Question

膨 ふく.らむ、ふく.れる 膨脹(ぼうちょう): expansion; swelling; increase; growth膨大(ぼうだい): huge; bulky; enormous; extensive; swelling; expansion膨れる(ふくれる): (1) to swell (out); to expand; to be inflated; to distend; to bulge (2) to get cross; to get sulky; to pout膨らむ(ふくらむ): to expand; to swell (out); to get big; to become inflated膨らます(ふくらます): to swell; to expand; to inflate; to bulge S 肉: meat彭: swelling; sound of drum 肉 6 (none) swell Which part of your body can change shape and, when it does, swells up and throbs like a drumb? Hmmm...

Accepted Answer

ボウ swell, get fat, thick 1 1293 16 130 にく・にくづき 形声 Phonetic This kanji does not mean swell as in a inflammation. There is a different kanji for that meaning (腫れる). This kanji means swell as in, a tire swelling/expanding, your income swelling/expanding, dough swelling/expanding, etc. Johnskb's story is best b/c it does not involve swelling in the sense of inflammation, just general expansion of the stomach. STORY: "If a PART OF your BODY begins to SWELL/EXPAND and resembles the SHAPE of a bass DRUM, you’re either pregnant or in desperate need of a diet.".

Kanji	膨
Onyomi	ボウ
Kunyomi	ふく.らむ、ふく.れる
English	swell, get fat, thick
Examples	膨脹(ぼうちょう): expansion; swelling; increase; growth 膨大(ぼうだい): huge; bulky; enormous; extensive; swelling; expansion 膨れる(ふくれる): (1) to swell (out); to expand; to be inflated; to distend; to bulge (2) to get cross; to get sulky; to pout 膨らむ(ふくらむ): to expand; to swell (out); to get big; to become inflated 膨らます(ふくらます): to swell; to expand; to inflate; to bulge
JLPT Level	1
Jouyou Grade	S
Frequency	1293
Components	肉: meat 彭: swelling; sound of drum
Number of Strokes	16
Kanji Radical	肉
Radical Number	130
Radical Strokes	6
Radical Reading	にく・にくづき
Traditional Form	(none)
Classification	形声 Phonetic
Keyword	swell
Koohii Story 1	This kanji does not mean swell as in a inflammation. There is a different kanji for that meaning (腫れる). This kanji means swell as in, a tire swelling/expanding, your income swelling/expanding, dough swelling/expanding, etc. Johnskb's story is best b/c it does not involve swelling in the sense of inflammation, just general expansion of the stomach. STORY: "If a PART OF your BODY begins to SWELL/EXPAND and resembles the SHAPE of a bass DRUM, you’re either pregnant or in desperate need of a diet.".
Koohii Story 2	Which part of your body can change shape and, when it does, swells up and throbs like a drumb? Hmmm...

Swell Swelling Expand Kanji Swelling/Expanding Expansion Bulge Part