Japanese symbol for “expand”
膨らむ
ふくらむ
Romaji: fukuramu
to expand; to swell (out); to get big; to become inflated
In Japanese, expand is 膨らむ, read ふくらむ (fukuramu).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- v5m, vi to expand; to swell (out); to get big; to become inflated
Written forms: 膨らむ、脹らむ. Readings: ふくらむ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “expand”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 広げる | ひろげる hirogeru | to spread; to extend; to expand |
| 膨れる | ふくれる fukureru | to swell (out); to expand; to be inflated |
| 膨らます | ふくらます fukuramasu | to swell; to expand; to inflate |
| 伸びる | のびる nobiru | to make progress; to develop; to expand |
| 伸ばす | のばす nobasu | to strengthen; to develop; to expand |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 膨大 | ぼうだい boudai | huge; vast; enormous |
| 膨張 | ぼうちょう bouchou | expansion; swelling; increase |
| 膨れる | ふくれる fukureru | to swell (out); to expand; to be inflated |
| 膨らみ | ふくらみ fukurami | swelling; bulge; puff |
| 膨らます | ふくらます fukuramasu | to swell; to expand; to inflate |
See also: Chinese symbol for “expand”.
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.