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Kanji · JLPT N5 · Level 8

new

Meaning
new
On reading
Kun reading
Memory hook

立 and 木 beside 斤 (an axe): an axe cutting into fresh standing wood. シン in compounds, あたら(しい) on its own.

Words that use 新

new
newspaper

How to write 新

Stroke order · 13 strokes
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
  1. 1. A short dot.
  2. 2. Horizontal.
  3. 3. A short dot.
  4. 4. Vertical.
  5. 5 to 6. Horizontal.
  6. 7. Vertical.
  7. 8. The sweep down to the left.
  8. 9. A short dot.
  9. 10. The sweep down to the left.
  10. 11. Vertical.
  11. 12. Horizontal.
  12. 13. Vertical.

Stroke data from KanjiVG, CC BY-SA 3.0.

General rules
  • Top to bottom, left to right.
  • Horizontal strokes before crossing vertical ones (十 = horizontal, then vertical).
  • Outside before inside - but close a box last (口).
  • A vertical that passes all the way through comes last (中).
  • Left-falling diagonal before right-falling (大).

新 is taught on day 13 of the kanji course, alongside , with two writing passes and a short quiz.