浅 (qiǎn) - shallow & superficial

浅Tone 3

qiǎn ｜ 8 strokes ｜ radical: 氵

器情

浅 · qiǎn

shallow;

superficial;

light (in color);

simple;

not deep;

brief

shallowsuperficiallight (in color)

Usage highlights

shallow waterlight colorsuperficial knowledgesimple and easyshallow understandinglow depth

Synonyms

  • 淡— light; pale (color)
  • 薄— thin; superficial
  • 简— simple; brief

Antonyms

  • 深— deep; profound
  • 浓— dark; concentrated (color)
  • 厚— thick; deep

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The water is very shallow (水很浅).
  • She has superficial knowledge (浅薄的知识).
  • The color is light blue (浅蓝色).
  • This is a simple question (浅显的问题).

Collocations

  • shallow water(浅水)
  • light color(浅色)
  • superficial knowledge(浅薄)
  • simple and easy(浅显)
  • shallow understanding(浅见)
  • low depth(浅度)

Idioms

  • Shallow and superficial(浅尝辄止)
  • Shallow learning and little talent(才疏学浅)
  • Shallow and easily understood(深入浅出)
  • Shallow knowledge and limited experience(资浅齿少)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Often used metaphorically to describe limited knowledge or understanding in Chinese learning culture.
  • In color terminology, represents the light end of color spectrum, opposite to deep/dark colors.
  • Used in geographical contexts to describe water depth and terrain features.

FAQ