淺 meaning and stroke order
Shallow, superficial
How to write 淺, stroke by stroke
11 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 淺
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- sound of moving water
- shallow
- light (color)
How 淺 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Water.
氵 gives the meaning and 戔 hints at the sound.
Radical: 氵 (water), shared by 467 characters on this site.
How to remember 淺
淺 is water 氵 plus the sound part 戔, which is two 戈 (spear) shapes stacked. Picture water so shallow that you can stand two spears in it and still see their tips.
淺 (qiǎn) describes shallow water, light colors, and shallow ideas or knowledge. It appears in words like 淺色 (qiǎnsè, light color) and 膚淺 (fūqiǎn, superficial). Example: 這條河很淺。(Zhè tiáo hé hěn qiǎn.) This river is very shallow.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 淺 with 錢 (qián, money) and 線 (xiàn, thread). 淺 and 錢 share the same 戔 part, so check the left side: water 氵 for shallow, metal 金 for money. Also keep the third tone, qiǎn, not the second tone of qián.
Common words with 淺
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
Questions about 淺
How many strokes are in 淺?
淺 is written with 11 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 淺 mean?
淺 (qiǎn) means shallow, superficial. A common word with it is 搁浅 (gēqiǎn), meaning "to run aground; to become stranded; (fig.) to run into difficulties and come to a standsti".
How do you pronounce 淺?
淺 is pronounced qiǎn, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 淺?
The radical of 淺 is 氵, which carries the idea of "water". Dictionaries list 淺 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 淺?
淺 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 浅, used in mainland China and Singapore.
What is the opposite of 淺?
The opposite is 深 (shēn), meaning deep or dark. The pair works for water, colors, and knowledge, for example 深色 (dark color) and 淺色 (light color).
Why does 淺 have the reading jiān?
The reading jiān is a rare literary sense meaning the sound of moving water, as in 淺淺 (jiānjiān). In everyday Chinese you will almost always read it as qiǎn.