浅

2 readings · tap one to hear it

shallow; light (color)

Sound it out + + = · + + =

Formation & memory

Break the character into parts you already know.

Phono-semantic compound (形声字)

氵 meaning “water” + 戋 sound ( jiān )

Components 氵戋

shallow · Heisig RSH #374

float + 水 water

Keyword method from Heisig's Remembering Simplified Hanzi.

The most common words first — learning a character in context makes it stick.

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
水浅养不住大鱼	shuǐ qiǎn yǎng bù zhù dà yú	lit. shallow waters cannot harbor big fish (idiom); fig. ambitious, talented people cannot…
眼皮子浅	yǎn pí zi qiǎn	short-sighted
浅层文字	qiǎn céng wén zì	shallow orthography (governed by simple rules)
深入浅出	shēn rù qiǎn chū	to explain a complicated subject matter in simple terms (idiom); (of language) simple and …
交浅言深	jiāo qiǎn yán shēn	(idiom) to talk intimately while being comparative strangers
害人不浅	hài rén bù qiǎn	(idiom) (usu. of behaviors, systems or trends etc) to cause people tremendous harm
浅黄色	qiǎn huáng sè	buff; pale yellow
目光短浅	mù guāng duǎn qiǎn	to be shortsighted
大浅盘	dà qiǎn pán	platter
浅源地震	qiǎn yuán dì zhèn	shallow earthquake (with epicenter less than 70 km deep)
浅水	qiǎn shuǐ	shallow water
浅学	qiǎn xué	shallow study; superficial; scant knowledge
浅海	qiǎn hǎi	shallow sea; sea less than 200 meters deep
浅白	qiǎn bái	simple; easy to understand
浅色	qiǎn sè	light color
浅黑	qiǎn hēi	dark; gray; (of skin) lightly pigmented
浅见	qiǎn jiàn	shallow opinion; humble opinion
浅草	Qiǎn cǎo	Asakusa (district of Tokyo known for its traditional atmosphere and Sensō-ji, a 7th-centur…
浅说	qiǎn shuō	simple introduction; primer
才疏学浅	cái shū xué qiǎn	(humble expr.) of humble talent and shallow learning (idiom); Pray forgive my ignorance,..…

Characters sharing the sound component 戋 — compare how they read.

Character	Pinyin	Meaning
戋 sound part	jiān	small, narrow; tiny, little
线	xiàn	line, thread, wire; clue, trail
钱	qián	money, currency, coins
残	cán	to injure, to ruin, to spoil; cruel, oppressive, savage; disabled, incomplete
栈	zhàn	warehouse; tavern, inn
践	jiàn	to trample, to tread on, to walk over
笺	jiān	note, memo, letter; stationery; comments
饯	jiàn	to send off; farewell dinner; preserves