補 (bǔ) - To mend, repair, patch, supplement, fill, make up & to nourish, benefit

補Tone 3

bǔ ｜ 12 strokes ｜ radical:

傲不

補 · bǔ

To mend, repair, patch, supplement, fill, make up for a deficiency;

to nourish, benefit;

to help, assist.

To mend, repair, patch, supplement, fill, make upto nourish, benefitto help, assist.

Usage highlights

Mend clothesNutritional supplementMake up lessonsSubsidyRepair a tireTonify the kidneys

Synonyms

  • 修— to repair, fix
  • 添— to add, increase
  • 益— to benefit, increase

Antonyms

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

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • I need to mend my clothes (补衣服).
  • Take nutritional supplements (补品) for health.
  • She is making up missed lessons (补课).
  • The government provides subsidies (补贴) to farmers.
  • This medicine tonifies the kidneys (补肾).

Collocations

  • Mend clothes(补衣服)
  • Nutritional supplement(补品)
  • Make up lessons(补课)
  • Subsidy(补贴)
  • Repair a tire(补胎)
  • Tonify the kidneys(补肾)

Idioms

  • Mending the fold after the sheep are lost(亡羊补牢)
  • Make up for deficiencies(取长补短)
  • No benefit whatsoever(无补于事)
  • Mend the sky with melted stones(炼石补天)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In traditional Chinese medicine, '补' refers to tonifying or nourishing the body to restore balance and vitality.
  • The character embodies the Confucian value of self-cultivation and continuous improvement.
  • In folk culture, certain foods are considered '补' (tonifying) and are consumed during specific seasons or for particular health benefits.

FAQ