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扩充 (kuò chōng) — to expand (in scale, scope, or capacity)

Definition

扩充 emphasizes adding to or filling out capacity (staff, collections, storage) — more 'augment/fill out' than 扩大 ('make bigger') or 扩展 ('extend outward in scope').

verb
to expand (in scale, scope, or capacity)

Examples

  • 扩充。
    Gōng sī jué dìng kuò chōng yuán gōng duì wu.
    The company decided to expand its workforce.
  • 扩充。
    Xué xiào zhèng zài kuò chōng tú shū guǎn de cáng shū.
    The school is expanding its library collection.
  • 扩充。
    Wǒ men xū yào kuò chōng wǎng luò chǔ cún kōng jiān.
    We need to expand our network storage space.

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
充chōngfill

扩 means enlarge and 充 means fill or increase, together they mean to make something larger or fuller.

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 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 𠫓𠫓𠫓a newborn
  • 儿儿érstanding person

充 pairs 𠫓, a newborn, with 儿, a standing person, to picture a newborn growing to stand.

Open 充 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Change & Process

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