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弥补 (mí bǔ) — to make up for, to compensate for (a deficiency, loss, or mistake)

Definition

弥补 focuses on filling a gap after something went wrong — loss, mistake, or shortcoming. 补偿 and 赔偿 are more transactional/financial; 补充 just adds what is lacking without the sense of correcting a fault.

verb
to make up forto compensate for (a deficiency, loss, or mistake)

Examples

  • 弥补。
    Zhè cì shī bài hěn nán mí bǔ.
    This failure is hard to make up for.
  • 弥补。
    Tā nǔ lì gōng zuò lái mí bǔ jīng yàn bù zú.
    He works hard to compensate for his lack of experience.
  • 弥补。
    Gōng sī yuàn yì péi cháng lái mí bǔ nǐ de sǔn shī.
    The company is willing to compensate to make up for your loss.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

弥mífill
补bǔpatch

弥补 puts fill and patch together, so it names making up a lack or repairing a deficiency.

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
弓弓gōngbow
Sound part声符shēngfú
尔
尔ěr弥mí
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The shape of 弥 pairs 弓 (bow) as its meaning part with 尔 as its sound part.

Open 弥 →

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 6HSK 2.0 Level 6Abstract Concepts5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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