新颜 (xīn yán) — a new look, a fresh appearance (often used in literary or formal contexts)

Definition

新颜 (xīn yán) is a literary, written-style noun meaning 'a new look' — used in formal contexts like news writing or reports rather than everyday speech.

noun
a new looka fresh appearance (often used in literary or formal contexts)

Examples

  • 新颜。
    Zhè zuò chéng shì huàn shàng le xīn yán.
    This city has taken on a new look.
  • ，新颜。
    Jīng guò dà xiū, bó wù guǎn yǐ xīn yán yíng jiē guān zhòng.
    After major repairs, the museum greeted visitors with its new look.
  • ，新颜。
    Gōng sī nèi bù gǎi gé hòu, miàn mào huàn fā xīn yán.
    After internal reform, the company's appearance radiated a new look.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

新xīnnew
颜yánface

新 'new' and 颜 'face' together name a fresh appearance.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

假借jiǎjièLater borrowed for its sound alone — the picture has nothing to do with today’s meaning.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
斤斤jīn
Sound part声符shēngfú
辛
辛xīn新xīn
Same sound today

The shape originally paired 斤, for chopping wood, with 辛 for sound. It was borrowed for its sound to write 新, so the chopping-wood parts are unrelated to 'new'.

Open 新 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 顏; 颜 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
頁頁yèhead
Sound part声符shēngfú
彥
彥yàn顏⁰yán
Same sound today

The traditional form 顏, not the simplified 颜, pairs 彥 as a sound part with 頁, a head, for face or countenance.

Open 颜 →

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