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Kanji 膨: meanings, readings, and example words.

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Kanji 膨: swell, get fat, thick

Key takeaways

Kanji 膨: swell, get fat, thick. Readings and core meaning.

See vocabulary and examples below.

Kanji at a glance

N1

Meaning

swellget fatthick

On reading

ボウ

Kun reading

ふく.らむふく.れる

Radical

Core meaning / core image

Core meaning: 膨

swell, get fat, thick

Kanji structure breakdown

Structure breakdown

月 + 彭

Mnemonic story

Mnemonic story

Imagine the body (月) swelling up as tight as a drum (彭). It represents the act of swelling or expanding in volume, as seen in the word 'expansion' (膨脹).

On'yomi and kun'yomi

On reading

ボウ
  • 膨脹ぼうちょう

    expansion / swelling / growth

  • 膨大ぼうだい

    huge / enormous / vast amount

Kun reading

ふく.らむ
  • 膨れるふくれる

    to get sulky / to swell / to bulge

  • 膨らむふくらむ

    to expand / to swell / to become bigger

Commonly used words

  • 膨脹
    ぼうちょう

    expansion / swelling / growth

  • 膨大
    ぼうだい

    huge / enormous / vast amount

  • 膨れる
    ふくれる

    to get sulky / to swell / to bulge

  • 膨らむ
    ふくらむ

    to expand / to swell / to become bigger

Example sentences

Example 1

お腹がふくれて苦しい。

Translation

My stomach is swollen and it hurts.

Example 2

彼は怒ってふくれた顔をした。

Translation

He got angry and made a sulky face.

Example 3

風船の脹が早い。

Translation

The balloon's expansion is fast.

Example 4

経済の脹に注意する。

Translation

Be careful of economic expansion.

Kanji 膨: swell, get fat, thick | Daily Nihongo