Meaning
拓展 means to expand or extend something into new areas or dimensions. It emphasizes actively opening up new territory, whether physical space, business markets, knowledge domains, or capabilities. The word carries a sense of pushing boundaries and developing something beyond its current scope.
Usage
Commonly used in business contexts (expanding markets, operations), education (broadening knowledge), and personal development (expanding skills or horizons). It's more formal than 扩大 and emphasizes the active, developmental aspect of expansion. Frequently paired with words like 市场 (market), 业务 (business), 视野 (horizons), and 空间 (space).
Examples
- 01公司计划明年拓展海外市场。.The company plans to expand into overseas markets next year.
- 02阅读可以拓展你的视野和知识面。.Reading can broaden your horizons and knowledge base.
Characters
Common collocations
- 拓展市场to expand the market
- 拓展业务to expand business operations
- 拓展视野to broaden one's horizons
- 拓展空间to expand space/room for development
Antonyms
Origin
拓 originally meant to make rubbings of inscriptions, carrying the sense of spreading or extending. Combined with 展 (to unfold, display), the compound emphasizes opening up and developing new areas.