浅い

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: The written form is 浅い, read あさい. This い-adjective describes limited depth in water, holes, or other measurable spaces.
• Basic usage: 川は浅い predicates a river’s condition, while 浅く掘る uses the adverbial form to limit how deeply a hole is dug.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• A shallow part of a river
  • The river is described as shallow under the condition of being near the bank, not necessarily everywhere. Example: この川は岸の近くなら浅いです。 — The river is shallow near the bank.
• A shallowly dug hole
  • Flower seeds are placed in holes that were dug to a limited depth. Example: 浅く掘った穴に花の種をまきました。 — We planted flower seeds in shallow holes.