shallow

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 浅 has 9 strokes and denotes shallow depth.
• Basic usage: 浅い is read あさい, and 浅瀬 is read あさせ.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• A quality and a place
  • 浅い describes shallowness, while 浅瀬 denotes a shallow part of a river or the sea.
  • 浅く掘った穴 changes the ending of 浅い to く to describe digging a shallow hole.
• A limited condition
  • 岸の近くなら浅いです means it is shallow near the bank. This does not extend the claim to the whole river.