# 膨 — swell

膨 means “swell”. It is a JLPT N1 kanji written with 16 strokes. On'yomi: ボウ (bou). Kun'yomi: ふく(らむ) (fukuramu). You'll see it in words such as 膨れる (fukureru, “to swell; to expand”).

- Meaning: swell
- On'yomi: ボウ (bou)
- Kun'yomi: ふく(らむ) (fukuramu)
- Strokes: 16
- Level: JLPT N1 · set Shapes 1

## How to remember 膨

Parts: 月 moon; flesh · 吉 good luck · 豆 bean · 彡 hair

## Words with 膨

| Word | Reading | Meaning |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 膨れる | ふくれる (fukureru) | to swell; to expand |
| 膨らむ | ふくらむ (fukuramu) | to expand; to swell |
| 膨らます | ふくらます (fukuramasu) | to swell; to expand |

## More in the “Shapes 1” set

[模](https://moji.ninja/n1-kanji/imitate/) · [枠](https://moji.ninja/n1-kanji/frame/) · [範](https://moji.ninja/n1-kanji/pattern/) · [柄](https://moji.ninja/n1-kanji/pattern-on-fabric/) · [膨](https://moji.ninja/n1-kanji/swell/) · [丈](https://moji.ninja/n1-kanji/length/) · [屈](https://moji.ninja/n1-kanji/stoop/)

---

From Moji Ninja (https://moji.ninja/), a free app for learning hiragana, katakana and the JLPT kanji from N5 to N1 with spaced repetition. Page: https://moji.ninja/n1-kanji/swell/. Last updated 2026-11-01.