TongTong
Sign in

互补 (hù bǔ) — to complement each other; to be complementary

Definition

Used when two sides mutually complete each other, each filling what the other lacks. Unlike 补充 (one side adds to the other) or 弥补 (compensates for a loss/mistake), 互补 is symmetrical.

verb
to complement each otherto be complementary

Examples

  • 互补，。
    Hóng hé lǜ shì hù bǔ sè, fàng zài yì qǐ hěn xié tiáo.
    Red and green are complementary colors; they look harmonious together.
  • 互补，，。
    Zhè liǎng gè tuán duì hù bǔ, yí gè shàn cháng shè jì, yí gè shàn cháng yíng xiāo.
    These two teams complement each other — one excels at design, the other at marketing.
  • 互补，。
    Tā men de guān diǎn hù bǔ, tǎo lùn qǐ lái hěn yǒu shēn dù.
    Their viewpoints complement each other, making discussions very insightful.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

互hùmutually
补bǔcomplement

'互' gives the sense of mutual relation, while '补' gives complementing, so the parts make 'complement each other'.

Characters in this word

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

The form 互 is a tooth shape with a distinguishing mark added.

Open 互 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 補; 补 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
衤Written in full as衣yīclothes
Sound part声符shēngfú
甫
甫fǔ補bǔ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 補 shows 衤 (clothes) beside 甫, which gives the sound; the simplified 补 is a later shorthand, so its shape is not the historical breakdown.

Open 补 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Abstract Concepts

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.