Sign In Get Started
Prepositions after adjectives

New with prepositions

New to is the most common pattern when someone lacks experience. Other prepositions have different meanings.

Quick answer

Which prepositions go with new?

Use new to for unfamiliar experiences or activities. New in often refers to a recent arrival or addition. New at is informal for skills. For and about usually belong to wider sentence structures.

I am new to programming.
She is new in the office.
He is new at teaching.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
new to + activity

Lacking experience

Use new to when someone has recently started something.

They are new to online learning.
2
new in + place

Recent arrival

Use new in for someone recently arrived in a place or organisation.

She is new in the department.
3
new at + skill

Beginner ability

New at is informal and refers to skills or tasks.

I am new at driving.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
new to
He is new to the company.
recently introduced to something
new in
There is a new manager in the branch.
recently present in a place
new for
This update is new for 2026.
for relates to a time or audience, not a fixed adjective pattern
new about
I heard something new about the case.
about introduces the topic of information
new at
She is still new at coding.
beginner at a skill

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using new in for activities

Use new to for experiences or subjects.

✕ I am new in tennis. ✓ I am new to tennis.

Confusing new at and new to

At focuses on skill performance; to focuses on unfamiliarity.

✕ She is new at the company. ✓ She is new to the company.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. He is new ___ the software.
2. She is new ___ the office.
3. I am still new ___ cooking.

Check your sentence in context

Paste the complete sentence below. Linguix checks the preposition together with grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style.

Free to try · No signup required

Frequently asked questions

Is new to the job correct?

Yes. It means someone recently started the job.

Can I say new in town?

Yes. It means recently arrived in the town.

What is the difference between new to and new at?

New to focuses on unfamiliarity, while new at focuses on beginner skill level.

naive-in-about-to-of, for naked in, on, with, for or at? "narrow down" or "narrow in"? "nasty to", "nasty in" or "nasty about"? "national of" or "national in"? "native of" or "native to"? "natural for" or "natural to"? necessary for, in, to, at or by? needy in, of, for, from or by? "negative about", "negative in" or "negative for"? negligent in, of, for, to or about? nervous about, of, at, in or before?

Write with confidence in Linguix

Create a free account to check complete texts, apply suggestions, and save your documents.

Create a free account