膨胀
péngzhàng · HSK 7
inflate
🎈 膨 swell + 胀 bloat — both carry 月 (body) radical, so it is the body puffing up
膨胀 doubles two near-synonyms for swelling. 胀 = 月 (flesh) + 长 (grow), the sense of flesh growing or distending; 膨 adds the same 月 radical. Used for balloons, gases, and economic inflation alike.
胀 — flesh radical 月 + 长 (long/grow, phonetic)
A semantic-phonetic compound. The 月 (flesh/body) radical signals a bodily condition, while 长 zhǎng suggests both the sound and the idea of growing or stretching. Together they convey the body swelling or expanding, hence meanings like 'swollen,' 'bloated,' or 'distended.'