新
xīn · HSK 1
new
🌱 新 = 立 (stand) + 木 (tree) + 斤 (axe): fresh-cut wood
Originally meant freshly-cut firewood: an axe (斤) splits a tree (木) standing (立) by it. The meaning broadened from fresh-cut to new/fresh in general. The 亲 left side is phonetic, hinting at xīn.
新 — 立 stand + 木 tree + 斤 axe
Originally depicted cutting fresh wood with an axe (斤) from a tree (木), with 辛/立 as the phonetic component. The original meaning of 'firewood' was later written as 薪, while 新 took on the extended sense of 'new' or 'fresh'.