Recognize 新 in everyday Japanese. Start with its meaning, new, then learn to read it in whole words such as 新しい and 新聞.

The idea

Kanji may have Japanese-origin and Chinese-origin readings; learn each with its word. Compare 新しい（あたらしい） and 新聞（しんぶん）. 新 has 13 strokes; follow their order in the linked KanjiVG diagram.

Patterns to compare
Japanese wordReadingMeaning
新しいあたらしいnew
新聞しんぶんnewspaper
新車しんしゃnew car

Examples

  • 母ははは新あたらしい車くるまを買かいます。My mother buys a new car.
  • この駅えきはとても新あたらしいです。This station is very new.
  • 先週せんしゅう、新あたらしい本ほんを買かいました。Last week I bought a new book.
  • 明日あした新あたらしい靴くつを買かいます。I will buy new shoes tomorrow.
  • 電車でんしゃで新聞しんぶんを読よみます。I read the newspaper on the train.
  • 今日きょうは新聞しんぶんを読よみません。I will not read the newspaper today.

Read-aloud uses a synthetic Japanese voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.

Watch out

新しい describes something new; 新聞 is a newspaper. Compare the shape of 新 with 親 so you do not confuse them.

Try it yourself

  1. Write the reading of 新しい in hiragana.

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    あたらしい

    新しい is read あたらしい; it means new. Learn the reading as part of this word.

  2. Write the reading of 新聞 in hiragana.

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    しんぶん

    新聞 is read しんぶん; it means newspaper. Learn the reading as part of this word.

  3. Fill in the missing kanji: ＿聞（しんぶん）.

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    新

    新 completes 新聞, read しんぶん; the word means newspaper.

Use it today

Cover the table, write 新 from memory, and read 新しい and 新聞 aloud. Then check the readings and meanings.