肤浅 (fū qiǎn) is an adjective meaning 'superficial' or 'shallow', describing thoughts, understanding, analysis, or feelings that lack depth, thoroughness, or insight. Literally, 肤 (fū) means 'skin' — the outermost layer — and 浅 (qiǎn) means 'shallow' or 'not deep'. Together, they evoke the image of something stopping at the surface, without penetrating beneath. It’s commonly used to critique reasoning, opinions, knowledge, or emotional responses that are oversimplified or inadequately considered.

This word carries a mild negative connotation and is often used in academic, intellectual, or reflective contexts — for example, when evaluating arguments, interpretations of literature, or personal self-awareness. While it can describe people ('a superficial person'), it’s more frequently applied to abstract nouns like 理解 (understanding), 观点 (viewpoint), or 认识 (cognition). It is not used for physical depth (e.g., water or holes) — for that, use 浅 alone. Its tone is formal but common in everyday educated speech and writing.