扩大 (kuòdà) — to expand, to enlarge

扩大 (kuòdà)

扩大 means to expand or enlarge the scope, scale, or size of something, typically implying a deliberate or significant widening of reach or capacity.

Meanings

1. [verb] to expand, to enlarge, to extend, to broaden (scope, scale, influence)
2. [noun] expansion, enlargement (in compound structures)

Example Sentences

公司计划扩大在亚洲市场的业务范围。 Gōngsī jìhuà kuòdà zài Yàzhōu shìchǎng de yèwù fànwéi. The company plans to expand its business scope in the Asian market.

政府采取措施扩大就业，缓解失业压力。 Zhèngfǔ cǎiqǔ cuòshī kuòdà jiùyè, huǎnjiě shīyè yālì. The government has taken measures to expand employment and ease unemployment pressure.

我们需要扩大对话，听取更多不同的声音。 Wǒmen xūyào kuòdà duìhuà, tīngqǔ gèng duō bùtóng de shēngyīn. We need to expand the dialogue and hear more different voices.

学校计划扩大招生规模以满足社会需求。 Xuéxiào jìhuà kuòdà zhāoshēng guīmó yǐ mǎnzú shèhuì xūqiú. The school plans to expand its enrollment scale to meet social needs.

两国关系不断改善，合作领域也在逐步扩大。 Liǎng guó guānxi bùduàn gǎishàn, hézuò lǐngyù yě zài zhúbù kuòdà. Relations between the two countries continue to improve, and the areas of cooperation are gradually expanding.

扩大内需是促进经济发展的重要途径之一。 Kuòdà nèi xū shì cùjìn jīngjì fāzhǎn de zhòng yào tújìng zhī yī. Expanding domestic demand is one of the important ways to promote economic development.

Collocations

Usage Notes

扩大 implies active, purposeful enlargement and is typically used with objects that represent areas, scopes, or ranges (市场, 规模, 影响, 范围). It contrasts with 缩小 (to reduce, to narrow) in many contexts. Unlike 增长 (which implies numerical growth), 扩大 suggests spreading outward into new territories or domains.

At B2 level, 扩大 is commonly encountered in business, policy, and diplomatic contexts where expansion of operations, markets, or cooperation is discussed.

Memory Hook

扩 means to expand outward, and 大 means big -- 扩大 is to make something bigger by pushing it outward, like expanding a balloon until it takes up more space.