How to say "new" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 新しいあたらしいi-adjectiveThe default adjective for 'new': a new car, a new idea, a new face in the group. It also covers 'novel', 'fresh' and 'recent', so when in doubt this is the safe choice.
- 新しんprefixNot a word you use by itself: it is a prefix, like English 'neo-', that combines with other words in compounds. Seldom the answer when you simply want to say something is new.
- 新たあらたna-adjectiveA 'new' with a sense of freshness and of a situation just arising: a fresh start, a new phase, a new challenge. It carries a slightly weightier, more deliberate feel than 新しい.
- prenominal modifierThe katakana borrowing of English 'new'. It works as a building block inside borrowed expressions and coinages rather than as an ordinary adjective, so it is seldom what you want for plain 'new'.
- 新規しんきno-adjective, na-adjective'New' as in newly opened, created or begun — new customers, new contracts, new accounts — typical of business and administrative contexts. It is not the all-purpose adjective for a newly bought or newly made thing.
Choose 「新しい」 for the all-purpose adjective 'new'; 「新た」 for a fresh start or new phase; 新規 for newly opened or created things in business contexts; 新 as a prefix meaning 'neo-'; 「ニュー」 only inside borrowed katakana expressions.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
- 新しいあたらしいnew
- 新しんnew
- 新たあらたnew
- ニューnew
- 新規しんきnew
- 初はつfirst
- 斬新ざんしんnovel
- 目新しいめあたらしいoriginal
- 清新せいしんfresh
- 新奇しんきnovel
- 新興しんこうrising
- 見ず知らずみずしらずstrange
- さらnew
- 今次こんじthe present time
- 新来しんらいnewly arrived
- 耳新しいみみあたらしいnovel
- 事新しいことあたらしいunprecedented
- 新しくあたらしくnewly
- 新聞配達しんぶんはいたつ(newspaper) carrier
- 珍しいめずらしいnew
- ヌーベルnew
- ほやほやfresh (e.g. out of university)
- 若わかyoung
See also
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