膨 meaning and stroke order
Bloated, inflated, swollen; to swell
How to write 膨, stroke by stroke
16 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 膨
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- swollen
How 膨 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Flesh.
⺼ gives the meaning and 彭 hints at the sound.
Radical: ⺼ (meat), shared by 176 characters on this site.
How to remember 膨
The flesh radical ⺼ on the left shows a body part, and 彭 (péng) on the right gives the sound. Picture flesh puffing up and swelling with a loud péng.
膨 almost never appears alone. It is mainly used in 膨胀 (péngzhàng), which can describe physical expansion, like heated air, or abstract growth, like prices or ego. Example: 物体受热会膨胀。(Wùtǐ shòu rè huì péngzhàng.) Objects expand when heated.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes write the left side as 月 (moon) and assume it is a different character. In 膨 that shape is the flesh radical ⺼. Do not confuse 膨 with 澎 (péng), which has the water radical and appears in 澎湃 (péngpài), surging.
Common words with 膨
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
膨 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 膨
How many strokes are in 膨?
膨 is written with 16 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 膨 mean?
膨 (péng) means bloated, inflated, swollen; to swell. A common word with it is 膨胀 (péngzhàng), meaning "to expand; to inflate".
How do you pronounce 膨?
膨 is pronounced péng, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 膨?
The radical of 膨 is ⺼, which carries the idea of "meat". Dictionaries list 膨 under this radical.
Is 膨 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 膨 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What does 通货膨胀 mean and is there a shorter form?
通货膨胀 (tōnghuò péngzhàng) means economic inflation, a rise in prices. In news and speech it is often shortened to 通胀 (tōngzhàng).
Can 膨胀 describe a person?
Yes. Used about a person, 膨胀 means getting arrogant or full of oneself, often after success. For example, 他最近有点膨胀。(Tā zuìjìn yǒudiǎn péngzhàng.) He has gotten a bit big-headed lately.