What is the Kanji for "New"?

If you are wondering what is the Japanese Kanji for "New", you've come to the right place!

The Japanese Kanji for "New" is "新".

This kanji has 3 readings:

Its kunyomi readings are "Ara" and "Atara".

Its onyomi reading is "Shin".

kunyomi readings are based on the pronunciation of native Japanese words, and onyomi readings are based on the Chinese pronunciation of the character.

If you visually breakdown this kanji, you can see is made up of 2 parts:

The kanji "斤" means "Loaf", "Loaves", "Bread loaf counter", and "Axe" and can be read as "Kin". And The radical "亲" means "Parent" .

Now, let's make sure you understand this kanji the other way around too.

What does the kanji "新" mean in japanese?

"新" means "New".

Japanese School Students learn this kanji in Second Grade, while foreigners may learn this kanji in preparation for the JLPT N4 exam.

Here are some words that use this kanji:

新しい: "New". The Japanese adjective '新しい (あたらしい)' means 'new'. This adjective is used to describe something that is recent, just created, or has not existed before. It can be used to describe objects, ideas, or situations. For example: This book is new - (この本は新しい). I bought a new car - (新しい車を買った).

新聞: "Newspaper". The Japanese noun '新聞 (しんぶん)' means 'newspaper'. This word refers to a printed publication containing news, articles, advertisements, and other information, typically published daily or weekly. Newspapers are an important source of news and information in Japan. For example: I read the newspaper every morning - (私は毎朝新聞を読みます). The newspaper article was very interesting - (その新聞の記事は非常に興味深かった).

新: "New". The Japanese prefix '新 (しん)' means 'new'. It is used to indicate that something is recent, modern, or has been newly created or introduced. For example: New technology - (新しい技術), New year - (新年), Newly built house - (新しく建てられた家)

新幹線: "Bullet train". The Japanese noun '新幹線 (しんかんせん)' refers to the high-speed rail network in Japan, commonly known as the 'bullet train'. These trains are characterized by their sleek, aerodynamic design and impressive speeds, often reaching over 200 mph. The 新幹線 network connects major cities across the country, providing a fast and efficient mode of transportation. For example: I took the bullet train to Tokyo - (東京に新幹線で行きました).

新た: "New". The Japanese adjective '新た (あらた)' means 'new'. It is used to describe something that is recently created, made or has just come into existence. It can be used to describe objects, events, or abstract concepts. For example: A new book - (新たな本). This is a new idea - (これは新たなアイデアです).

新聞社: "Newspaper company". The Japanese noun '新聞社 (しんぶんしゃ)' refers to a 'newspaper company' or 'news organization'. It is used to describe a business that publishes and distributes newspapers. These companies employ journalists, editors, and other staff to research, write, and publish news articles. For example: The newspaper company published an important article - (新聞社は重要な記事を掲載した).

新人: "Newcomer" or "Rookie". The Japanese noun '新人 (しんじん)' refers to a newcomer or rookie in a particular field or organization. It is used to describe someone who is new to a job, industry, or position and lacks experience compared to more seasoned individuals. For example: She's a newcomer to the company - (彼女は会社の新人です). The new employee is a rookie - (新しい従業員は新人です).

新学期: "New school semester". The Japanese noun '新学期 (しんがっき)' refers to the beginning of a new school term or academic year. It is used to describe the period when students return to school after a break, such as summer vacation. This term has a strong connotation of fresh starts and new beginnings in an educational context. For example: The new school semester starts next week - (新学期が来週始まります).

新婚: "Newlyweds". The noun '新婚 (しんこん)' refers to a newly married couple. It describes a couple who have recently gotten married and are in the early stages of their marriage. This term emphasizes the 'newness' or 'freshness' of the marriage. For example: The newlyweds were so happy on their honeymoon - (新婚の二人は honeymoon で幸せそうだった). They are a newly married couple - (彼らは新婚夫婦だ).

新規: "New". The adjectival noun '新規 (しんき)' means 'new'. It is used to describe something that is recent, novel, or freshly introduced. It can be applied to products, services, policies, or initiatives. For example: A new product - (新規な製品). We are implementing a new policy - (新規な方針を施行しています).

新築: "New construction". The Japanese verbal noun '新築 (しんちく)' means 'new construction'. This term refers to the construction of a brand-new building or structure, as opposed to the renovation or remodeling of an existing one. It is commonly used in real estate and construction contexts. For example: They just finished the new construction of the apartment building - (彼らはアパートビルの新築工事をちょうど完成させました). New construction is underway - (新築工事が進行中です).

更新: "Update". The Japanese noun '更新 (こうしん)' means 'update'. This noun refers to the act of revising or renewing something, such as information, software, or a contract. It implies making something current or up-to-date. For example: I need to update the software - (ソフトウェアを更新する必要がある). The contract needs to be updated - (契約を更新する必要がある).

新鮮: "Fresh". The Japanese adjective '新鮮 (しんせん)' means 'fresh'. This word is used to describe food, produce, or other perishable items that are recently made, picked, or prepared. It indicates high quality and a lack of age or deterioration. For example: The vegetables are fresh - (野菜は新鮮です). Fresh air - (新鮮な空気)

維新: "Restoration". The Japanese noun '維新 (いしん)' means 'restoration'. It refers to a major political and social reform or revolution, specifically the Meiji Restoration in 19th century Japan which overthrew the Tokugawa shogunate and restored imperial rule. It can also be used more broadly to describe any significant political or social reform. For example: The Meiji Restoration was an important event in Japanese history - (明治維新は日本の歴史において重要な出来事だった). The political party advocated for a new restoration - (その政党は新しい維新を主張した).

最新: "Latest". The Japanese noun '最新 (さいしん)' means 'latest'. It is used to describe something that is the most recent, up-to-date, or cutting-edge. For example: the latest model of the phone - (最新のスマートフォンモデル). The latest news - (最新のニュース).

革新: "Innovation". The Japanese noun '革新 (かくしん)' means 'innovation'. It refers to the introduction of something new, or a significant positive change or improvement to something that already exists. This could include new products, technologies, ideas, or ways of doing things. For example: The company's innovation led to a new breakthrough product - (企業の革新は新しい製品への突破口となった). Innovation is crucial for businesses to stay competitive - (革新は企業が競争力を維持するために不可欠である).

新生: "Rebirth". The noun '新生 (しんせい)' means 'rebirth'. This word refers to the process of being reborn or starting anew, often in a spiritual or metaphorical sense. It can describe the renewal or revival of something, such as a person, an organization, or an idea. For example: The company underwent a rebirth after the new CEO took over - (その会社は新CEOの就任後に新生した). The rebirth of the nation after the war - (戦後の国家の新生).

To make really sure you learn this Kanji, I've prepared an interactive lesson for you. You are going to learn the readings and meanings of this kanji.

But first, you need to know a little bit about Hiragana and Katakana.

Hiragana and katakana are japanese syllabaries, this means that each character represents a syllable.

This are the characters you need to know for this lesson:

The hiragana "し" is read as "shi". The hiragana "ん" is read as "n". The hiragana "あ" is read as "a". The hiragana "ら" is read as "ra". And The hiragana "た" is read as "ta".

Heres a quick tutorial on how to use it. You'll be asked three type of questions: meaning, reading, and writing.

For meanings questions all you have to do is type the english meaning. If there is more than one meaning, you have to include them all in your answer separating them by commas (,).

For Reading questions you have to type the reading in romaji (roman letters, our normal alphabet) and it'll be automatically converted to hiragana if necessary. If there is more than one reading, you have to include them all in your answer separating them by commas (,).

For Writing questions some options will appear and all you have to do is select the correct ones.