新米|しんまいshinmai[0]heiban (flat)

1. nounnew rice; first rice crop of the year
2. no-adjectivenovice; beginner; newcomer; new hand
   新米しんまいのくせに大おおきな顔かおをするな。↗

   Act your place.

• SynonymルーキーNeutralLoanword for a newcomer or rising star, mostly in the sports world; its positive tinge comes from contexts like 「期待のルーキー」.
• Synonym若造わかぞうCasualSame word, also written 「若僧」「若蔵」; its sense is inherently a sneer. 「新米」 only says one is green, yet can turn dismissive, as in 「新米のくせに」.
• Synonym新参しんざんWrittenWritten word for a newcomer, carrying the nuance of shallow seniority.
• Synonym新人しんじんNeutralNeutral and formal — the standard word for a newcomer or rising talent, as in 「新人賞」.
• Synonym駆け出しかけだしNeutralA novice just starting out in a field, as in 「駆け出しの記者」.
• Related１年生いちねんせいNeutralLiterally a first-year student; figuratively, in colloquial use, someone in their first year on the job.
• Related初心者しょしんしゃNeutralA beginner; stresses the learning stage and is not limited to the workplace, as in 「初心者マーク」.
• Related新手あらてNeutralNew hands or fresh manpower, also new methods; when read 「あらて」 it stresses newly added strength.
• RelatedフレッシュマンNeutralLoanword for a freshman or newly hired employee; leans formal.
• Related若造わかぞうCasualSame word, also written 「若僧」「若蔵」; its sense is inherently a sneer. 「新米」 only says one is green, yet can turn dismissive, as in 「新米のくせに」.
• Related新顔しんがおNeutralA new face; stresses unfamiliarity to the group, as in 「新顔が増えた」.
• Related若輩じゃくはいWrittenWritten register. Points to youth and shallow experience, often humbly of oneself, as in 「若輩者ですが」; 「新米」 stresses being new to a job or line of work.
• RelatedニューカマーNeutralLoanword for a newcomer, often for new immigrants or people newly entering a field or market.
• Related若輩者じゃくはいものWrittenWritten register. A young, inexperienced person, typically used to refer to oneself humbly.
• Related新参者しんざんものNeutralA person newly joined to a group, with a whiff of the outsider, as in 「新参者扱い」.
• Related青二才あおにさいCasualColloquial. A callow, wet-behind-the-ears youth; strongly disparaging.
• Related未経験者みけいけんしゃNeutralSomeone with no experience of a job or activity; common in job ads, as in 「未経験者歓迎」.
• Related新来しんらいWrittenWritten-style word for newly arrived; rare even in prose, mostly in compounds, and can describe things as well as people.
• Related新入りしんいりCasualColloquial. A newly joined member of a group or workplace, often implying shallow seniority.
• RelatedフレッシャーNeutralA loanword as used in Japan for a university freshman or a newly hired graduate employee; rarely heard.
• Related新来者しんらいしゃWrittenWritten word for a newcomer; rare even in prose and carries no sense of being new to a trade.
• Related生熟れなまなれNeutralInexperience or half-baked skill; also a name for a type of sushi. Rarely used.
• Antonym古参こさんNeutralAntonym. A long-serving member with deep seniority; the opposite of 「新米」.
• AntonymベテランNeutralAntonym. Loanword for a seasoned veteran or old hand; the opposite of 「新米」.

For someone new to a job or field, 「新米」 is the default: it can be self-deprecating or mildly dismissive, as in 「新米教師」, and it also means the year's first rice. In formal contexts say 「新人」; for a sports rookie, 「ルーキー」; for someone just starting out, 「駆け出し」; for the learning stage rather than the workplace, 「初心者」. The opposite of 「新米」 is 「ベテラン」.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. その年としに収穫しゅうかくされた米こめ。
2. 新あたらしく組織そしき類るいに所属しょぞくした人ひと。新人しんじん。