弘 hóng to enlarge
to enlarge; to expand
怎么记住“弘”: 弓 bow + 厶 private = to enlarge. The old woman makes a bow for archers in her private workshop, and business is so good that she wants to enlarge it.
部件结构
会意 · Meaning + meaning
originally 弓 + 口
Two or more parts whose meanings together make the new meaning.
弘 = 弓 bow + 厶 private
- 弓 bow meaning + sound
- 厶 private shape only
The old woman makes a bow for archers in her private workshop, and business is so good that she wants to enlarge it.
How it came to be
It began as a bow and a mouth, the sound a bow makes and so a loud sound; the mouth later changed shape.
用法
- To spread widely / grand: 弘扬 (hóngyáng) to carry forward and promote; 弘扬传统文化 (hóngyáng chuántǒng wénhuà) to promote traditional culture.
- 弘大 (hóngdà) / 恢弘 (huīhóng) = grand and magnificent. Formal, often in cultural/official contexts.