新潮 (xīn cháo) — (noun) new trend, fashion; (adjective) trendy,…

Definition

新潮 means 'trendy' as both noun and adjective, emphasizing what's currently new and popular. 比时髦更侧重'新'，比时尚更口语。

noun

new trendfashion

adjective

trendyfashionable

Measure word · 股

Examples

。
Tā zǒng shì chuān zuì xīn cháo de yī fu.
She always wears the most fashionable clothes.
新潮。
Zhè zhǒng xīn cháo de shè jì hěn shòu nián qīng rén huān yíng.
This trendy design is very popular among young people.
新潮，。
Tā xǐ huan zhuī qiú xīn cháo, dàn yě yào kǎo lǜ shí yòng xìng.
He likes to pursue new trends, but also needs to consider practicality.

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

潮cháotide

新 and 潮 combine to mean a fresh tide or trend, hence fashionable.

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.

氵朝潮

Meaning part形符xíngfú

氵Written in full as水shuǐwater

Sound part声符shēngfú

朝

朝cháo潮cháo

Same sound today

潮 has 氵, the water form 水, on the left to show a water connection, with 朝 on the right giving the sound.

Open 潮 →

Appears in