放大 (fàng dà) — to enlarge, to magnify | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

放大 means to enlarge or magnify (a picture, text, or detail) so you can see it more clearly. Unlike 扩大, it focuses on visual scaling, not expanding scope or scale of something abstract.

verb

to enlargeto magnify

Examples

放大。
Qǐng bǎ zhè zhāng tú piàn fàng dà yí xià.
Please enlarge this picture a bit.
放大。
Zhè ge gōng néng kě yǐ fàng dà wǎng yè shàng de wén zì.
This function can enlarge the text on the webpage.
放大。
Tā fàng dà le dì tú shàng de xì jié.
He enlarged the details on the map.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

放fàngrelease/spread

“放” indicates causing something to spread or increase, and “大” gives the result of becoming larger.

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.

方攵放

Meaning part形符xíngfú

攵Written in full as攴pūhand, action

Sound part声符shēngfú

方

方fāng放fàng

Same sound today

放 uses 方 for its sound and 攵, a hand/action part, to mark an action of release.

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The form 大 is a picture of a person standing and facing forward, not of someone stretching their arms.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 6 HSK 2.0 Level 6 Change & Process

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