Fresh fish, a rare delicacy in ancient cuisine.
Fresh, new, bright, and delicious to the senses. Fish (鱼) and lamb (羊) together always taste freshest.
鲜
Common Usage & Traps
- 新鲜 — fresh
- 鲜花 — fresh flowers
- 鲜肉 — fresh meat
- 鲜鱼 — fresh fish
- 鲜红 — bright red
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鲜水新鲜的水 / 清水鲜 is not used alone to describe water; use 新鲜 for fresh water or 清水 for clear water.
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很鲜的鱼很新鲜的鱼When describing fish as fresh, the two-character word 新鲜 is preferred over the single character 鲜.
What is the difference between 鲜 and 新?
鲜 emphasizes fresh, tasty, or bright, while 新 emphasizes new or recent.
鲜 is often used for food that is fresh and delicious, or for bright colors. 新 is used for things that are new, recent, or unused. They are not interchangeable in most contexts.
| Dimension | 鲜 | 新 |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | fresh, delicious, bright | new, recent |
| Common collocations | 新鲜, 鲜花, 鲜肉 | 新书, 新朋友, 新年 |
| Example | 这鱼很新鲜。 | 这是我的新书。 |
Can 鲜 be used alone as a word?
No, 鲜 is usually bound and appears in compounds like 新鲜 or 鲜花.
In modern Mandarin, 鲜 is rarely used as a standalone word. It typically appears in two-character words or fixed expressions. Using it alone can sound unnatural or incomplete.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| As a word | 新鲜 (fresh) | 鲜 (alone) |
| Example | 我喜欢吃新鲜的水果。 | 我喜欢吃鲜的水果。 |
Appears in Stories 1 story
Ever wondered where old Beijing's tea-drinking culture has gone? Follow a visitor discovering why locals now avoid famous tea houses—and practice expressing surprise and comparisons in Chinese along the way.
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他们常用北京话说： 新鲜 啊！
Questions & Discussion 0 questions
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