放大

• Pinyin: fàng dà
• Hanzi breakdown: 放 = to release/let out; 大 = big/large

Meaning

To enlarge; to magnify; to amplify. Making something bigger or more prominent.

Used for physically enlarging images or objects, amplifying sounds, or figuratively exaggerating issues or emotions. Common in photography, optics, audio, and everyday contexts.

Examples

1. 你能把这张照片放大一点吗？看不清楚。 Can you enlarge this photo a bit? I can't see it clearly.
2. 显微镜可以把细胞放大几百倍。 A microscope can magnify cells hundreds of times.
3. 别把这件小事放大，没那么严重。 Don't blow this small matter out of proportion — it's not that serious.

Usage Guide

Context: photography, science, everyday

Tone: practical

Do Say

• 请把字体放大，我看不清。(Please enlarge the font — I can't see it clearly.)
• 这个放大镜效果不错。(This magnifying glass works well.)

Don't Say

• 放大你的身高 (You can't 放大 physical body attributes — use it for images, sounds, or abstract concepts that can be magnified)

Origin & History

Compound of 放 (to release, let out) + 大 (big), meaning to make something larger.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal