浅

淺

jiān, qiǎn

戋 + 氵

HSK 2.0Level 5

HSK 3.0Level 5

Definitions

qiǎn (adjective) shallow

qiǎn (adjective) light (color)

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 氵 represents the meaning and 戋 represents the sound. Simplified form of 淺.

Semantic: 氵 Phonetic: 戋

About

浅, the simplified form of 淺, is a phonosemantic compound. Its left component, 氵 (a form of 水 'water'), supplies the meaning, while the right component, 戋, a simplification of the traditional 戔, supplies the sound jiān. The character originally denoted shallow water and, by metaphorical extension, things that are superficial or easy to comprehend. It is used literally for shallow rivers, pools, and coastal waters, and also describes light or pale colors and, figuratively, superficial knowledge, relationships, or conversations.

Etymology Hide

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Late Spring and Autumn (~500 BC)

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Early Warring States (~400 BC)

Seal etymology image

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal etymology image

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal etymology image

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal etymology image

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

这个湖的水很浅。

Zhège hú de shuǐ hěn qiǎn.

The water in this lake is very shallow.

我买了一件浅蓝色的衬衫。

Wǒ mǎile yī jiàn qiǎn lán sè de chènshān.

I bought a light blue shirt.

孩子们在浅水区玩耍。

Háizimen zài qiǎn shuǐ qū wánshuǎ.

The children are playing in the shallow water area.

他对这个问题的理解很浅。

Tā duì zhège wèntí de lǐjiě hěn qiǎn.

His understanding of this issue is superficial.

这篇文章内容浅显，容易读懂。

Zhè piān wénzhāng nèiróng qiǎnxiǎn, róngyì dú dǒng.

The content of this article is simple and easy to understand.

我们只是浅交，并不熟悉。

Wǒmen zhǐshì qiǎn jiāo, bìng bù shúxī.

We are just casual acquaintances and not familiar with each other.

这种浅层分析无法揭示根本原因。

Zhè zhǒng qiǎn céng fēnxī wúfǎ jiēshì gēnběn yuányīn.

This superficial analysis cannot reveal the root cause.

她用浅显的语言解释了复杂的理论。

Tā yòng qiǎnxiǎn de yǔyán jiěshì le fùzá de lǐlùn.

She explained the complex theory in simple language.

Related Characters

Component: 戋

Component: 氵

Example Words