shēn HSK 4

English Meaning

📚 Example Sentences

海很深。
Hǎi hěn shēn.
The sea is deep.
她喜欢深蓝色。
Tā xǐhuan shēn lán sè.
She likes dark blue.
这本书很深。
Zhè běn shū hěn shēn.
This book is profound.
海很深。
Hǎi hěn shēn.
The sea is deep.
颜色很深。
Yánsè hěn shēn.
The color is dark.

💡 Memory Tip

Imagine the character 深: the left part 氵 represents water, and the right part 罙 suggests depth—think of water going deep down, like a deep river or ocean.

📝 Usage Notes

深 is used in both formal and informal contexts, in spoken and written Chinese. Common contexts include describing physical depth (e.g., rivers, wells), abstract depth (e.g., thoughts, relationships), intensity (e.g., colors, night), and extent (e.g., degree, understanding).

📖 Grammar Points

深 can function as an adjective (e.g., 很深的河) and appear in fixed structures like 深 + verb (e.g., 深爱, to love deeply) or verb + 深 (e.g., 入深, to go deep into). It often modifies nouns directly or with 的.

🏯 Cultural Notes

In Chinese culture, 深 is associated with wisdom and introspection, as in 深谋远虑 (deep planning and foresight). It also appears in idioms like 水深火热 (deep water and hot fire), metaphorically describing extreme hardship.

🔄 Similar Words

Compared to 厚 (hòu, thick), which often refers to flat objects like books or walls, 深 focuses on vertical or inward depth. Unlike 高 (gāo, tall/high) for upward height, 深 specifically indicates downward or inward measurement.

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