补 (bǔ) - to mend, repair, patch & to supplement, make up for

补Tone 3

bǔ ｜ 7 strokes ｜ radical: 衤

傲不

补 · bǔ

to mend, repair, patch;

to supplement, make up for;

to nourish, benefit;

to fill a vacancy

to mend, repair, patchto supplement, make up forto nourish, benefit

Usage highlights

supplementmake up formend clothesmake up missed lessonsnutritional supplementfill a vacancy

Synonyms

  • 修— to repair, fix
  • 添— to add, supplement
  • 充— to fill, replenish

Antonyms

  • 损— to damage, harm
  • 破— to break, destroy
  • 耗— to consume, deplete

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • I need to mend my clothes (补衣服).
  • She takes nutritional supplements (补充营养).
  • He is making up missed classes (补课).
  • This medicine helps nourish the body (补身体).

Collocations

  • supplement(补充)
  • make up for(补偿)
  • mend clothes(补衣服)
  • make up missed lessons(补课)
  • nutritional supplement(补品)
  • fill a vacancy(补缺)

Idioms

  • Mend the pen after the sheep are lost(亡羊补牢)
  • Make up for deficiencies and leakages(补偏救弊)
  • Patch up the sky(补天浴日)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In traditional Chinese medicine, '补' refers to tonifying or nourishing the body to restore health and balance.
  • The concept reflects the Chinese value of remediation and making amends, as in 'mending the pen after the sheep are lost' (亡羊补牢).

FAQ