# 補

| 補 | U+88DC, &#35036; CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-88DC |
| ← 裛 [U+88DB] | CJK Unified Ideographs | 裝 → [U+88DD] |

## Translingual
### Han character

補 (Kangxi radical 145, 衣+7, 12 strokes, cangjie input 中戈十月 (LIJB), four-corner 3322$_7$, composition ⿰衤甫)

#### Derived characters

* 𡀨, 𠬕, 𠬖, 𨗗, 𮑱

#### References

* Kangxi Dictionary: page 1117, character 30
* Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 34320
* Dae Jaweon: page 1583, character 22
* Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 5, page 3093, character 5
* Unihan data for U+88DC

## Chinese
### Glyph origin

| | Old Chinese |
| 豧 | *pʰoːs, *pʰa, *pʰas |
| 縛 | *baːɡs, *baɡ |
| 逋 | *paː |
| 餔 | *paː, *baːs |
| 晡 | *paː |
| 庯 | *paː |
| 陠 | *paː, *pʰaː |
| 鵏 | *paː, *baːs |
| 峬 | *paː |
| 誧 | *paː, *pʰaː, *pʰaːʔ, *pʰaːs |
| 秿 | *paː, *pʰa, *baʔ |
| 鯆 | *paː, *pʰaː, *paʔ |
| 補 | *paːʔ |
| 圃 | *paːʔ, *paːs |
| 鋪 | *pʰaː, *pʰaːs, *pʰa |
| 痡 | *pʰaː, *pʰa |
| 浦 | *pʰaːʔ |
| 烳 | *pʰaːʔ |
| 溥 | *pʰaːʔ, *paːɡ |
| 悑 | *pʰaːs |
| 酺 | *baː |
| 匍 | *baː |
| 蜅 | *baː, *paʔ |
| 脯 | *baː, *paʔ |
| 葡 | *baː |
| 蒱 | *baː |
| 蒲 | *baː |
| 簿 | *baːʔ, *baːɡ |
| 捕 | *baːs |
| 哺 | *baːs |
| 簠 | *pa, *paʔ, *pʰas |
| 甫 | *paʔ |
| 黼 | *paʔ |
| 莆 | *paʔ |
| 俌 | *paʔ, *pʰaʔ |
| 郙 | *paʔ, *pʰa |
| 傅 | *paɡs |
| 搏 | *paɡs, *paːɡ, *pʰaːɡ |
| 麱 | *pʰa |
| 尃 | *pʰa |
| 榑 | *ba |
| 輔 | *baʔ |
| 鬴 | *baʔ |
| 賻 | *baɡs |
| 博 | *paːɡ |
| 髆 | *paːɡ |
| 鎛 | *paːɡ |
| 猼 | *paːɡ |
| 餺 | *paːɡ |
| 簙 | *paːɡ |
| 鑮 | *paːɡ, *baːɡ |
| 欂 | *paːɡ, *baɡ, *breːɡ |
| 蒪 | *pʰaːɡ |
| 膊 | *pʰaːɡ |
| 薄 | *baːɡ |
| 礡 | *baːɡ |
Phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *paːʔ): semantic 衤 (“clothes”) + phonetic 甫 (OC *paʔ).

### Etymology

From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s/m-p(ʷ)a (“to patch; to mend; to sew”) (STEDT); compare Burmese ဖာ (hpa, “to patch; to mend”), Jingpho pa (pa³¹, “mended”).
According to Schuessler (2007), 補 (OC *paːʔ) is an area word; compare Khmer ប៉ះ (pah, “to mend; to patch; to fix”), Proto-Vietic *k-paːʔ (“to repair; to sew”).

### Pronunciation

* Mandarin
    (Pinyin): bǔ (bu$^3$)
    (Zhuyin): ㄅㄨˇ
* Cantonese (Jyutping): bou$^2$
* Hakka
    (Sixian, PFS): pú
    (Meixian, Guangdong): bu$^3$
* Eastern Min (BUC): buō
* Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): bou$^3$
* Southern Min
    (Hokkien, POJ): pó͘
    (Teochew, Peng'im): bou$^2$
* Wu (Northern, Wugniu): $^5$pu / $^3$pu
* Mandarin
** (Standard Chinese)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: bǔ
*** Zhuyin: ㄅㄨˇ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: bǔ
*** Wade–Giles: pu$^3$
*** Yale: bǔ
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: buu
*** Palladius: бу (bu)
*** Sinological IPA : /pu²¹⁴/
* Cantonese
** (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
*** Jyutping: bou$^2$
*** Yale: bóu
*** Cantonese Pinyin: bou$^2$
*** Guangdong Romanization: bou$^2$
*** Sinological IPA : /pou̯³⁵/
* Hakka
** (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
*** Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: pú
*** Hakka Romanization System: bu$^ˋ$
*** Hagfa Pinyim: bu$^3$
*** Sinological IPA: /pu³¹/
** (Meixian)
*** Guangdong: bu$^3$
*** Sinological IPA: /pu³¹/
* Eastern Min
** (Fuzhou)
*** Bàng-uâ-cê: buō
*** Sinological IPA : /puo³³/
* Puxian Min
** (Putian)
*** Pouseng Ping'ing: bou$^3$
*** Sinological IPA : /pɔu⁴⁵³/
** (Xianyou)
*** Pouseng Ping'ing: bou$^3$
*** Sinological IPA : /pɔu³³²/
* Southern Min
** (Hokkien)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: pó͘
*** Tâi-lô: póo
*** Phofsit Daibuun: por
*** IPA (Xiamen): /pɔ⁵³/
*** IPA (Quanzhou): /pɔ⁵⁵⁴/
*** IPA (Zhangzhou): /pɔ⁵³/
*** IPA (Taipei): /pɔ⁵³/
*** IPA (Kaohsiung): /pɔ⁴¹/
** (Teochew)
*** Peng'im: bou$^2$
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: póu
*** Sinological IPA : /pou⁵²/
* Wu
** (Northern: Shanghai)
*** Wugniu: $^5$pu
*** MiniDict: pu$^去$
*** Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): $^2$pu
*** Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /pu³⁴/
** (Northern: Suzhou, Hangzhou, Ningbo)
*** Wugniu: $^3$pu
*** MiniDict: pu$^上$
*** Sinological IPA (Suzhou): /pu⁵¹/
*** Sinological IPA (Hangzhou): /pu⁵³/
*** Sinological IPA (Ningbo): /pu³²⁵/
* Middle Chinese: puX
Rime :
| Character | 補 |
| Reading # | 1/1 |
| Initial (聲) | 幫 (1) |
| Final (韻) | 模 (23) |
| Tone (調) | Rising (X) |
| Openness (開合) | Open |
| Division (等) | I |
| Fanqie | 博古切 |
| Baxter | puX |
| Reconstructions ||
| Zhengzhang Shangfang | /puo$^X$/ |
| Pan Wuyun | /puo$^X$/ |
| Shao Rongfen | /po$^X$/ |
| Edwin Pulleyblank | /pɔ$^X$/ |
| Li Rong | /po$^X$/ |
| Wang Li | /pu$^X$/ |
| Bernhard Karlgren | /puo$^X$/ |
| Expected Mandarin Reflex | bǔ |
| Expected Cantonese Reflex | bou$^2$ |
* Old Chinese
    (Baxter–Sagart): /*[Cə]-pˤaʔ/
    (Zhengzhang): /*paːʔ/
Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014) :
| Character | 補 |
| Reading # | 1/1 |
| Modern Beijing (Pinyin) | bǔ |
| Middle Chinese | ‹ pu$^X$ › |
| Old Chinese | /*[Cə]-pˁaʔ/ |
| English | to patch |
| Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary. ||
Zhengzhang system (2003) :
| Character | 補 |
| Reading # | 1/1 |
| No. | 3420 |
| Phonetic component | 甫 |
| Rime group | 魚 |
| Rime subdivision | 0 |
| Corresponding MC rime | 補 |
| Old Chinese | /*paːʔ/ |

### Definitions

補
* to mend; to repair; to fix
    補衫／补衫 [Cantonese] ― bou$^2$ saam$^1$ [Jyutping] ― to mend clothes
* to compensate; to recompense; to make up for
    補償／补偿 ― bǔcháng ― to compensate
    彌補／弥补 ― míbǔ ― to make up for a loss
* to add; to augment; to increase; to raise
* to make up for a deficiency; to nourish
    補鈣／补钙 ― bǔgài ― to counteract a calcium deficiency
* benefit; profit; advantage
* (transgender slang) Short for 補佳樂／补佳乐 (“Progynova”); E (estrogen)
    From: 2020 August 24, Aphrodite 的想法: 去隔壁开两盒补，吃完就给进～ - 知乎
    qù gébì kāi liǎng hé bǔ, chī wán jiù gěi jìn ~ [Pinyin]
    he should get 2 boxes of E from the place around the corner, and after he's taken it all they'll let him in :P
    From: 2020 November 28, KhloeKkkkkkkk 的想法: 各位靠补+色hrt的朋友们请注意检测自己的… - 知乎
    gèwèi kào bǔ + sè hrt de péngyǒu men qǐng zhùyì jiǎncè zìjǐ de E2 / E1 bǐlì [Pinyin]
    to all friends who are on E and cypro for HRT! please remember to get your E1:E2 ratios tested!
* a surname, Bu

#### Synonyms

* (to mend):
* 保養 / 保养 (bǎoyǎng)
* 修 (xiū)
* 修理 (xiūlǐ)
* 修補 / 修补 (xiūbǔ)
* 拾掇 (shíduo) (colloquial)
* 擺劃 / 摆划 (bǎihua) (regional)
* 擺弄 / 摆弄 (colloquial)
* 收拾
* 整 (zhěng)
* 整治 (zhěngzhì)
* 檢修 / 检修 (jiǎnxiū)
* 維修 / 维修 (wéixiū)
* 補修 / 补修 (bǔxiū)
* (to compensate):
* 抵償 / 抵偿 (dǐcháng)
* 當賠匠 / 当赔匠 (dan$^1$ bei$^2$ zian$^5$) (Xiang, humorous)
* 補償 / 补偿 (bǔcháng)
* 賠償 / 赔偿 (péicháng)
* (to add):
* 加 (jiā)
* 加上 (jiāshàng)
* 加多 (jiāduō)
* 加大 (jiādà)
* 加添 (jiātiān)
* 增 (zēng)
* 增加 (zēngjiā)
* 增多 (zēngduō)
* 增添 (zēngtiān)
* 增益 (zēngyì)
* 增長 / 增长 (zēngzhǎng)
* 廣益 / 广益 (guǎngyì) (literary)
* 施
* 添加 (tiānjiā)
* 附益 (fùyì) (literary)
* (to make up for a deficiency): 補養／补养 (bǔyǎng)
* (benefit):
* 利益 (lìyì)
* 好處 / 好处
* 實利 / 实利 (shílì)
* 惠 (huì) (literary, or in compounds)
* 收益 (shōuyì)
* 甜頭 / 甜头 (Jin)
* 益處 / 益处 (yìchù)
* 肥 (féi) (usually derogatory)
* 補益 / 补益 (bǔyì)
* 裨益 (bìyì)

#### See also

* (E): 螺 (luó, “spiro”), 色 (sè, “cypro”)

### Compounds

* 不無小補 / 不无小补 (bùwúxiǎobǔ)
* 互補 / 互补 (hùbǔ)
* 互補色 / 互补色 (hùbǔsè)
* 亡羊補牢 / 亡羊补牢 (wángyángbǔláo)
* 以功補過 / 以功补过
* 修橋補路 / 修桥补路
* 候補 / 候补 (hòubǔ)
* 修補 / 修补 (xiūbǔ)
* 備補 / 备补
* 償補 / 偿补
* 冬令進補 / 冬令进补
* 刮補 / 刮补
* 剜肉補瘡 / 剜肉补疮
* 功僅補過 / 功仅补过
* 勤能補拙 / 勤能补拙 (qínnéngbǔzhuō)
* 取長補短 / 取长补短 (qǔchángbǔduǎn)
* 培補 / 培补 (péibǔ)
* 填補 / 填补 (tiánbǔ)
* 墊補 / 垫补
* 增補 / 增补 (zēngbǔ)
* 多退少補 / 多退少补
* 大補帖 / 大补帖
* 女媧補天 / 女娲补天
* 將功補過 / 将功补过 (jiānggōngbǔguò)
* 將勤補拙 / 将勤补拙 (jiāngqínbǔzhuō)
* 小補 / 小补
* 幫補 / 帮补 (bāngbǔ)
* 平補 / 平补
* 彌補 / 弥补 (míbǔ)
* 得不補失 / 得不补失
* 息黥補劓 / 息黥补劓
* 惡補 / 恶补 (èbǔ)
* 截長補短 / 截长补短
* 打補釘 / 打补钉
* 打貼補 / 打贴补
* 找補 / 找补
* 折長補短 / 折长补短
* 拉上補下 / 拉上补下
* 拘攣補衲 / 拘挛补衲
* 拆東補西 / 拆东补西
* 抵補 / 抵补 (dǐbǔ)
* 拋補 / 抛补
* 拆西補東 / 拆西补东
* 挖肉補瘡 / 挖肉补疮
* 挖補 / 挖补 (wābǔ)
* 拾遺補闕 / 拾遗补阙
* 採補 / 采补
* 提補 / 提补
* 描補 / 描补
* 撥補 / 拨补
* 救過補闕 / 救过补阙
* 整補 / 整补
* 斷長補短 / 断长补短
* 於事無補 / 于事无补 (yúshìwúbǔ)
* 替補 / 替补
* 江心補漏 / 江心补漏
* 添補 / 添补
* 滋補 / 滋补 (zībǔ)
* 無補 / 无补 (wúbǔ)
* 無補於世 / 无补于世
* 無補於事 / 无补于事 (wúbǔyúshì)
* 無補於時 / 无补于时
* 煉石補天 / 炼石补天
* 燉補 / 炖补 (dùnbǔ)
* 牽蘿補屋 / 牵萝补屋
* 療補 / 疗补
* 直語補證 / 直语补证
* 移東補西 / 移东补西
* 空言無補 / 空言无补
* 筆補造化 / 笔补造化
* 粘補 / 粘补
* 絕長補短 / 绝长补短
* 縮地補天 / 缩地补天
* 縫縫補補 / 缝缝补补 (féngféngbǔbǔ)
* 縫補 / 缝补
* 縫針補線 / 缝针补线
* 織補 / 织补 (zhībǔ)
* 繡補 / 绣补
* 藥補 / 药补 (yàobǔ)
* 衣補兒 / 衣补儿
* 補丁 / 补丁 (bǔding)
* 補上 / 补上
* 補交 / 补交
* 補代 / 补代
* 補休 / 补休 (bǔxiū)
* 補位 / 补位
* 補修 / 补修 (bǔxiū)
* 補假 / 补假 (bǔjià)
* 補偏救弊 / 补偏救弊 (bǔpiānjiùbì)
* 補償 / 补偿 (bǔcháng)
* 補償作用 / 补偿作用
* 補償支付 / 补偿支付
* 補償教育 / 补偿教育
* 補償財政 / 补偿财政
* 補償費 / 补偿费
* 補償貿易 / 补偿贸易 (bǔcháng màoyì)
* 補元氣 / 补元气
* 補充 / 补充 (bǔchōng)
* 補充兵役 / 补充兵役
* 補劑 / 补剂 (bǔjì)
* 補助 / 补助 (bǔzhù)
* 補助商業 / 补助商业
* 補助教育 / 补助教育
* 補助翼 / 补助翼 (bǔzhùyì)
* 補助貨幣 / 补助货币
* 補助費 / 补助费
* 補助金 / 补助金 (bǔzhùjīn)
* 補台
* 補品 / 补品 (bǔpǐn)
* 補員 / 补员
* 補回來 / 补回来
* 補垣塞穴 / 补垣塞穴
* 補報 / 补报 (bǔbào)
* 補壁 / 补壁
* 補壁之作 / 补壁之作
* 補天 / 补天
* 補天浴日 / 补天浴日
* 補子 / 补子 (bǔzi)
* 補完 / 补完 (bǔwán)
* 補察 / 补察
* 補差 / 补差 (bǔchā)
* 補強 / 补强 (bǔqiáng)
* 補情 / 补情
* 補情兒 / 补情儿
* 補掛朝珠 / 补挂朝珠
* 補救 / 补救 (bǔjiù)
* 補救教學 / 补救教学
* 補景 / 补景
* 補服 / 补服
* 補校 / 补校
* 補正 / 补正 (bǔzhèng)
* 補殘守缺 / 补残守缺
* 補氣 / 补气 (bǔqì)
* 補氣固表 / 补气固表
* 補氣止血 / 补气止血
* 補沙 / 补沙
* 補液 / 补液 (bǔyè)
* 補漏 / 补漏 (bǔlòu)
* 補牌 / 补牌 (bǔpái)
* 補牙 / 补牙 (bǔyá)
* 補班 / 补班 (bǔbān)
* 補發 / 补发 (bǔfā)
* 補白 / 补白 (bǔbái)
* 補益 / 补益 (bǔyì)
* 補短 / 补短
* 補票 / 补票 (bǔpiào)
* 補稅 / 补税
* 補空 / 补空
* 補筆 / 补笔
* 補精神 / 补精神
* 補約 / 补约
* 補納 / 补纳
* 補給 / 补给 (bǔjǐ)
* 補給品 / 补给品
* 補給線 / 补给线
* 補給證 / 补给证
* 補綴 / 补缀 (bǔzhuì)
* 補綻 / 补绽
* 補缺 / 补缺 (bǔquē)
* 補缺拾遺 / 补缺拾遗
* 補習 / 补习 (bǔxí)
* 補習學校 / 补习学校
* 補習教育 / 补习教育
* 補習班 / 补习班 (bǔxíbān)
* 補考 / 补考 (bǔkǎo)
* 補腎 / 补肾 (bǔshèn)
* 補色 / 补色 (bǔsè)
* 補花 / 补花 (bǔhuā)
* 補苴 / 补苴 (bǔjū)
* 補苗 / 补苗 (bǔmiáo)
* 補苴罅漏 / 补苴罅漏 (bǔjūxiàlòu)
* 補苴調胹 / 补苴调胹
* 補葺 / 补葺
* 補藥 / 补药 (bǔyào)
* 補血 / 补血 (bǔxuè)
* 補袞 / 补衮
* 補襯 / 补衬
* 補角 / 补角 (bǔjiǎo)
* 補詞 / 补词
* 補語 / 补语 (bǔyǔ)
* 補課 / 补课 (bǔkè)
* 補貼 / 补贴 (bǔtiē)
* 補足 / 补足 (bǔzú)
* 補輯 / 补辑
* 補辦 / 补办 (bǔbàn)
* 補述 / 补述
* 補過 / 补过 (bǔguò)
* 補遺 / 补遗 (bǔyí)
* 補選 / 补选 (bǔxuǎn)
* 補還 / 补还
* 補酒 / 补酒
* 補針 / 补针
* 補釘 / 补钉 (bǔding)
* 補闕 / 补阙 (bǔquē)
* 補陰 / 补阴
* 補陽 / 补阳
* 補靪 / 补靪 (bǔding)
* 補養 / 补养 (bǔyǎng)
* 補體 / 补体 (bǔtǐ)
* 裨補闕漏 / 裨补阙漏 (bìbǔquēlòu)
* 西遊補 / 西游补
* 計功補過 / 计功补过
* 調補 / 调补
* 貼補 / 贴补 (tiēbǔ)
* 貼補家用 / 贴补家用
* 賠補 / 赔补
* 退思補過 / 退思补过
* 追補 / 追补
* 進補 / 进补 (jìnbǔ)
* 遇缺不補 / 遇缺不补
* 遞補 / 递补 (dìbǔ)
* 鍊石補天 / 炼石补天
* 關切補詞 / 关切补词
* 題補 / 题补
* 顧犬補牢 / 顾犬补牢
* 食補 / 食补 (shíbǔ)
* 馬補 / 马补
* 骨碎補 / 骨碎补 (gǔsuìbǔ)
* 點補 / 点补

### References

* “補”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎, 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–
* “補”, in 教育部臺灣台語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwanese Taigi] (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2025.

## Japanese
### Kanji

(Sixth grade kyōiku kanji)
* supplement

#### Readings

* Go-on: ふ (fu)
* Kan-on: ほ (ho, Jōyō)
* Kan’yō-on: ぶ (bu)
* Kun: おぎなう (oginau, 補う, Jōyō)

## Korean
### Hanja

補 (eumhun 도울 보 (doul bo)) 補 (eumhun 기울 보 (giul bo))
* hanja form of 보 (“mend, patch, fix, repair, restore”)

#### Compounds

* 보하다 (補―, bohada, “to strengthen”)
* 보조 (補助, bojo, “help, aid”)
* 보조하다 (補助―, bojohada, “to help, aid”)
* 보조사 (補助詞, bojosa, “accessory word, complement”)
* 보조자 (補助者, bojoja, “assistant”)
* 보좌 (補佐, bojwa, “assistance”)
* 시보 (試補, sibo, “probationary”)
* 보강 (補强, bogang, “reinforcement”)
* 보강하다 (補强―, boganghada, “to reinforce”)
* 보충 (補充, bochung, “supplement”)
* 보충하다 (補充―, bochunghada, “to supplement, replenish”)
* 보청기 (補聽器, bocheonggi, “hearing aid”)
* 보완 (補完, bowan, “supplementation”)
* 보완하다 (補完―, bowanhada, “to make up for, supplement”)
* 보급 (補給, bogeup, “supply”)
* 보급하다 (補給―, bogeuphada, “to supply”)
* 보수 (補修, bosu, “restoration, repair”)
* 보수하다 (補修―, bosuhada, “to restore, repair”)
* 보정 (補正, bojeong, “revision, correction”)
* 보정하다 (補正―, bojeonghada, “to revise, correct”)
* 후보 (候補, hubo, “candidate”)

## Vietnamese
### Han character

補: Hán Nôm readings: bổ, bó, bỏ, bõ, bủa, bù, vỏ, bồ
* This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.