Explore 浅 in physical depth and figurative expressions. Learn each reading together with its word.
The idea
浅 has 9 strokes; follow the linked stroke-order diagram. 浅い（あさい） is an i-adjective: 浅かった is its past form and 浅く its adverbial form. 浅瀬（あさせ） means shallows.
Examples
- この川は浅いです。This river is shallow.
- 岸の近くは水が浅いです。The water is shallow near the shore.
- 昨夜は眠りが浅かったです。I slept lightly last night.
- この仕事はまだ経験が浅いです。I still have little experience in this job.
- 浅瀬で魚が泳いでいます。Fish are swimming in the shallows.
- いすに浅く座らないでください。Please do not sit on the edge of the chair.
Read-aloud uses a synthetic Japanese voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.
No Japanese device voice is available. You can still read the text and use the linked listening resources.
Watch out
浅い can describe light sleep or limited experience as well as shallow water. Its opposite 深い（ふかい） means deep; do not confuse the characters.
Try it yourself
Write the reading of 浅い in hiragana.
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あさい
浅い is あさい: この川は浅いです describes a shallow river.
Write the reading of 浅瀬 in hiragana.
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あさせ
浅瀬 is あさせ: it names a shallow stretch of water.
Choose the missing kanji: ＿い（あさい）［浅／深］.
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浅
浅 completes 浅い（あさい）. 深い（ふかい） means deep, the opposite.
Practice round
Answer questions, then rebuild Japanese sentences where available. We keep your score.
Write the reading of 浅い in hiragana.
Write the reading of 浅瀬 in hiragana.
Choose the missing kanji: ＿い（あさい）［浅／深］.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
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Write 浅 using the diagram, then cover the examples and make a sentence with 浅い or 浅瀬.