修 xiū — to decorate; to embellish; to repair; to build; to study; to write
工人正在修一条新路。Gōng rén zhèng zài xiū yì tiáo xīn lù.The workers are repairing a road.
Common words: 修改 (xiū gǎi)、装修 (zhuāng xiū)、维修 (wéi xiū)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "to repair"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "to repair", including 修 (xiū), 补 (bǔ). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "to repair" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 修 (xiū), 补 (bǔ) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span xiū, bǔ — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 修 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 修 xiūto decorate; to embellish; to repair; to build; to study; to writeUseful words: 修改, 装修
- 补 bǔto repair; to patch; to mend; to make up for; to fill (a vacancy); to supplementUseful words: 补充, 补偿
Common words for these 2 "to repair" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 修 (xiū) — so "to repair" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
修改xiū gǎito amend; to alter; to modify装修zhuāng xiūto decorate; interior decoration; to fit up; to renovate维修wéi xiūmaintenance (of equipment); to protect and maintain补充bǔ chōngto replenish; to supplement; to complement; additional补偿bǔ chángto compensate; to make up补贴bǔ tiēto subsidize; subsidy; allowance; to supplement (one's salary etc)
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 2 ways to say "to repair".
补 bǔ — to repair; to patch; to mend; to make up for; to fill (a vacancy); to supplement
妈妈帮我补好了破了的袜子。Mā ma bāng wǒ bǔ hǎo le pò le de wà zi.Mom mended my torn socks for me.
Common words: 补充 (bǔ chōng)、补偿 (bǔ cháng)、补贴 (bǔ tiē)
All 2 characters
Open 修、补 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.