kuòdà: 扩大 - Expand, Enlarge, Broaden
Quick Summary
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Summary: Learn how to use 扩大 (kuòdà), a fundamental Chinese verb for “to expand,” “enlarge,” or “broaden.” Crucial for business, news, and formal contexts, 扩大 describes growth in scale, scope, or influence, from expanding a company's market to enlarging a country's global influence. This guide breaks down its meaning, cultural significance, and practical use with clear examples, helping you master a word central to understanding modern China.
Core Meaning
Pinyin (with tone marks): kuò dà
Part of Speech: Verb
HSK Level: HSK 4
Concise Definition: To make something larger in area, scope, scale, or influence.
In a Nutshell: 扩大 (kuòdà) is the go-to formal word when you want to talk about making something bigger, but not just in physical size. Think of it as increasing the range or scale of something. It's used for expanding a business, enlarging a territory, broadening one's knowledge, or increasing a company's influence. It carries a sense of deliberate, significant growth.
Character Breakdown
扩 (kuò): This character is about action and breadth. The left side is the “hand” radical (扌), indicating an action. The right side, 广 (guǎng), means “wide” or “spacious.” Together, 扩 literally means “to widen with one's hand”—to actively make something broader.
大 (dà): One of the most basic characters in Chinese, meaning “big” or “large.” The character is a pictogram of a person with their arms stretched out wide to show how big something is.
When combined, 扩大 (kuòdà) creates a powerful and intuitive meaning: “to actively make something wide and big.” This perfectly captures its essence of expansion and enlargement.
Cultural Context and Significance
The term 扩大 (kuòdà) is deeply woven into the narrative of China's modern development. Since the “Reform and Opening-Up” period began in the late 1970s, China's national strategy has been centered on growth. You will constantly hear 扩大 in official news reports and government documents. Key phrases like 扩大开放 (kuòdà kāifàng), meaning “to expand the opening-up,” and 扩大内需 (kuòdà nèixū), “to expand domestic demand,” are cornerstones of national economic policy.
This contrasts with the Western concept of “scaling up,” which is often associated with startups and venture capital. While similar, 扩大 carries a broader and more formal weight in Chinese. It reflects a collective, often state-driven ambition for progress—not just for a single company, but for an industry, a city, or the entire nation. Using 扩大 correctly shows an understanding of this forward-looking, growth-oriented mindset that is a major feature of contemporary Chinese society.
Practical Usage in Modern China
扩大 (kuòdà) is a versatile and common verb, but its usage is generally more formal than its English counterparts “expand” or “enlarge.”
In Business and Economics: This is its most common habitat. Companies 扩大市场 (kuòdà shìchǎng) (expand the market), 扩大生产 (kuòdà shēngchǎn) (expand production), or 扩大经营范围 (kuòdà jīngyíng fànwéi) (expand the scope of business).
In News and Politics: It's used to talk about expanding influence, cooperation, or international relations. For example, 扩大两国之间的合作 (kuòdà liǎng guó zhījiān de hézuò) (expand the cooperation between the two countries).
In Education and Abstract Concepts: It can be used for broadening one's horizons, as in 扩大知识面 (kuòdà zhīshi miàn) (broaden one's scope of knowledge), or for a university 扩大招生 (kuòdà zhāoshēng) (expand student enrollment).
In Physical Contexts: While less common in casual speech, it can be used for physical enlargement, like 扩大搜索范围 (kuòdà sōusuǒ fànwéi) (expand the search area) or 把照片扩大 (bǎ zhàopiàn kuòdà) (enlarge the photo), although 放大 (fàngdà) is more common for the latter.
Its connotation is almost always neutral or positive, signaling growth, progress, and ambition.
Example Sentences
Example 1:
我们公司计划明年扩大生产规模。
Pinyin: Wǒmen gōngsī jìhuà míngnián kuòdà shēngchǎn guīmó.
English: Our company plans to expand the scale of production next year.
Analysis: A classic business usage. 规模 (guīmó) means “scale,” a word that pairs perfectly with 扩大.
Example 2:
为了找到失踪的猫，我们不得不扩大搜索范围。
Pinyin: Wèile zhǎodào shīzōng de māo, wǒmen bùdébù kuòdà sōusuǒ fànwéi.
English: In order to find the missing cat, we had to expand the search area.
Analysis: Here, 扩大 refers to a physical area or scope. 范围 (fànwéi) means “scope” or “range.”
Example 3:
阅读可以帮助你扩大知识面。
Pinyin: Yuèdú kěyǐ bāngzhù nǐ kuòdà zhīshi miàn.
English: Reading can help you broaden your knowledge.
Analysis: This shows 扩大 used for an abstract concept. 知识面 (zhīshi miàn) literally means “knowledge surface,” a metaphor for the scope of one's knowledge.
Example 4:
这个国家正试图扩大其在世界上的影响力。
Pinyin: Zhège guójiā zhèng shìtú kuòdà qí zài shìjiè shàng de yǐngxiǎnglì.
English: This country is trying to expand its influence in the world.
Analysis: A common geopolitical usage. 影响力 (yǐngxiǎnglì) means “influence.”
Example 5:
政府正在采取措施扩大内需。
Pinyin: Zhèngfǔ zhèngzài cǎiqǔ cuòshī kuòdà nèixū.
English: The government is taking measures to expand domestic demand.
Analysis: This is a set phrase from Chinese economic news. 内需 (nèixū) means “domestic demand.”
Example 6:
由于申请人数众多，学校决定扩大招生。
Pinyin: Yóuyú shēnqǐng rénshù zhòngduō, xuéxiào juédìng kuòdà zhāoshēng.
English: Due to the large number of applicants, the school decided to expand its student enrollment.
Analysis: 招生 (zhāoshēng) means “to recruit students.” 扩大招生 means to accept more students than originally planned.
Example 7:
这两家公司之间的技术差距正在扩大。
Pinyin: Zhè liǎng jiā gōngsī zhījiān de jìshù chājù zhèngzài kuòdà.
English: The technology gap between these two companies is widening.
Analysis: Here, 扩大 means to widen or increase, referring to a gap or difference (差距 chājù). It can have a negative connotation in this context.
Example 8:
你可以把这张地图扩大一下吗？我看不清楚。
Pinyin: Nǐ kěyǐ bǎ zhè zhāng dìtú kuòdà yíxià ma? Wǒ kàn bù qīngchǔ.
English: Can you enlarge this map a bit? I can't see it clearly.
Analysis: A practical example of physical enlargement. Note that for digital maps or photos, 放大 (fàngdà) is often more common.
Example 9:
通过这次旅行，我扩大了我的眼界。
Pinyin: Tōngguò zhè cì lǚxíng, wǒ kuòdà le wǒ de yǎnjiè.
English: Through this trip, I broadened my horizons.
Analysis: 扩大眼界 (kuòdà yǎnjiè) is a common, slightly formal phrase for “broadening one's horizons.”
Example 10:
为了增加产量，他们建了一个新厂房来扩大工厂。
Pinyin: Wèile zēngjiā chǎnliàng, tāmen jiàn le yí ge xīn chǎngfáng lái kuòdà gōngchǎng.
English: In order to increase output, they built a new workshop to enlarge the factory.
Analysis: This shows a clear case of expanding a physical building or space.
Nuances and Common Mistakes
The most common mistake for learners is confusing 扩大 (kuòdà) with 增加 (zēngjiā).
Using 扩大 in very casual situations can sound overly formal or stiff. For example, instead of saying “我要扩大我的朋友圈 (wǒ yào kuòdà wǒ de péngyouquān)” (I want to expand my circle of friends), a native speaker would more likely say “我想多交一些朋友 (wǒ xiǎng duō jiāo yìxiē péngyou)” (I want to make more friends).
增加 (zēngjiā) - To increase (in number, amount). The most important term to distinguish from 扩大.
发展 (fāzhǎn) - To develop; development. Often used alongside 扩大, as expansion is a form of development.
放大 (fàngdà) - To magnify, to zoom in. More specific than 扩大, used for images, text, and sound volume.
扩张 (kuòzhāng) - To expand, to aggrandize. A stronger, sometimes more aggressive synonym for 扩大, often used in military or corporate takeover contexts.
推广 (tuīguǎng) - To promote, popularize, or spread. A type of expansion focused on making something (like a product or an idea) more widely known and used.
缩小 (suōxiǎo) - Antonym: to shrink, reduce, or scale down. The direct opposite of 扩大.
延伸 (yánshēn) - To extend, to stretch. Refers to making something longer in a linear way, like extending a road or a deadline.