Mandarin TempleMandarin Temple Beta Come for Knowledge. Stay for Wisdom.
Start your Chinese Learning JourneyStart Now
膨 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
膨péngswollenv, 16 strokes, radical ⺼, rank #30774, Very Hard
膨péngbloated, inflated, swollen; to swellv, 16 strokes, radical ⺼, rank #30774, Very Hard
péng(peng2) T2
  1. 1swollen
  2. 2bloated, inflated, swollen; to swell
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
膨péng(peng2)

The character 膨 (péng) refers to the state of being swollen, bloated, or inflated. It is commonly used to describe physical objects that have expanded in size, such as a balloon or a swollen body part. In a metaphorical sense, it can also describe something that has become exaggerated or overly inflated in importance or value.

Strokes16Radical⺼Frequency#30774DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese medicine, swelling can be associated with various imbalances in the body, and the concept of '膨' may often appear in discussions about health and wellness. This aligns with the cultural emphasis on physical health and balance.

Memory Tip

Imagine a balloon that has been filled with too much air and is about to pop. The character 膨 has a radical that resembles the fleshy part of the body (月), suggesting something swollen or inflated. Connect 'péng' with the idea of 'plump' to remember its meaning.

Meanings of 膨

péng(peng2)
1swollen
2bloated, inflated, swollen; to swell
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 膨

膨Simplified
16Strokes
⺼Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#30774Frequency Rank

Podcast: 膨

JasonAmy

Podcast: 膨

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 膨

Quick Contrast

膨 (péng) vs 扩 (kuò): Use 膨 when describing something that is swollen or inflated, while 扩 is used for the act of expanding or enlarging without the connotation of swelling.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a balloon that has been filled with too much air and is about to pop. The character 膨 has a radical that resembles the fleshy part of the body (月), suggesting something swollen or inflated. Connect 'péng' with the idea of 'plump' to remember its meaning.

Usage Notes

膨 is typically used in informal contexts when describing physical conditions or objects. Be mindful of its tone, as using the wrong tone could lead to misunderstandings. Common collocations include 膨胀 (péngzhàng), meaning 'to expand' or 'to swell'.

HSK Study Tips

膨 is not part of the official HSK vocabulary list, but it connects to HSK Level 3 words like 膜 (mó, membrane) and 肥 (féi, fat) in discussing physical conditions. Focus on recognizing it in context, especially when reading about health or physical descriptions.

Cultural Note

In Chinese medicine, swelling can be associated with various imbalances in the body, and the concept of '膨' may often appear in discussions about health and wellness. This aligns with the cultural emphasis on physical health and balance.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 膨 (péng) with 膨胀 (péngzhàng), using them interchangeably. Remember that 膨 describes the state of being swollen, while 膨胀 specifically refers to the action of swelling or expanding.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 膨

Premium — Locked

AI tone practice

Pro

Drill the tone of 膨 with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.

Tone drillsInstant feedback+5 XP
See plans to unlock

Etymology of 膨

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Memory Hint

flesh

Semantic (meaning)⺼
+
Phonetic (sound)彭
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 膨?

Decomposition of 膨

IDS Structure⿰⺼彭
膨Full Character
=
⺼rou4
left
彭Peng2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 膨?

Write 膨

膨

Practice writing 膨 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 膨

膨 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 2 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

通货____胀的下降是长期经济衰退中的一线转机。

The fall in inflation is the silver lining of the prolonged recession.

Example Sentences for 膨 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
通货膨胀的下降是长期经济衰退中的一线转机。

tōng huò péng zhàng de xià jiàng shì cháng qī jīng jì shuāi tuì zhōng de yī xiàn zhuǎn jī。

The fall in inflation is the silver lining of the prolonged recession.
2
随着移居者南移，人口出现膨胀，至少是暂时性膨胀。

suí zháo yí jū zhě nán yí， ， rén kǒu chū xiàn péng， zhàng ， zhì shǎo shì zàn shí xìng。

The human population swelled, at least temporarily, as migrants moved south.
3
通货膨胀使得卢布变成了毫无价值的货币。

tōng huò péng zhàng shǐ dé lú bù biàn chéng le háo wú jià zhí de huò bì。

Inflation has turned the rouble into a toytown currency.
4
他正全力应对如何解决通货膨胀的问题。

tā zhèng quán lì yīng duì rú hé jiě jué tōng huò péng zhàng de wèn tí。

He is tussling with the problem of what to do about inflation.
5
她警告说对待通货膨胀不能有一丝的懈怠。

tā jǐng gào shuō duì dài tōng huò péng zhàng bù néng yǒu yī sī de xiè dài。

She warned that there was no room for complacency on inflation.
6
他害怕通货膨胀会在年终更加严重。

tā hài pà tōng huò péng zhàng huì zài nián zhōng gēng jiā yán zhòng。

He fears inflation will ratchet up as the year ends.
7
他们相信控制货币供应量会减少通货膨胀。

tā mén xiāng xìn kòng zhì huò bì gōng yīng liáng huì jiǎn shǎo tōng huò péng zhàng。

They believed that controlling the money supply would reduce inflation.
8
通货膨胀的危险在证券价格上已经表现得很明显。

tōng huò péng zhàng de wēi xiǎn zài zhèng quàn jià gé shàng yǐ jīng biǎo xiàn dé hěn míng xiǎn。

The threat of inflation is already evident in bond prices.
9
如果再发生严重的通货膨胀，那么利率就会迅速上调。

rú guǒ zài fā shēng yán zhòng de tōng huò péng zhàng， ， nà mó lì shuài jiù huì xùn sù shàng。

If raging inflation returns, then interest rates will shoot up.
10
过去的两年里通货膨胀已经明显放缓。

guò qù de liǎng nián lǐ tōng huò péng zhàng yǐ jīng míng xiǎn fàng huǎn。

Inflation has decelerated remarkably over the past two years.

Cultural Notes for 膨

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese medicine, swelling can be associated with various imbalances in the body, and the concept of '膨' may often appear in discussions about health and wellness. This aligns with the cultural emphasis on physical health and balance.

Word Family of 膨

Words Containing This Character4
膨胀péngzhàngto expand膨脹
通货膨胀tōnghuòpéngzhànginflation通貨膨脹
膨péngswollen
膨润土bentonite (mineralogy)膨潤土
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 膨胀 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 膨

膨胀 (péngzhàng) is a common verb meaning 'to swell' or 'to expand'.