補う · godan verb (-u)
| Form | Positive | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary | 補う | 補わない |
| Polite | 補います | 補いません |
| Past polite | 補いました | 補いませんでした |
| Past | 補った | 補わなかった |
| Te-form | 補って | 補わないで |
| Desire | 補いたい | 補いたくない |
| Potential | 補える | 補えない |
| Passive | 補われる | 補われない |
| Causative | 補わせる | 補わせない |
| Causative passive | 補わせられるalso 補わされる | 補わせられないalso 補わされない |
| Volitional | 補おう | |
| Polite volitional | 補いましょう | |
| Imperative | 補え | 補うな |
| Conditional | 補えば | 補わなければ |
| Tara conditional | 補ったら | 補わなかったら |
godan verb (-u), transitive verb
supplement; make up for; compensate for; cover (a shortage); fill (a vacancy)
Broadly used for adding something to make up for a lack, deficiency, or shortfall. Can be concrete (money, supplies) or abstract (ability, effort).
足りない分は貯金で補った。
I made up the shortfall with my savings.
I compensate for my lack of experience with hard work.
We fill the vacancy with part-time workers.
He made up for his lack of experience with hard work.
I'm taking supplements to make up for missing nutrients.
The team compensated for its weak defense with strong offense.
We covered the funding shortfall with a bank loan.