About
The character 新, meaning "new", is structurally composed of 亲 (qīn, meaning 'close' or 'parent') and 斤 (jīn, an axe). Its traditional form is identical. In its earliest attested uses, the character did not carry its modern meaning but instead represented the action of cutting wood with an axe, which is logically conveyed by its components. This original sense became obsolete as the character was adopted as a phonetic loan to represent the abstract concept of "new", possibly because the fresh cutting of wood suggested something newly made or presented. Over time, this borrowed meaning of "new" became fixed and entirely replaced the original concrete meaning.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
这是我的新书。
我买了新衣服。
她认识了新朋友。
新闻很有趣。
新老师教我们数学。
新技术发展很快。
我们需要学习新知识。
适应新环境需要时间。