新 — Kanji Meaning, Readings & Example Words (JLPT N4)
What it means
At its core, 新 means new — fresh, recent, just-arrived. You'll meet it in two main roles. As a standalone adjective it's 新しい ("new"), one of the first い-adjectives every learner picks up. As a compound building block it switches to the on'yomi シン and shows up in a huge family of words about things that are new: 新聞 (newspaper — literally "newly heard things"), 新年 (the New Year), 新幹線 (the famous bullet-train network), 新人 (a newcomer or rookie), and 最新 ("the latest, newest"). Whenever you spot 新 in an unfamiliar word, you can safely bet it carries a sense of new. Its natural antonym is 古い (ふるい, "old").
Readings
| Type | Reading | Used in |
|---|---|---|
| kun'yomi | あたら.しい | 新しい (new — an い-adjective) |
| kun'yomi | あら.た | 新た (な) (new, fresh — a な-adjective) |
| kun'yomi | にい | 新妻 (にいづま, new wife) — rarer |
| on'yomi | シン | 新聞 (newspaper), 新幹線 (bullet train), 最新 (the latest) |
Here's the rule of thumb that works for most kanji: the kun'yomi shows up when the kanji stands more or less alone with hiragana endings, while the on'yomi appears inside two-kanji compound words. So 新しい uses あたら.しい, but 新聞 and 最新 use シン. One thing to watch: 新た (あらた) is also a kun'yomi, but it behaves as a な-adjective (新たな目標 "a new goal"), not an い-adjective — so don't confuse 新しい and 新た even though both mean "new."
Stroke order & radical
- Strokes: 13. Build the left side first — the 立 ("stand") on top of 木 ("tree") — then add the 斤 on the right.
- Radical: the official radical is 斤 (おの / axe), the part on the right. The left side combines 立 (stand) and 木 (tree), so a handy mnemonic is "an axe that cuts a freshly standing tree gives you new wood." That cut-fresh-wood image is a tidy way to remember both the meaning and the shape.
Common words using 新
Notice the reading split in action: the lone adjective 新しい takes あたら.しい, while every compound (新聞, 新幹線, 新年, 最新, 新人) flips to シン. That's the rule of thumb above, working exactly as advertised.
Example sentences
ヤッタンは新しい漢字のノートを買いました。
ヤッタンは あたらしい かんじの ノートを かいました。
Yattan bought a new kanji notebook.
新しい — the kun'yomi あたら.しい reading (an い-adjective).
モチは毎朝、新聞を読みながら新しいニュースを覚えます。
モチは まいあさ、しんぶんを よみながら あたらしい ニュースを おぼえます。
Mochi memorizes new news every morning while reading the newspaper.
Both readings in one sentence: 新聞 (シン) and 新しい (あたら.しい). A great line for remembering the split.
先生は「新年に新たな目標を立てましょう」と言いました。
せんせいは「しんねんに あらたな もくひょうを たてましょう」と いいました。
Sensei said, 'Let's set a new goal for the New Year.'
新年 uses シン, while 新た uses the kun'yomi あら.た as a な-adjective.
Quick recap
- 新 = new; 13 strokes; radical is 斤 (axe) on the right.
- あたら.しい when it stands alone as an い-adjective (新しい); シン in compounds (新聞, 新幹線, 最新).
- Watch the other kun'yomi あら.た: it's a な-adjective (新たな), not い — both mean "new."
- The natural antonym is 古い (ふるい, "old").
Your turn
Choose the correct reading of 新 in each word.
Start the 5-question drill →Frequently asked questions
How do you read 新 in 新しい vs 新聞?
In 新しい it's the kun'yomi あたら (新しい = あたらしい, 'new'). In 新聞 it's the on'yomi シン (新聞 = しんぶん, 'newspaper'). As a rule, two-kanji compounds take the on'yomi シン.
What's the difference between 新しい and 新た?
Both mean 'new,' but they grammar differently. 新しい (あたらしい) is an い-adjective. 新た (あらた) is a な-adjective and sounds a bit more formal, as in 新たな目標 ('a new goal').
How many strokes does 新 have, and what is its radical?
新 has 13 strokes. Its radical is 斤 (おの, 'axe'), the component on the right; the left side is 立 (stand) over 木 (tree).
What does 新 mean in 新幹線?
新 means 'new' and is read シン. 新幹線 (しんかんせん) literally combines 新 (new) + 幹線 (trunk line), i.e. the 'new trunk line' — Japan's bullet-train network.