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新书 (xīn shū) — new book (just published or newly acquired)

Definition

noun
new book (just published or newly acquired)
Measure word · 本

Examples

  • 新书。
    Wǒ zuó tiān mǎi le yì běn xīn shū.
    I bought a new book yesterday.
  • 新书。
    Chū bǎn shè xià ge yuè huì chū bǎn zhè běn xīn shū.
    The publishing house will publish this new book next month.
  • 新书。
    Zhè běn xīn shū de nèi róng hěn yǒu yì si.
    The content of this new book is very interesting.

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
书shūbook

新书 is a 书 book that is 新 new.

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 書; 书 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
聿聿yùwriting brush
Sound part声符shēngfú
者
者zhě書shū
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 書 uses 聿, a writing brush, and 者 for its sound; the simplified 书 is a later shorthand.

Open 书 →
Appears in
Reading & Writing

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