |
Kore wa saishin no moderu desu. |
This is the latest model. |
| 新鮮な野菜を食べましょう。 |
しんせんなやさいをたべましょう。 |
Shinsen na yasai o tabemashou. |
Let's eat fresh vegetables. |
Common Confusion Pairs
| Kanji |
Reading |
Meaning |
How to distinguish |
| 新 |
シン |
New |
Contains 斤 (axe) on the right. |
| 親 |
シン |
Parent/Intimate |
Contains 見 (see) on the right. |
- Distinction: 新 (New) implies cutting wood (axe), while 親 (Parent) implies "seeing" (見) your family often, leading to intimacy.
Usage Frequency Note
新 is one of the most frequently used kanji in the Japanese language. It appears daily in news headlines, product branding, and formal writing. It is essential for N5 learners as it appears in basic vocabulary like "newspaper" and "new."