拡 means “expand, widen, spread”

かく · kaku

Also: broaden, extend, enlarge

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

ひろがる, ひろげる, ひろめる

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

カク, コウ

JLPT N1 · Taught in grade 6 · 8 strokes

The story

A hand (扌) beside wide (広): spreading something open with your fingers, like pinching to zoom. 拡 is to widen: 拡大 is enlarging, 拡張子 is a file extension, and 拡散 is a post spreading across social media.

Used in 拡大 (kakudai, expansion/enlargement), 拡散 (kakusan, spread/diffusion), and 拡張 (kakuchou, extension)

More from Grow & Wane

• 盛 heap up
• 興 interest
• 縮 shrink
• 充 fill
• 隆 rise
• 茂 grow thick
• 繁 thriving
• 尽 run out
• 膨 swell
• 殖 multiply
• 騰 soar
• 衰 decline

Learn 拡 and more kanji free on Fuji Learning · All kanji

Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.