Chinese word

浅

Pronunciation

Pinyinqiǎn

Meaning

  • adjectiveshallow

Example

河里水很浅，别跳进去。hé lǐ shuǐ hěn qiǎn bié tiào jìn qù

The water in the river is very shallow, so don't jump in.

Illustration for 浅 (shallow)

More examples

他对这篇文章的理解很浅，应该再仔细读一遍。tā duì zhè piān wén zhāng de lí jiě hěn qiǎn yīng gāi zài zǐ xì dú yí biàn

His understanding of this article is superficial, so he should read it more carefully.

Core concept

A surface that does not go far downward, whether in water, thought, or feeling.

Common phrases

  • 认识很浅rèn shí hěn qiǎn

    have superficial knowledge

  • 理解很浅lí jiě hěn qiǎn

    have a superficial understanding

Similar words

肤浅fū qiǎn: Showing that a person's thoughts or understanding are surface-level rather than deep.
浅薄qiǎn bó: Describing knowledge or attitudes that are thin and not well grounded.
浅显qián xiǎn: Using simple, clear language that contains little complexity or depth.

Definition in Chinese

既可指实际深度小，也可比喻地指认识或感情等程度不深、表面化的状态。jì kě zhǐ shí jì shēn dù xiǎo yě kě bǐ yù dì zhǐ rèn shí huò gǎn qíng děng chéng dù bù shēn biǎo miàn huà de zhuàng tài

Word origin

浅 (qiǎn, "shallow") first describes water with little depth and later extends naturally to ideas and feelings that do not go far beneath the surface.

Usage tips

  • In conversation, the figurative use often sounds critical, while the physical use for water depth is usually neutral.

Opposites

Word lists with this word