Chinese word

扩散

Pronunciation

Pinyinkuò sàn

Meaning

  • verbspread

Example

烟雾在山谷里慢慢扩散开来。yān wù zài shān gǔ lǐ màn màn kuò sàn kāi lái

The smoke slowly spreads through the valley.

Illustration for 扩散 (spread)

More examples

染料在水中慢慢扩散，颜色变得均匀。rǎn liào zài shuǐ zhōng màn màn kuò sàn yán sè biàn de jūn yún

The dye slowly spreads in the water, making the color even.

Core concept

Something moves outward from a local point and occupies an increasingly wide area.

Common phrases

  • 消息扩散xiāo xī kuò sàn

    news spreads

  • 气味扩散qì wèi kuò sàn

    a smell spreads

  • 向周围扩散xiàng zhōu wéi kuò sàn

    spreading outward

Similar words

传播chuán bō: Pass information or ideas through people or media so they reach more people.
扩大kuò dà: Grow larger in size, quantity, or effect.
扩展kuò zhǎn: Widen a range or add content to increase uses or possibilities.
蔓延màn yán: Extend widely from place to place, usually with harmful effects.

Definition in Chinese

使某物或影响从局部向周围分散并占据更大范围，侧重表示范围或影响力的扩大。shǐ mǒu wù huò yíng xiǎng cóng jú bù xiàng zhōu wéi fēn sàn bìng zhàn jù gèng dà fàn wéi cè zhòng biǎo shì fàn wéi huò yíng xiǎng lì de kuò dà

Word origin

扩 (kuò, "expand") + 散 (sàn, "scatter") forms a compound for expansion through outward dispersal.

Usage tips

  • For news or online content, the focus is on its reach becoming wider, not necessarily on a particular person deliberately passing it from one person to another.

Opposites

Related words

  • 扩散作用kuò sàn zuò yòngdiffusion effectnoun
  • 扩散率kuò sàn lǜdiffusion ratenoun

Word lists with this word