滋补 (zī bǔ) — (adjective) nourishing, nutritious; (verb) to nourish, to build up (one's health)

Definition

A formal adjective/verb for 'nourishing' — describes tonic food or drinks (e.g. 滋补汤) that strengthen the body, usually in the context of TCM-style health-building rather than everyday nutrition.

adjective
nourishingnutritious
verb
to nourishto build up (one's health)

Examples

  • 滋补。
    Zhè zhǒng tāng hěn zī bǔ.
    This soup is very nourishing.
  • 滋补。
    Tā xū yào zī bǔ shēn tǐ.
    He needs to nourish his body.
  • 滋补。
    Měi tiān zǎo shàng hē yì wǎn zī bǔ tāng.
    Every morning drink a bowl of nourishing soup.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

滋zīnourish
补bǔtonify

滋 means nourish and 补 means tonify, both adding nutrition.

Characters in this word

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
水水shuǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
茲
茲zī滋zī
Same sound today

滋 pairs 水 (water) with 茲, which gives it its sound.

Open 滋 →

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 →

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