伸缩

• Pinyin: shēn suō
• Hanzi breakdown: 伸 = 亻+ 申 (extend — person stretching); 缩 = 纟+ 宿 (contract — threads tightening)

Meaning

To extend and retract; to stretch and compress; to be elastic or scalable. Refers to the ability of a system or material to expand and contract.

Used in engineering, architecture, and technology to describe elasticity or scalability. 伸缩性 means flexibility or elasticity; 可伸缩 means scalable or expandable. Also used figuratively for adaptive systems.

Examples

1. 这种新型材料能够根据温度变化自动伸缩，广泛用于航空航天领域。 This new material can automatically expand and contract with temperature changes, and is widely used in the aerospace industry.
2. 该系统的架构设计具有良好的伸缩性，可以根据需求动态调整资源。 The system’s architecture has strong scalability, allowing resources to be adjusted dynamically as needed.
3. 老人每天早晨都在公园里做伸缩运动，以保持关节的灵活性。 Every morning, the elderly man does stretching exercises in the park to keep his joints flexible.

Usage Guide

Context: science, technology, engineering

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 这套弹性系统支持资源的动态伸缩，能够适应不同规模的业务需求。(This elastic system supports dynamic scaling of resources, adapting to business needs of different scales.)
• 桥梁设计必须预留足够的伸缩缝，以应对温度变化引起的形变。(Bridge design must reserve adequate expansion joints to accommodate deformation caused by temperature changes.)

Don't Say

• 他的态度很伸缩 — 伸缩 is not used to describe attitude flexibility; use 灵活 or 弹性 instead

Origin & History

伸 (stretch, extend) + 缩 (shrink, retract)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal