Translation guide
The English verb "broaden" means to make something wider or more extensive, or to become wider or more extensive. In Japanese, there is no single direct equivalent; the translation depends on whether you are broadening a physical object, a scope, knowledge, experience, or a range of options. This guide covers the most common and natural ways to express these ideas.
To expand one's understanding, skills, or life experiences.
I want to study abroad and broaden my horizons.
Starting a new hobby broadened my horizons.
A slightly formal phrase meaning 'broaden one's knowledge and experience', often used in writing or speeches.
Traveling is a good opportunity to broaden your knowledge and experience.
Literally 'broaden knowledge', this is a straightforward way to say 'broaden one's knowledge'.
I read books to broaden my knowledge.
Means 'to accumulate experience', often used when broadening practical experience.
I want to broaden my experience through volunteering.
To make something include more variety, a wider area, or more choices.
The most common transitive verb meaning 'to broaden' or 'to widen'. Used for physical and abstract things like scope, range, or influence.
Broaden the scope of the business.
The intransitive counterpart of 広げる, meaning 'to broaden' or 'to widen' by itself. Use when the subject itself becomes broader.
Means 'to enlarge' or 'to expand', often used for scale, scope, or business. More formal than 広げる.
Broaden the market.
Means 'to expand and enrich', often used for services, facilities, or systems. Formal and business-like.
Broaden the range of services.
To make something physically wider or broader.
The standard verb for physically widening something, like opening a map or spreading out a cloth.
Intransitive: the road broadens, the view broadens.
Means 'to extend' or 'to expand', often used for physical expansion like building extensions or road widening. More technical.
A plan to broaden the road.
To make a smile wider or more pronounced.
Literally 'a smile spreads', this is the natural way to say a smile broadens across one's face.
A smile broadened across his face.
Means 'to smile broadly' or 'to grin'. It describes the action of breaking into a broad smile.
She smiled broadly with happiness.
広げる (hirogeru) is transitive: someone broadens something. 広がる (hirogaru) is intransitive: something broadens by itself. Be careful not to mix them up. Example: 視野を広げる (broaden one's horizons) vs. 視野が広がる (one's horizons broaden).
Do not use ブロードン or try to directly translate 'broaden' as a single word. Japanese uses different verbs depending on what is being broadened. Using 広げる for everything can sound unnatural; for knowledge and experience, use set phrases like 視野を広げる or 見聞を広める.
Broaden one's options.
交流の輪が広がる。
One's circle of acquaintances broadens.
One's horizons broaden.
Construction to broaden the road.
この先で道が広がる。
The road broadens up ahead.