bǔ: 补 - To Mend, To Supplement, To Nourish

• Keywords: 补, bu, bu3, Chinese word for mend, supplement, nourish, repair, patch, make up for, 补课 (bǔkè), 补习 (bǔxí), 进补 (jìnbǔ), 补身体 (bǔ shēntǐ), Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chinese tutoring, meaning of 补.
• Summary: The Chinese character 补 (bǔ) is a powerful and versatile verb that goes far beyond its basic meaning of “to mend” or “to repair.” It embodies the crucial cultural concept of filling a deficiency to restore wholeness. Whether you're patching clothes, taking a make-up class (补课 bǔkè), or eating nourishing soups to restore your body's energy (进补 jìnbǔ), 补 signifies the act of making something complete, healthy, or correct. Understanding 补 is key to grasping core ideas in Chinese daily life, education, and traditional medicine.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): bǔ
• Part of Speech: Verb
• HSK Level: HSK 3
• Concise Definition: To mend, patch, repair; to supplement, make up for; to nourish.
• In a Nutshell: Imagine something has a hole, a gap, or a weakness. 补 is the action of filling that specific hole to make it whole again. This can be a physical hole in your pants, a gap in your knowledge, a missed night of sleep, or a deficiency in your body's “qi” (energy). It's all about targeted restoration.

• 补: This character is a phono-semantic compound, meaning one part gives a clue to the meaning and the other to the sound.
  • 衤(yī): This is the “clothing” radical. It points to the character's original and most literal meaning: mending or patching torn clothes.
  • 卜 (bǔ): This component primarily provides the phonetic sound “bǔ”.
• Together, the character visually suggests patching up clothes (衤) and phonetically sounds like “bǔ,” perfectly capturing its core idea of mending and repairing.

The concept of 补 is deeply woven into the fabric of Chinese culture, reflecting a worldview that prioritizes balance, wholeness, and diligence.

• Health and Nourishment (食补 shí bǔ): In the West, we might “take vitamins” or “eat a balanced diet.” The Chinese concept of 进补 (jìnbǔ) is far more specific and holistic. Rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), it's the practice of eating specific foods or herbs at specific times (like winter) to counteract a perceived deficiency in the body (e.g., lack of 'qi', blood, or 'yang' energy). A mother might make a special chicken soup for a child who looks pale, not just for comfort, but to actively 补身体 (bǔ shēntǐ)—to “supplement the body.” This is a proactive and targeted approach to wellness, viewing food as medicine.
• Education and Diligence (补课 bǔkè): The term 补课 (bǔkè), literally “to supplement a lesson,” reveals the immense pressure and value placed on academic success. It refers to tutoring or cram school sessions designed to fill any gaps in a student's knowledge. While “tutoring” exists in the West, the scale and intensity of the 补课 culture in China are on another level. It's seen as an essential, almost non-negotiable, activity to ensure a student doesn't fall behind. This reflects a cultural belief that any weakness or gap must be diligently filled.
• Making Things Right: Beyond the physical and academic, 补 is used for rectifying situations. 补偿 (bǔcháng) means “to compensate,” and 弥补 (míbǔ) means “to make up for” a mistake or loss. This shows a societal value placed on restoring fairness and balance when something has gone wrong.

补 is an everyday word used in a wide variety of contexts, from casual conversation to formal notices.

• Literal Repair: You'll hear it used for simple, physical fixes.
  • 补衣服 (bǔ yīfu): to mend clothes
  • 补胎 (bǔ tāi): to patch a tire
  • 补牙 (bǔ yá): to fill a tooth cavity
• Education: This is an extremely common usage, especially among students and parents.
  • 补课 (bǔkè): to attend a tutoring/cram school session
  • 补考 (bǔkǎo): to take a make-up exam
• Health & Lifestyle: This usage is central to daily wellness conversations.
  • 补觉 (bǔ jiào): to catch up on sleep (lit. “supplement sleep”)
  • 补水 (bǔ shuǐ): to rehydrate (lit. “supplement water”)
  • 补身体 (bǔ shēntǐ): to nourish one's body with special foods
• Work & Administration:
  • 补充 (bǔchōng): to supplement or add (e.g., information, details)
  • 补办 (bǔbàn): to re-apply for or replace a lost document (e.g., ID card, passport)

• Example 1:
  • 我昨晚没睡好，中午得补个觉。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ zuówǎn méi shuì hǎo, zhōngwǔ děi bǔ ge jiào.
  • English: I didn't sleep well last night, I need to catch up on sleep at noon.
  • Analysis: 补觉 (bǔjiào) is a set phrase. It shows 补 being used to “make up for” a lack of sleep. This is a very common, colloquial phrase.
• Example 2:
  • 这件衬衫破了个洞，你能帮我补一下吗？
  • Pinyin: Zhè jiàn chènshān pò le ge dòng, nǐ néng bāng wǒ bǔ yíxià ma?
  • English: This shirt has a hole in it, can you help me mend it?
  • Analysis: This is the most literal use of 补, referring to physical repair. The “一下 (yíxià)” softens the request.
• Example 3:
  • 为了通过考试，他每个周末都去补课。
  • Pinyin: Wèile tōngguò kǎoshì, tā měi ge zhōumò dōu qù bǔkè.
  • English: In order to pass the exam, he goes to tutoring sessions every weekend.
  • Analysis: Here, 补课 (bǔkè) functions as a single verb phrase, meaning “to attend cram school.” It highlights the educational context.
• Example 4:
  • 冬天喝点鸡汤可以补身体。
  • Pinyin: Dōngtiān hē diǎn jītāng kěyǐ bǔ shēntǐ.
  • English: Drinking some chicken soup in the winter can nourish your body.
  • Analysis: A classic example of the health-related usage of 补. It's not just “eating soup,” it's actively supplementing the body's energy.
• Example 5:
  • 对不起，我迟到了。我怎么才能补偿你？
  • Pinyin: Duìbuqǐ, wǒ chídào le. Wǒ zěnme cáinéng bǔcháng nǐ?
  • English: Sorry, I'm late. How can I make it up to you?
  • Analysis: Here, 补 is part of the word 补偿 (bǔcháng), showing its use in a social context of rectifying a mistake or inconvenience.
• Example 6:
  • 他的数学不好，需要找个老师给他补一补。
  • Pinyin: Tā de shùxué bù hǎo, xūyào zhǎo ge lǎoshī gěi tā bǔ yi bǔ.
  • English: His math is not good, he needs to find a teacher to give him some tutoring.
  • Analysis: The verb reduplication “补一补 (bǔ yi bǔ)” makes the action sound more casual and suggests doing it “a little bit.”
• Example 7:
  • 我的身份证丢了，明天要去补办。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ de shēnfènzhèng diū le, míngtiān yào qù bǔbàn.
  • English: I lost my ID card, I have to go get it reissued tomorrow.
  • Analysis: 补办 (bǔbàn) is a common administrative term for replacing a lost official document, “making up for” its absence by getting a new one.
• Example 8:
  • 这份报告不完整，请你补充一些数据。
  • Pinyin: Zhè fèn bàogào bù wánzhěng, qǐng nǐ bǔchōng yìxiē shùjù.
  • English: This report is incomplete, please supplement it with some data.
  • Analysis: 补充 (bǔchōng) is a formal way to say “to add” or “to supplement,” specifically to fill a gap in information.
• Example 9:
  • 骑车的时候，我的轮胎被钉子扎了，得找个地方补胎。
  • Pinyin: Qí chē de shíhou, wǒ de lúntāi bèi dīngzi zhā le, děi zhǎo ge dìfang bǔtāi.
  • English: When I was riding my bike, my tire was punctured by a nail, I have to find a place to patch the tire.
  • Analysis: 补胎 (bǔtāi) is another set phrase for a common repair, similar to 补衣服 (bǔ yīfu).
• Example 10:
  • 医生说我有点贫血，需要多吃红枣来补血。
  • Pinyin: Yīshēng shuō wǒ yǒudiǎn pínxuè, xūyào duō chī hóngzǎo lái bǔxuè.
  • English: The doctor said I'm a bit anemic and need to eat more red dates to enrich my blood.
  • Analysis: 补血 (bǔxuè) is a specific TCM concept meaning to “nourish the blood.” It perfectly illustrates how 补 is used to target a specific physiological deficiency.

• 补 (bǔ) vs. 加 (jiā): This is a critical distinction.
  • 加 (jiā) simply means “to add.” You add sugar (加糖) to coffee. It's neutral.
  • 补 (bǔ) means “to supplement to fill a deficiency.” You don't just “add” sleep; you “make up for” a lack of it (补觉). You don't “add” to your body; you “nourish” it to fix a weakness (补身体). Using 加 where 补 is needed sounds unnatural.
  • Incorrect: 我要加觉。(Wǒ yào jiā jiào.)
  • Correct: 我要补觉。(Wǒ yào bǔ jiào.)
• Overlooking the “Deficiency” Context: A common mistake is to think of 补 as just “to fix” or “to add.” The key is that there must be something missing first. You patch a hole, you make up for a missed class, you replenish low energy. Always ask, “What is the gap or lack being filled?”

• 补充 (bǔchōng) - To supplement or add to, usually for information or items. More formal than just 补.
• 补课 (bǔkè) - A specific term for tutoring or make-up classes.
• 补偿 (bǔcháng) - To compensate or make up for a loss, damage, or inconvenience.
• 弥补 (míbǔ) - To make up for, remedy (often used for more abstract things like regrets, defects, or losses).
• 补救 (bǔjiù) - To remedy a bad situation or a mistake; to salvage.
• 进补 (jìnbǔ) - A cultural practice of eating nourishing foods or tonics, especially in winter, to strengthen the body.
• 修补 (xiūbǔ) - To mend or repair. Often used interchangeably with 补 for physical objects.
• 补丁 (bǔdīng) - A patch (for clothing or, metaphorically, a software patch).
• 候补 (hòubǔ) - To be an alternate or a reserve candidate (e.g., for a job or a team). Lit. “waiting to supplement.”