新生

• Pinyin: xīn shēng
• Hanzi breakdown: 新 = 亲 + 斤 (freshly cut; new); 生 = a plant sprouting from the ground (pictograph of life)

Meaning

Newborn; newly born; new student (fresher); regeneration; renewal. Used both literally (a newborn) and metaphorically (a new beginning or first-year student).

Context determines meaning: 新生儿 (newborn infant), 新生力量 (newly emerging force), 新生 as a noun for first-year students. Philosophically used for personal or societal rebirth.

Examples

1. 医院妇产科每天都有数十名新生婴儿降临人间。 The hospital’s obstetrics department welcomes dozens of newborns every day.
2. 大学迎来了今年的新生，校园里充满了青春的活力。 The university welcomed this year’s freshmen, and the campus was filled with youthful energy.
3. 经历了那场几乎毁掉一切的危机之后，这座城市以顽强的意志完成了自我的新生。 After a crisis that nearly destroyed everything, the city achieved renewal through sheer resilience.

Usage Guide

Context: education, medicine, philosophy, social commentary

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 历经数年重建，这片曾经满目疮痍的土地如今已焕发出令人惊叹的新生，成为区域可持续发展的典范。(After years of reconstruction, this land, once ravaged and scarred, has now undergone an astonishing regeneration and become a model of regional sustainable development.)
• 迎接新生不仅是家庭的大事，更是社会延续与希望的象征，承载着一代人对未来最深切的期盼。(Welcoming a newborn is not only a major event for a family but also a symbol of society's continuation and hope, carrying the most heartfelt expectations of a generation for the future.)

Don't Say

• 他新生了 — 新生 as a verb meaning 'to regenerate' is formal/literary; for 'a child was born,' say 他出生了 or 孩子降生了

Origin & History

新 (new) + 生 (life/birth/student) — newly born or newly come into being

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal