补给
bǔ jǐ · HSK 7
supply
📦 bǔ = patch/mend + jǐ = provide → patch up what is lacking
补 means to patch or mend a gap, 给 means to give or provide. Together they form supply or replenishment — giving what is needed to fill a shortage, like restocking provisions.
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'.
给 — silk radical 纟 + 合 (combine)
Originally a phono-semantic compound: 纟 (silk) hinted at the meaning of joining threads tightly, while 合 ('combine, join') gave the sound. The early sense was 'supply' or 'provide,' which extended naturally to 'give.' In modern Mandarin it splits into gěi ('give') and jǐ ('supply').