StrokeFox
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新 — how to write the kanji for “new”

新 (“new”) is a JLPT N4 kanji taught in second grade in Japan. In newspapers it is one of the hundred most used kanji (51st). KANJIDIC2 gives it 1 on reading and 4 kun readings, so the word decides how you say it. Its parts: 立 (“stand up”), strokes 1–5; 木 (“tree”), strokes 6–9; 斤 (“axe”, its radical), strokes 10–13, each finished before the next. On its own it is the word shin, “new; neo-”. Read shin, it forms 新党 (“new (political) party”), 新聞 (“newspaper”) and 新人 (“newcomer”); the native reading ara-ta gives 新た (“new”). Chinese reads it xīn, “new”, at HSK 1.

Strokes
13
JLPT
N4
Radical
斤 (“axe”)
On
シン
Kun
あたら·しい, あら·た, にい-

Stroke by stroke

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
  7. 7
  8. 8
  9. 9
  10. 10
  11. 11
  12. 12
  13. 13
  1. Vertical ㇑top leftdownwards
  2. Horizontal ㇐top leftrightwards
  3. Dot ㇔top leftdownwards
  4. Left-falling stroke ㇒topdownwards
  5. Horizontal ㇐leftrightwards
  6. Horizontal ㇐leftrightwards
  7. Vertical ㇑leftdownwards
  8. Left-falling stroke ㇒leftdown and left
  9. Dot ㇔centerdown and right
  10. Left-falling stroke ㇒top rightdown and left
  11. Left-falling stroke ㇒topdownwards
  12. Horizontal ㇐centerrightwards
  13. Vertical ㇑rightdownwards

Japanese and Chinese

The two models differ in shape, so our comparison does not claim an order; compare the numbered frames yourself (13 strokes in Japanese, 13 strokes in Chinese).

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Japanese · KanjiVG · 13 strokes
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Chinese · Make Me a Hanzi · 13 strokes

Trace it

Follow the numbers. Tracing help

Readings

On (Chinese-derived)
シン shin
Kun (native)
あたら·しい atara-shii, あら·た ara-ta, にい- nii-, あら- ara- (rare)
Meanings
new
Read shin
新党 新聞 新人 新生 新幹線 新作
Read ara-ta
新た
School year
second grade
Newspaper rank
51st of 2,500 (KANJIDIC2)
Korean hanja
신 sin
Common words
84 in JMdict

On and kun, explained

Words with 新

WordReadingMeaning
新たあらた aratanew; fresh
新党しんとう shintounew (political) party
新聞しんぶん shinbunnewspaper
新人しんじん shinjinnewcomer; new figure
新生しんせい shinseirebirth; new birth
新幹線しんかんせん shinkansenShinkansen; bullet train
新作しんさく shinsakunew work; new production
新政しんせい shinseinew government; new administration
新規しんき shinkinew; fresh
最新さいしん saishinlatest; newest

Most common first (JMdict).

Practice sheet

Print at 100%. Several kanji: worksheet maker.

Keep going

Same parts:

JLPT N4, in list order: