宽 kuān — lenient; wide; broad
学校门前有一条宽阔的大路。Xué xiào mén qián yǒu yì tiáo kuān kuò de dà lù.There is a wide road in front of the school.
Common words: 宽广 (kuān guǎng)、宽度 (kuān dù)、宽敞 (kuān chang)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "broad"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "broad", including 宽 (kuān), 泛 (fàn), 阔 (kuò). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "broad" covers 3 different Chinese characters — 宽 (kuān), 泛 (fàn), 阔 (kuò) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 3 characters do not share a sound — their readings span kuān, fàn, kuò — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 宽 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 宽 kuānlenient; wide; broadUseful words: 宽广, 宽度
- 泛 fànbroad; vast; float; pan-; float; generalUseful words: 广泛, 泛滥
- 阔 kuòrich; wide; broadUseful words: 广阔, 开阔
Common words for these 3 "broad" characters
Anchor each of these 3 characters in a word you can picture — start with 宽 (kuān) — so "broad" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
宽广kuān guǎngwide; broad; extensive; vast宽度kuān dùwidth宽敞kuān changspacious; wide广泛guǎng fànwide; broad; extensive; widespread泛滥fàn lànto overflow; to inundate; to flood; (fig.) to proliferate unchecked宽泛kuān fànwide-ranging广阔guǎng kuòwide; vast开阔kāi kuòwide; open (spaces); to open up宽阔kuān kuòexpansive; wide; width; thickness
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 3 ways to say "broad".
泛 fàn — broad; vast; float; pan-; float; general
微风吹过，湖面泛起一圈圈波纹。Wēi fēng chuī guò, hú miàn fàn qǐ yì quān quān bō wén.A breeze blew, and ripples spread across the lake.
Common words: 广泛 (guǎng fàn)、泛滥 (fàn làn)、宽泛 (kuān fàn)
阔 kuò — rich; wide; broad
草原一望无际，十分辽阔。Cǎo yuán yí wàng wú jì, shí fēn liáo kuò.The grassland stretches endlessly and is very vast.
Common words: 广阔 (guǎng kuò)、开阔 (kāi kuò)、宽阔 (kuān kuò)
All 3 characters
Open 宽、泛、阔 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.