qiǎnjiān

shallow

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Components
氵 meaning component

  Meaning component

shuishuǐ

  

water

is a component form of .

戔 sound component

  Sound component

jiān

  

small

Evolution

淺 Bronze script Late Spring and Autumn (~500 BC)

Bronze script

Late Spring and Autumn (~500 BC)
淺 Seal script Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal script

Shuowen (~100 AD)
淺 Clerical script Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical script

Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
淺 Regular script Modern

Regular script

Modern
Definitions

() 

qiǎn

shallow, not deep; superficial; shallow; light (color)

() 

jiān

sound of moving water

Most common words with 淺
Freq.
Word
Meaning

shallow

肤浅

skin-deep

搁浅

to run aground

浅薄

superficial

浅色

light color