浅 qiǎn shallow
shallow; superficial; light
How to remember 浅: 氵 water + 戋 tiny = shallow. The water only reaches the tiny boy's knees, and he sulks that the hotel pool is boring and shallow.
Component breakdown
浅 = 氵 water + 戋 tiny
- 氵 water
- 戋 tiny
The water only reaches the tiny boy's knees, and he sulks that the hotel pool is boring and shallow.
How it is used
- Literal sense is shallow water, direct antonym of 深 shēn (deep): 这条河很浅 (Zhè tiáo hé hěn qiǎn) - "This river is shallow." - 这条河很深 (zhè tiáo hé hěn shēn) this river is deep.
- Extends metaphorically to knowledge, experience, or color: 肤浅 fūqiǎn describes shallow, superficial understanding (often a mild insult about a person's thinking), while 浅显 qiǎnxiǎn describes writing or explanations that are easy and accessible - a compliment, not an insult.
- Also used for light shades of color, paired with 深 for dark shades: 浅蓝色 qiǎn lánsè "light blue" vs 深蓝色 shēn lánsè "dark blue."