扩张

• Pinyin: kuò zhāng
• Hanzi breakdown: 扩 = 扌(hand) + 广 (wide) — expand; 张 = 弓 (bow) + 长 (long) — stretch/open

Meaning

To expand; to extend; to spread. Deliberate expansion of territory, influence, or power.

Often carries connotations of aggressive or ambitious growth. Used for military expansion, business expansion, or the spread of influence. Can have negative overtones when describing imperialism or unchecked growth.

Examples

1. 公司正在积极扩张海外市场。 The company is actively expanding into overseas markets.
2. 历史上这个帝国通过不断扩张达到了鼎盛。 Historically, this empire reached its peak through continuous expansion.
3. 心脏病患者要避免剧烈运动导致血管过度扩张。 Heart disease patients should avoid intense exercise that causes excessive blood vessel dilation.

Usage Guide

Context: business, history, politics, medicine

Tone: assertive

Do Say

• 企业扩张要量力而行。(Business expansion should be done within one's means.)
• 殖民主义的扩张给被殖民地区带来了灾难。(Colonial expansion brought disaster to colonized regions.)

Don't Say

• 用扩张描述自然的、非刻意的增长。(扩张 implies deliberate expansion — use 扩大 or 增长 for natural growth)

Origin & History

Compound of 扩 (expand) + 张 (stretch/open). Literally 'expand and stretch out.'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal