扩大

• Pinyin: kuò dà
• Hanzi breakdown: 扩 = 扌(hand radical) + 广 (phonetic component meaning broad); 大 = pictograph of a person with arms outstretched

Meaning

To expand; to enlarge; to extend. Refers to making something bigger in scale, scope, or size.

扩大 is used in both concrete and abstract contexts. It can describe physically enlarging something (a building, a farm) or growing something in scope (influence, a business, knowledge). It is a common word in news, business, and academic Chinese.

Examples

1. 公司计划明年扩大生产规模，招聘更多员工。 The company plans to expand its production scale next year and recruit more employees.
2. 我们需要扩大影响力，让更多人了解这个项目。 We need to expand our influence so that more people learn about this project.
3. 政府出台了新政策，希望扩大内需，促进经济增长。 The government has introduced new policies hoping to expand domestic demand and stimulate economic growth.

Usage Guide

Context: business, politics, everyday, academic

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 公司打算扩大在海外的业务。(The company plans to expand its overseas business.)
• 我们要扩大招生范围，吸引更多学生。(We need to broaden our enrolment scope to attract more students.)

Don't Say

• 扩大这张桌子 (Don't use 扩大 with fixed physical objects that can't grow — for a bigger table, use 换一张大的; 扩大 is for scale, scope, or influence)

Origin & History

扩 means to expand or broaden (手 hand radical + 广 phonetic component); 大 means large. Together they form a verb meaning to make broader or larger.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal