新生
xīnshēng · HSK 7
new student
🎒 新 new + 生 student = a new student, a freshman
新 means new; 生 means student or life. Together 新生 is a newly enrolled student. The same 生 shows up in 学生 (xuésheng, student) and 先生 (xiānsheng, mister).
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'.
生 — sprout 屮 above earth 土
Originally a pictograph showing a young plant sprouting from the ground, with 屮 (a sprout) above 土 (earth). The core meaning is 'to be born, to grow, to live,' which extends to 'raw, unripe, unfamiliar.' The modern form has simplified the sprout shape but preserves the image of new growth emerging from soil.