擴

Phono-semantic compound:

手 (hand radical) – semantic, indicating action done by the hand, extending or spreading.

廣 (broad, wide) – phonetic element, providing the sound and reinforcing the idea of spaciousness.

Together, the character conveys the action of using the hands to make something wider or more spacious.

Semantic range:

- to broaden, enlarge, expand in size;

- to amplify (a scope, influence, or statement);

- to extend boundaries or make more spacious;

- figuratively: to magnify or increase in degree.

擴大 (확대) – to enlarge, expansion

擴散 (확산) – to spread, to diffuse

擴充 (확충) – to augment, to reinforce

擴張 (확장) – to expand, to stretch out

擴音 (확음) – amplification of sound

Originally a polyphonic character: could be read with departing or entering tone (거성/입성) without significant change in meaning. Some of this tonal variation survives in modern dialects.