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清新 (Qīng xīn) — fresh and clean, pure and refreshing

Definition

Adjective for a light, fresh, clean quality — air, scent, color, or style that feels pure and refreshing. Applies to sensory or aesthetic impressions, not to skill or cleverness (which would be 高明).

adjective
fresh and cleanpure and refreshing

Examples

  • 清新。
    Yǔ hòu de kōng qì hěn Qīng xīn.
    The air after the rain is very fresh and clean.
  • 清新。
    Zhè kuǎn xiāng shuǐ wèi dào Qīng xīn zì rán.
    This perfume has a fresh and natural scent.
  • 清新，。
    Tā de huà fēng Qīng xīn, ràng rén gǎn jué hěn shū fu.
    Her painting style is fresh and makes people feel very comfortable.

Origin

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
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
青
青qīng清qīng
Same sound today

清 has 氵 (water) on the left and 青 on the right to show its sound.

Open 清 →

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 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Environment & Ecology

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