浅

• Pinyin: qiǎn
• Hanzi breakdown: 浅 = 氵 (water) + 戋 (small/thin) — a small amount of water, hence shallow

Meaning

Shallow; light; superficial. Describes a small depth of water, a light shade of colour, or a lack of depth in understanding.

A versatile adjective with physical and abstract uses. Physical: 水很浅 (the water is shallow), 浅蓝色 (light blue). Abstract: 认识很浅 (superficial understanding), 资历浅 (limited experience). The opposite is 深 (deep/dark). Very common in everyday descriptions of colour, water depth, knowledge, and relationships.

Examples

1. 这条河水很浅，小朋友也可以在里面玩。 The water in this river is very shallow — even children can play in it.
2. 她穿了一件浅绿色的裙子，很好看。 She wore a light green dress — it looked lovely.
3. 我对这个问题的了解还很浅，需要再学习。 My understanding of this issue is still quite superficial — I need to study more.

Usage Guide

Context: colour description, nature, knowledge

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 这里的水太浅了，不能游泳。(The water here is too shallow for swimming.)
• 我喜欢浅色的衣服。(I like light-coloured clothes.)

Don't Say

• 浅的味道 (Don't use 浅 for taste — use 淡 for light/mild flavour; 浅 is for physical depth, colour lightness, and abstract depth of understanding)

Origin & History

The character 浅 combines 氵 (water radical) and 戋 (small/thin), suggesting a thin layer of water — shallow.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal