補

The central concept is the filling of a void or deficiency to restore wholeness or function. Its range includes:

• Physical Repair: Literal patching or mending (plugging a specific hole).
• Supplementation and Compensation: Filling vacancies in office; covering financial deficits; supplementing corrupted texts or strengthening arguments with additional evidence.
• Medical Tonification: Nourishing or tonifying a depleted system (e.g., nourishing qi or blood).

Primarily a transitive verb requiring an object. In compound terms, it may function as a modifier meaning "supplementary" or "additional."

• 補 vs. 修 (xiū): 修 refers to general renovation, cultivation, or total overhaul; 補 is targeted and surgical, addressing a specific point of deficiency.
• 補 vs. 填 (tián): While both mean "to fill," 填 often implies filling a space entirely, whereas 補 emphasizes restoring function by plugging a gap or leak.

Tang-period reading: *bǒ; Fanqie: 博古. Simplified variant: U+8865.

Associated with the 衣 (clothing) radical, reflecting its original application to patching garments.

Avoid a generic rendering of "repair." Selection should be domain-specific:

• Medical: tonify / nourish.
• Administrative: fill / appoint.
• Financial: cover / make up.
• Physical: patch / mend.

When the glyph functions as a modifier, distinguish whether the context implies correction (fixing an error) or augmentation (adding to existing material).