1.
shallow; superficial; lacking depth
Describes thinking, knowledge, or character that lacks depth or substance. Composed of 浅 (shallow) + 薄 (thin). A distinctly negative, critical term used in formal or literary contexts.
浅薄な知識で語るべきではない。
You shouldn't speak based on superficial knowledge.
あの評論家の意見は浅薄だと批判された。
That critic's opinion was criticized as shallow.
表面的な情報だけで判断するのは浅薄と言わざるを得ない。
Judging based only on surface-level information can only be called shallow.
USAGE:
浅薄 is a na-adjective used primarily in written and formal contexts. It is a strong criticism implying that a person or their ideas lack intellectual depth.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 浅薄な知識 (superficial knowledge)
- 浅薄な考え (shallow thinking)
- 浅薄な人間 (shallow person)
SIMILAR WORDS:
浅い is a general word for "shallow" that can be literal (shallow water) or figurative. 薄っぺらい means "flimsy" or "superficial" and is more colloquial. 浅薄 is the most literary and harshly critical of the three.