Show pageOld revisionsBacklinksBack to top This page is read only. You can view the source, but not change it. Ask your administrator if you think this is wrong. ====== míbǔ: 弥补 - To Make Up For, Compensate, Remedy ====== ===== Quick Summary ===== * **Keywords:** mibu, 弥补, make up for, compensate for, remedy a mistake, fill a gap, Chinese word for regret, make amends, how to say compensate in Chinese, mibu vs buchang. * **Summary:** Learn the essential Chinese verb **弥补 (míbǔ)**, which means "to make up for," "to compensate," or "to remedy." This page explores how to use `弥补` to talk about making up for a mistake, compensating for a loss, or remedying a personal regret. Discover its cultural significance in showing sincerity and restoring harmony, and learn the crucial difference between `弥补 (míbǔ)` and `补偿 (bǔcháng)`. ===== Core Meaning ===== * **Pinyin (with tone marks):** míbǔ * **Part of Speech:** Verb * **HSK Level:** HSK 5 * **Concise Definition:** To compensate for a loss or deficiency; to make up for; to remedy. * **In a Nutshell:** `弥补` is the action of filling a hole or fixing a deficit. Think of it as actively trying to restore balance after something has gone wrong or is lacking. This "hole" can be a mistake you made, a financial loss, a weakness in your skills, or even a regret from the past. `弥补` is about more than just apologizing; it's about taking concrete steps to fix the problem and make things right again. ===== Character Breakdown ===== * **弥 (mí):** This character means "to fill," "to cover," or "to permeate." Imagine it as spreading something out to cover a gap or a space completely. * **补 (bǔ):** This character means "to patch," "to mend," or "to supplement." The radical 衤 (a form of 衣 - yī) means clothing. So, you can picture `补` as patching a hole in a piece of clothing. When combined, **弥补 (míbǔ)** creates a powerful visual metaphor: to **fill (弥)** a hole by **patching (补)** it. This perfectly captures the essence of mending a mistake, compensating for a loss, or making up for a regret. ===== Cultural Context and Significance ===== In Chinese culture, the act of `弥补` is often more significant than a verbal apology. It demonstrates sincerity (诚意 - chéngyì) and a genuine commitment to restoring harmony (和谐 - héxié) in a relationship or situation. Let's compare it to the Western concept of "making amends." While similar, `弥补` is less transactional and more holistic. In the West, "compensating" someone might primarily involve a legal or financial settlement. In China, `弥补` can be deeply personal. For instance, an adult child who feels they neglected their parents might `弥补` by spending much more time with them, not just by giving them money. The action is a direct remedy for the specific emotional or relational gap. This concept is also tied to "face" (面子 - miànzi). Committing a fault can cause someone to lose face. Taking decisive action to `弥补` the mistake is a powerful way to restore one's own face and show respect for the face of the person who was wronged. It's a proactive measure to repair social and personal harmony. ===== Practical Usage in Modern China ===== `弥补` is a versatile word used in many modern contexts, from personal relationships to formal business reports. * **Personal Relationships:** Used for making up for a mistake, a forgotten promise, or a period of neglect. * Example: Forgetting an anniversary and trying to `弥补` it with a special dinner. * **Self-Improvement & Regret:** A very common usage is to describe making up for past regrets or deficiencies. * Example: Studying English intensely to `弥补` for not learning it well in school. * **Business & Formal Contexts:** Used to talk about compensating for financial losses, fixing defects, or closing security loopholes. * Example: A company issuing a statement on how it will `弥补` losses caused by a product recall. * **Abstract Concepts:** It can be used for intangible things, like making up for a lack of talent with hard work. The connotation of `弥补` is generally neutral to positive. It describes a positive action taken to fix a negative situation. ===== Example Sentences ===== * **Example 1:** * 为了**弥补**我的过错，我请她吃了一顿大餐。 * Pinyin: Wèile **míbǔ** wǒ de guòcuò, wǒ qǐng tā chīle yí dùn dàcān. * English: In order to make up for my mistake, I treated her to a big meal. * Analysis: This is a classic example of using an action (treating to a meal) to `弥补` a personal mistake (过错). * **Example 2:** * 他每天努力工作，希望能**弥补**公司的经济损失。 * Pinyin: Tā měitiān nǔlì gōngzuò, xīwàng néng **míbǔ** gōngsī de jīngjì sǔnshī. * English: He works hard every day, hoping to make up for the company's financial losses. * Analysis: Here, `弥补` is used in a formal, business context to mean compensating for a financial loss (损失). * **Example 3:** * 他用勤奋**弥补**了天赋的不足。 * Pinyin: Tā yòng qínfèn **míbǔ** le tiānfù de bùzú. * English: He made up for his lack of natural talent with diligence. * Analysis: This shows `弥补` being used for an abstract concept. The "gap" is a lack of talent (天赋的不足), and the "patch" is hard work (勤奋). * **Example 4:** * 没有什么能够**弥补**失去家人的痛苦。 * Pinyin: Méiyǒu shénme nénggòu **míbǔ** shīqù jiārén de tòngkǔ. * English: Nothing can make up for the pain of losing a family member. * Analysis: This sentence shows the limits of `弥补`. It's often used in the negative to express that a loss is so great that it cannot be remedied. * **Example 5:** * 政府正在采取措施，**弥补**城乡之间的教育差距。 * Pinyin: Zhèngfǔ zhèngzài cǎiqǔ cuòshī, **míbǔ** chéngxiāng zhījiān de jiàoyù chājù. * English: The government is taking measures to bridge the educational gap between urban and rural areas. * Analysis: `弥补` is used here to mean "bridge" or "close" a gap or disparity (差距). * **Example 6:** * 现在开始学习还不晚，可以**弥补**以前浪费的时间。 * Pinyin: Xiànzài kāishǐ xuéxí hái bù wǎn, kěyǐ **míbǔ** yǐqián làngfèi de shíjiān. * English: It's not too late to start studying now; you can make up for the time you wasted before. * Analysis: This is a common and encouraging use of `弥补` related to self-improvement and regret (遗憾). * **Example 7:** * 这个新功能**弥补**了我们软件的一个主要缺陷。 * Pinyin: Zhège xīn gōngnéng **míbǔ** le wǒmen ruǎnjiàn de yí ge zhǔyào quēxiàn. * English: This new feature remedies a major defect in our software. * Analysis: In a tech or product context, `弥补` means to fix a flaw or defect (缺陷). * **Example 8:** * 他送了一份昂贵的礼物，但这并不能**弥补**他带来的情感伤害。 * Pinyin: Tā sòng le yí fèn ángguì de lǐwù, dàn zhè bìng bùnéng **míbǔ** tā dàilái de qínggǎn shānghài. * English: He gave an expensive gift, but it couldn't make up for the emotional damage he caused. * Analysis: This highlights that `弥补` often requires an appropriate action. A material gift may not be able to `弥补` an emotional wound. * **Example 9:** * 我想为你做点什么来**弥补**。 * Pinyin: Wǒ xiǎng wèi nǐ zuò diǎn shénme lái **míbǔ**. * English: I want to do something to make it up to you. * Analysis: A simple, direct, and very common phrase used when you know you've done something wrong and want to offer amends. * **Example 10:** * 一个好的睡眠可以**弥补**前一天晚上的疲劳。 * Pinyin: Yí ge hǎo de shuìmián kěyǐ **míbǔ** qián yì tiān wǎnshang de píláo. * English: A good sleep can make up for the fatigue from the night before. * Analysis: This shows `弥补` used in a very practical, everyday health context. The "gap" is your energy, and "sleep" is the patch. ===== Nuances and Common Mistakes ===== The most common point of confusion for learners is the difference between `弥补 (míbǔ)` and `补偿 (bǔcháng)`. * **`弥补 (míbǔ)`:** To make up for, to remedy. It's broader and can be used for abstract things like mistakes, regrets, time, emotional harm, or a lack of skill. The focus is on the action of filling a gap or fixing a deficit. * **`补偿 (bǔcháng)`:** To compensate, to reimburse. It is more specific and almost always refers to a tangible or quantifiable compensation, like money, goods, or time off. It's often used in legal, financial, or employment contexts. **Rule of Thumb:** If you can replace "make up for" with "reimburse" or "give compensation for," use `补偿 (bǔcháng)`. Otherwise, `弥补 (míbǔ)` is probably the right choice. * **Correct:** 公司会**补偿**你的加班时间。 (Gōngsī huì **bǔcháng** nǐ de jiābān shíjiān.) - The company will compensate you for your overtime. * **Incorrect:** 公司会~~弥补~~你的加班时间。 (Here, `弥补` sounds unnatural because overtime work requires direct, quantifiable compensation, not an abstract "making up for.") * **Correct:** 他努力工作来**弥补**他犯的错误。 (Tā nǔlì gōngzuò lái **míbǔ** tā fàn de cuòwù.) - He worked hard to make up for the mistake he made. * **Incorrect:** 他努力工作来~~补偿~~他犯的错误。 (Using `补偿` here would imply he was trying to pay a financial price for his mistake, which is not the intended meaning.) **False Friend Alert:** "Make up" in English has many meanings. `弥补` only means "to make up //for//." * To "make up" after a fight (reconcile) is **和好 (héhǎo)**. * To "make up" a story (invent) is **编 (biān)** or **杜撰 (dùzhuàn)**. * To wear "makeup" (cosmetics) is **化妆 (huàzhuāng)**. ===== Related Terms and Concepts ===== * [[补偿]] (bǔcháng) - To compensate or reimburse. A more transactional term, often involving money or goods, as explained above. * [[挽回]] (wǎnhuí) - To retrieve or redeem. Similar to `弥补` but focuses on getting back something that was about to be lost (e.g., `挽回损失` - to recover a loss; `挽回面子` - to save face). * [[补救]] (bǔjiù) - To remedy or rescue. Implies a more urgent fix for a situation that has already gone wrong. Think of it as first aid or damage control. * [[遗憾]] (yíhàn) - Regret; pity. This is the feeling or state that often motivates the action of `弥补`. * [[过错]] (guòcuò) - Fault; mistake. This is the specific error that one often needs to `弥补`. * [[损失]] (sǔnshī) - Loss; damage. This is the deficit, often financial or material, that needs to be made up for. * [[改正]] (gǎizhèng) - To correct. Focuses on changing the error or bad habit itself, whereas `弥补` focuses on dealing with the negative consequences of that error. * [[不足]] (bùzú) - Insufficient; a lack. This is the general "deficiency" or "shortcoming" that one might try to `弥补`.