Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 新しい | atarashii | [a̠ta̠ɾa̠ɕiː] (narrow) |
| 新 | shin | [ɕĩɴ] (narrow) |
The word is used to describe something that has been recently made or created. 新しい is used as a standalone adjective to describe the state of a noun, while 新 functions as a prefix to create new compound words and terms.
Which one should you use?
新しい is a standalone adjective used to describe a noun's state, such as a new car.
How does it change in a sentence?
新しい is an i-adjective, which means it can directly precede a noun to modify it, such as in 新しい車 (new car). The form 新 acts as a prefix in compound words.
How do you pronounce it?
atarashii
When do people say it?
In social or professional contexts, the term 新人 (the combination of 新 and 人 meaning person) is used to refer to a 'newcomer' or a 'rookie'. If you are referring to someone who has just joined a group or organization in a more colloquial way, you might use the term 新入り.
Did you know?
- In Old Japanese, the word for 'new' was related to 粗 (ara), a word meaning 'crude' or 'raw'.
- The adjective stem 'arata' is still used today in the form of the 'na-adjective' 新たな (arata-na), a slightly different grammatical sibling to 新しい.
Examples in context
- 新入りだな。You're new, huh?This sentence uses 新 to show someone is a newcomer.Tatoeba #145217 by bunbuku, translation #269346 by CM
- トムは新人だ。Tom is new.This sentence uses 新 to identify someone as a new person or rookie.Tatoeba #6832785 by tsukimori, translation #2236787 by CK
- 新人さんなの？Are you new?This sentence uses 新 to ask if someone is new.Tatoeba #8687288 by bunbuku, translation #429820 by CM
- 922 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are looking at a tech shop window.
- 陽葵 Himariこの新しいスマホ、かっこいいね。Kono atarashii sumaho, kakkoii ne.This new smartphone is cool, isn't it?
- 大翔 Hirotoそうだね。すごく高いよ。Sou dane. Sugoku takai yo.It is. It's very expensive, though.
- 陽葵 Himari大翔は、新しいのが欲しい？Hiroto wa, atarashii no ga hoshii?Hiroto, do you want a new one?
- 大翔 Hiroto今はまだ大丈夫だよ。Ima wa mada daijoubu da yo.I'm okay for now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “new” translations and entries 新しい, 新, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 新, 新しい, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
