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最新 (zuì xīn) — newest, latest

Definition

adjective
newestlatest

Examples

  • 最新。
    Zhè shì zuì xīn de xīn wén.
    This is the latest news.
  • 最新。
    Tā mǎi le zuì xīn kuǎn de shǒu jī.
    He bought the newest model phone.
  • 最新，。
    zuì xīn Bào gào xiǎn shì, jīng jì zhèng zài zēng zhǎng.
    The latest report shows the economy is growing.

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.

最zuìmost
新xīnnew

最 means most and 新 means new; together they mean the newest or latest.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
宀宀miánroof
Sound part声符shēngfú
取
取qǔ最zuì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The shape pairs 取, which gives the sound, with a roof-like top from 宀; marks above were later added to separate the “most” meaning.

Open 最 →

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 →
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