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補欠 (hoketsu) Japanese meaning: filling a vacancy | Kotomora

補ほ欠けつ

ほ

け

つ

Common word›JLPTN1›Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

noun, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'

filling a vacancy; supplementation

Refers to the act or system of filling an empty position, often in an organization or team. Can be used as a noun or with の to modify another noun.

欠けつ員いんが出でたので、補ほ欠けつの手て続つづ

き

を

急いそ

い

だ

。

Since a vacancy opened up, we hurried the process of filling it.

補ほ欠けつ選せん挙きょが来らい月げつ行おこなわれる。

A by-election will be held next month.

2

substitute; alternate; spare

A person who stands by to take over a role when needed, such as a substitute player in sports or an alternate member of a committee.

彼かれはサッカー部ぶの補ほ欠けつだ。
He is a substitute on the soccer team.
補ほ欠けつの選せん手しゅが急きゅうに出しゅつ場じょうすることになった。
The substitute player suddenly had to take the field.

Usage patterns

補ほ欠けつになるto become a substitute/alternate
彼かれは試し合あいに出でられず補ほ欠けつになった。
He couldn't play in the match and became a substitute.
補ほ欠けつで出しゅつ場じょうするto play in a game as a substitute
けがをした選せん手しゅの代かわりに補ほ欠けつで出しゅつ場じょうした。
He played as a substitute in place of the injured player.
補ほ欠けつ合ごう格かくするto pass an exam/admission on the waiting list
第だい一いち志し望ぼうの大だい学がくに補ほ欠けつ合ごう格かくした。
I was admitted off the waiting list to my first-choice university.
〈人ひと〉を補ほ欠けつに選えらぶto choose someone as a substitute/alternate
監かん督とくは新しん人じんを補ほ欠けつに選えらんだ。
The coach chose the rookie as a substitute.

Kanji

補supplement, supply, make good
欠lack, gap, fail
闕lack, gap, fail

Related words

控ひかえ sense 2
控え emphasizes someone waiting in reserve as a backup, while 補欠 emphasizes being the designated alternate who fills a vacant slot or position.
代だい理りN2sense 2
代理 is a proxy or agent who acts on someone's behalf, whereas 補欠 is a substitute who steps in to fill an empty role or membership slot.
補ほ充じゅうN1sense 1
補充 means replenishing or making up a general shortage, while 補欠 specifically means filling a vacant position with an alternate person.
予よ備びN2
補欠 specifically means a substitute person, such as a backup player, while 予備 is broader and can refer to spare items, funds, or people.

Opposites

レギュラーN1sense 2
レギュラー is the regular, main member of a team, the direct opposite of 補欠, the substitute or reserve member.
スタメン
スタメン refers to a player in the starting lineup, while 補欠 refers to a substitute or reserve player who starts on the bench.

Don't confuse with

補ほ習しゅうN3
補習 refers to supplementary lessons to make up missed study, while 補欠 refers to a substitute person or filling a vacant position; learners confuse them because both start with 補.

Counted with

人にん sense 2
A 補欠 (substitute member) is counted with 人, the general counter for people.

Word family

万まん年ねん補ほ欠けつ
perpetual benchwarmer; eternal substitute
補ほ欠けつ選せん手しゅ
substitute player; benchwarmer; sub
補ほ欠けつ選せん挙きょ
by-election; special election
補ほ欠けつ分

Written forms

補ほ欠けつUsage99%
Standard kanji spelling; high priority.
補ほ闕けつUsage1%
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form; 闕 is a non-jōyō variant of 欠.

Etymology

補 (supplement) + 欠 (lack, vacancy). The rare form 補闕 uses 闕, an older character for 'lack' or 'imperfection'.

ぶん

子し

族ぞく

prosthetic group