新任 (xīn rèn) — newly appointed (attributive)

Definition

新任 is an attributive adjective meaning 'newly appointed' — used only before a role noun (新任经理, 新任总统) to describe the person who has just taken a position. Contrast with the verb-sense 任 (to appoint / to hold a post).

adjective

newly appointed (attributive)

Examples

新任。
Tā shì wǒ men de xīn rèn jīng lǐ.
He is our newly appointed manager.
新任。
xīn rèn Zhèng fǔ tí chū le xīn de jì huà.
The newly appointed government proposed a new plan.
新任。
Zhè wèi xīn rèn yuán gōng gōng zuò hěn nǔ lì.
This newly appointed employee works very hard.

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

任rènappointment

新 ('new') and 任 ('appointment') combine to mean newly appointed.

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.

亻壬任

Meaning part形符xíngfú

亻Written in full as人rénperson

Sound part声符shēngfú

壬

壬rén任rèn

Same sound today

任 pairs 亻, a person, with 壬, which may picture a shoulder pole turned sideways.

Open 任 →

Appears in