放大
fàngdà · HSK 5
magnify
🔍 放 = release/put + 大 = big → release into bigness = magnify
放 means to release or set out; 大 means big. Together: let something become big — to enlarge or magnify. Used for zooming in, blowing up photos, or amplifying sound.
放 — 方 (square/phonetic) + 攵 (rap/strike radical)
放 is a semantic-phonetic compound: 方 supplies the sound and 攵 (a hand holding a stick) supplies the meaning of striking or driving away. The original sense was to banish or drive out, which broadened over time to 'release', 'let go', and 'put down'.
大 — pictograph of a person with arms outstretched
大 is a pictograph showing a person standing with arms and legs spread wide. The outstretched arms suggest 'big' or 'great', extending from the literal image of a large stance to abstract meanings like important or grand. It is one of the oldest characters, found on oracle bones.