浅い
asai[a̠sa̠i]
The English word 'shallow' is translated into Japanese as 浅い (asai).
浅い is an adjective used to describe something that does not extend far downward. Beyond its literal meaning, it can be used metaphorically to describe things such as shallow sleep (浅い眠り), shallow knowledge (浅い知識) or a shallow relationship (浅い関係).
Meaning: extending not far downward (adj)
Which one should you use?
The antonym of 浅い is 深い, which means 'deep'.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the past tense 'was shallow', use 浅かった. To express the negative 'not shallow', use 浅くない.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is asai.
Did you know?
- In certain contexts regarding time, such as 浅い夜, 浅い can imply an early hour or a time that is not yet 'deep' into the night.
- Japanese uses 浅い to describe the 'shallowness' of a color, referring to a shade that is pale or light rather than saturated.
- The word 浅い can be used to describe a 'shallow' or 'short' period of time when someone has only just started a hobby or job.
Examples in context
- この湖は浅いのよ。This lake is shallow.This sentence is useful for stating that a lake is shallow using the form 浅い.Tatoeba #10032756 by small_snow, translation #9182145 by CK
- この池は浅いです。This pond is shallow.This sentence is useful for stating that a pond is shallow using the form 浅い.Tatoeba #10032757 by small_snow, translation #9176641 by CK
- この川は浅いですか？Is this river shallow?This sentence is useful for asking if a river is shallow using the form 浅い.Tatoeba #3555526 by arnab, translation #3583324 by mikecash
- Mizu ga asai (水が浅い)The water is shallow.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yui and Hiroto are walking along a beach.
- 結衣 Yui結衣：あそこは水が浅いよ。Asoko wa mizu ga asai yo.The water is shallow over there.
- 大翔 Hiroto大翔：本当だ、歩いて行けそうだね。Hontō da, aruite ikesō da ne.You're right, it looks like we can walk there.
- 結衣 Yui結衣：大翔くん、ゆっくり歩いてね。Hiroto-kun, yukkuri aruite ne.Hiroto, please walk slowly.
- 大翔 Hiroto大翔：わかった、大丈夫だよ。Wakatta, daijōbu da yo.Got it, I'll be fine.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 浅い, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
