补 meaning and stroke order
To repair; to patch; to mend
How to write 补, stroke by stroke
7 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
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- 7
Meaning of 补
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to repair
- to patch
- to mend
- to make up for
- to fill (a vacancy)
- to supplement
How 补 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Cloth.
衤 gives the meaning and 卜 hints at the sound.
Radical: 衤 (cloth), shared by 72 characters on this site.
How to remember 补
The left side 衤 is the clothing radical, so 补 started with cloth: patching a hole in your clothes. The right side 卜 (bǔ) gives the sound, so think of a small patch stitched onto a garment.
补 (bǔ) means to mend something physical, and it also means to make up for something missing, like a class, an exam, or nutrients. It appears in many everyday words such as 补充 (bǔchōng) and 补课 (bǔkè). Example: 我明天要补课。(Wǒ míngtiān yào bǔkè.) I have a makeup class tomorrow.
Common mistake: Learners often write the left side as 礻 (the spirit radical, as in 礼) instead of 衤. The clothing radical 衤 has an extra short stroke at the bottom, which fits the cloth meaning of 补.
Common words with 补
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 补充 | bǔchōng | to replenish; to supplement | HSK 3 |
| 补偿 | bǔcháng | to compensate; to make up | HSK 5 |
| 补贴 | bǔtiē | to subsidize; subsidy | HSK 5 |
| 补习 | bǔxí | to take extra lessons in a cram school or with a private tutor | HSK 6 |
| 补助 | bǔzhù | to subsidize; subsidy | HSK 6 |
| 补课 | bǔkè | to make up missed lesson; to reschedule a class | HSK 6 |
| 补考 | bǔkǎo | to sit for a makeup exam; to resit an exam | HSK 6 |
| 弥补 | míbǔ | to complement; to make up for a deficiency | HSK 7-9 |
| 补给 | bǔjǐ | supply; replenishment | HSK 7-9 |
| 填补 | tiánbǔ | to fill a gap; to fill in a blank (on a form) | HSK 7-9 |
| 修补 | xiūbǔ | to mend | HSK 7-9 |
| 补救 | bǔjiù | to remedy | HSK 7-9 |
| 互补 | hùbǔ | complementary; to complement each other | HSK 7-9 |
| 亡羊补牢 | wángyáng-bǔláo | lit. to mend the pen after sheep are lost (idiom); fig. to act belatedly | HSK 7-9 |
补 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 补
How many strokes are in 补?
补 is written with 7 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 补 mean?
补 (bǔ) means to repair; to patch; to mend. A common word with it is 补充 (bǔchōng), meaning "to replenish; to supplement".
How do you pronounce 补?
补 is pronounced bǔ, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 补?
The radical of 补 is 衤, which carries the idea of "cloth". Dictionaries list 补 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 补?
The traditional form of 补 is 補. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 补 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 补 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 补 is part of the HSK 3 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
What is the difference between 补充 and 弥补?
补充 (bǔchōng) means to add more or supplement, like adding information or water. 弥补 (míbǔ) means to make up for a loss or shortcoming, such as a mistake or a gap.
How do you say 'to take a supplement' or 'eat something nourishing' with 补?
Chinese uses 补 for nourishing the body, as in 补身体 (bǔ shēntǐ), to build up your health. You can also hear 补钙 (bǔ gài), to take calcium.