The character 补 — “mend”: how to write it and what it means
mend, make up for
The Chinese character 补 is read bǔ and means “mend, make up for”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 补
补 has 7 strokes. At each step the new stroke is highlighted — write them in the same order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical, a frame before what is inside it, and the bottom stroke of the frame last.
To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for 补, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 补 is made of
On the left, 衤 “clothing”: the first meaning is to patch clothes. On the right, 卜 bǔ hints at the sound.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 补
- 补充supplement, addHSK 5
- 补课make up missed lessonsHSK 6
- 补习take extra lessonsHSK 6
- 补偿compensate, make up forHSK 6
- 补贴subsidize; subsidy, allowanceHSK 6
- 弥补make up for (a loss, gap)HSK 6
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 补?
补 has 7 strokes. They follow the usual rules: top to bottom, left to right, horizontal before vertical, outside before inside. The order of each stroke is shown on this page.
What does 补 mean?
补 means “mend, make up for”. It appears in 补充 (“supplement”), 补课 (“make up missed lessons”), 补习 (“take extra lessons”), 补偿 (“compensate”).
How do you pronounce 补?
补 is read bǔ. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 补 have?
7 strokes.
More characters on the page “Chinese characters with meanings” and in the list of HSK characters by level; whole words are in the dictionary.
Write 补 yourself
In the lessons you write characters stroke by stroke with a finger or a mouse, and the course checks the order. You can start for free, no sign-up needed.
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