Meaning
阔 describes something physically wide or broad in space, or metaphorically indicates wealth and lavishness. It can refer to physical dimensions like a wide road or vast ocean, as well as a person's wealthy status or extravagant lifestyle.
Usage
阔 is commonly used in written and formal contexts. For physical width, 宽 (kuān) is more common in everyday speech. When describing wealthy people, 阔 often appears in compounds like 阔气 (extravagant) or 富阔 (wealthy). It frequently combines with other characters to form descriptive compounds.
Examples
- 01这条河很宽阔，足有一百米宽。, .This river is very wide, at least one hundred meters across.
- 02他最近发财了，出手很阔气。, .He recently became wealthy and spends money very lavishly.
Common collocations
- 宽阔broad, wide, spacious
- 辽阔vast, boundless
- 阔气extravagant, lavish
- 开阔open, wide (view, mind)
Antonyms
Origin
The traditional form 闊 contains the gate radical 門, suggesting an opening or space, combined with 活 which provides the phonetic component. The semantic evolution from 'wide opening' to 'wealthy' reflects how spaciousness became associated with affluence.