adjective HSK 3
deep · profound · dark (color) · late (at night)
Meaning
深 describes something with great depth, whether physical (a deep hole), abstract (profound feelings), or temporal (late at night). It can refer to distance from the surface, intensity of color, or depth of understanding and emotion.
Usage
Commonly used to describe physical depth (深水 'deep water'), emotional intensity (感情很深 'deep feelings'), and late time periods (深夜 'late night'). Often appears in compound words and is one of the most versatile descriptive characters in Mandarin.
Examples
- 01这个湖很深，要小心。, .This lake is very deep, be careful.
- 02我对他的印象很深。.I have a deep impression of him.
Common collocations
- 深夜late at night
- 深色dark color
- 深入to go deep into, thorough
- 深刻印象deep impression
Antonyms
Origin
The character combines 水 (water) with 罙, which originally depicted a cave or deep place. The water radical reinforces the concept of depth, originally referring to deep water but extending to all types of depth.