膨らむ

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 膨らむ is read as ふくらむ and is an intransitive verb meaning to swell in volume as something fills or to grow in amount, expectation, or another abstract sense.
• Basic usage: Bread dough swelling as it bakes appears in 生地が膨らむ, while anticipation growing appears in 期待が膨らむ.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Physical swelling and abstract growth
  • It applies both to an object increasing in volume and to expectations, costs, or ideas growing figuratively.
• Difference from 膨らませる
  • This word is intransitive, while the comparison verb is transitive and means to inflate or enlarge something.