to expand; to enlarge
HSK level
扩大 is written with 9 strokes (扩: 6, 大: 3). The animation replays automatically.
扩大 (kuòdà) is a transitive verb meaning 'to expand, enlarge, or broaden' something — to make its scope, scale, or extent bigger.
It is neutral-to-formal and appears constantly in business, policy, and academic contexts: 扩大规模 ('expand the scale'), 扩大影响 ('broaden the influence'), 扩大市场 ('grow the market'). The key contrast for English speakers is that 扩大 is causative and takes an object — you 扩大 something. It usually applies to abstract or measurable scope (production, market, scale, difference, influence) rather than to physical stretching of a specific object, for which 放大 (zoom/enlarge an image) or 加大 (increase) may fit better.
Its opposite is 缩小 (suōxiǎo, 'to shrink / reduce'). Being a resultative compound (扩 'expand' + 大 'big'), it inherently implies the result of becoming larger.
Character by character
Memory hook: 扩 (extend) + 大 (big) → extend until big → to expand.
公司想扩大在国外的市场。
Gōngsī xiǎng kuòdà zài guówài de shìchǎng.
The company wants to expand its market abroad.
neutral
这样只会扩大你们之间的矛盾。
Zhèyàng zhǐ huì kuòdà nǐmen zhījiān de máodùn.
This will only widen the conflict between you.
neutral
工厂决定扩大生产规模。
Gōngchǎng juédìng kuòdà shēngchǎn guīmó.
The factory decided to expand the scale of production.
written
多参加活动可以扩大你的朋友圈。
Duō cānjiā huódòng kěyǐ kuòdà nǐ de péngyǒu quān.
Joining more activities can broaden your circle of friends.
spoken
增加 means 'to increase (in quantity/number).' 扩大 means 'to expand (in scope/extent).' You 增加 the number of staff but 扩大 the company's operations. 增加 is about amount, 扩大 about reach.
放大 means 'to magnify / enlarge (an image, sound, or visual size).' 扩大 is about scope or scale. You 放大 a photo but 扩大 a business.
扩展 ('to extend / develop outward') stresses spreading in new directions (扩展业务, extend into new lines). 扩大 stresses making the existing scope bigger. They overlap but 扩展 implies new territory, 扩大 implies more of the same.
夸大 means 'to exaggerate / overstate' — same pinyin sound (kuā vs kuò), very different meaning. 夸大事实 = 'exaggerate the facts'; 扩大 = physically/scopewise enlarge. A common tone-and-sound trap.
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