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扩张 (kuò zhāng) — to expand (territory, market, influence, etc.); to dilate (e.g., pupils, blood vessels)

Definition

Formal verb meaning 'to expand' territory, influence, or market — broader in scope than the HSK 5 扩大 ('to enlarge'). Pairs with power, territory, or business reach; for pupils or vessels, 膨胀 fits better.

verb
to expand (territory, market, influence, etc.)to dilate (e.g., pupils, blood vessels)

Examples

  • 扩张。
    Zhè ge guó jiā bú duàn xiàng dōng kuò zhāng lǐng tǔ.
    This country keeps expanding its territory eastward.
  • 扩张。
    Yī shēng jiǎn chá le tā de tóng kǒng kuò zhāng qíng kuàng.
    The doctor checked the dilation of his pupils.
  • 扩张。
    Gōng sī tōng guò shōu gòu lái kuò zhāng yè wù fàn wéi.
    The company expands its business scope through acquisitions.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

扩kuòenlarge
张zhāngspread out

扩 means enlarge and 张 means spread out, together they mean to expand.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 擴; 扩 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
廣
廣guǎng擴kuò
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 擴 combines 扌 (hand) and 廣 (guǎng) to show stretching or enlarging with hands. The simplified 扩 is not the form described here.

Open 扩 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 張; 张 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
弓弓gōngbow
Sound part声符shēngfú
長
長cháng張zhāng
Same sound today

The traditional form 張 combines 弓, a bow, with 長, which points to the sound; the simplified 张 is a shorthand and its parts are not the historical components.

Open 张 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Business & CommerceChange & Process

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