新奇
xīn qí · HSK 7
novelty
🎁 新奇 = 新 new + 奇 strange = new and odd, a novelty
新 means new and 奇 means strange or odd (same 奇 as in 奇怪). Together they describe something fresh and curious. The sound qí for 奇 also shows up in 奇怪 qíguài, strange.
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'.