弥补
míbǔ · HSK 7
make up
🧵 弥 fill-over + 补 mend/patch = patch the gap, make up for a shortfall
补 bǔ is to mend or patch (same word as patching clothes); 弥 mí means to fill or cover over. Together they mean to fill in and repair what was lacking — to compensate or make up for a loss.
补 — clothes radical 衤 + 甫 (phonetic)
补 is a phono-semantic compound. The left side 衤 (clothes radical) gives the meaning, originally referring to patching or mending clothes. The right side 甫 supplies the sound. From 'mend a garment' the meaning broadened to 'repair, supplement, make up for'.