Translation guide
The English word 'shallow' can refer to physical depth, superficiality, or shallow breathing. This guide covers natural Japanese expressions for each meaning, from common adjectives to idiomatic phrases.
Describing something that has little depth, such as a river, dish, or hole.
This river is shallow, so we can wade across.
Please serve it on a shallow plate.
The negative form of 'deep', often used in casual conversation to mean 'not deep' or 'shallow'.
This pool isn't deep, so it's safe even for kids.
Describing something lacking depth, substance, or seriousness, such as a person, conversation, or knowledge.
Also used metaphorically for superficiality. Common in phrases like 考えが浅い (shallow thinking).
His knowledge is shallow.
Colloquial and slightly derogatory, meaning 'shallow' or 'superficial', often for people or ideas. Literally 'thin and flat'.
Means 'surface-level' or 'superficial'. Often used in formal contexts or to describe analysis.
Literally 'only the surface', meaning shallow or superficial, often for relationships or knowledge.
Describing breathing that is not deep, often due to anxiety or medical conditions.
While 浅い can describe a person's thinking or knowledge as shallow, calling a person 浅い directly (e.g., 彼は浅い) can sound blunt. Use 薄っぺらい or rephrase to describe their ideas instead.
He has shallow ideas. (Better than 彼は浅い)
If you act on shallow thinking, you'll fail.
That person's talk is always shallow.
A superficial understanding won't solve the problem.
His kindness is only skin-deep.
He is taking shallow breaths repeatedly.