補います（おぎないます、oginaimasu）
- to compensate

The Japanese verb 補います補います, read おぎないます, means "to supplement," "to compensate," "to make up for," or "to replenish." It implies adding something to make up for a lack, deficiency, or shortage. It can refer to adding something physical, like food or money, or something abstract, like effort or knowledge. The core idea is to bring something to a sufficient or satisfactory level.

⚫︎不足分を 補います Translation: I'll supplement the shortfall. ⚫︎栄養を 補いますために、サプリメントを飲む Translation: I take supplements to replenish my nutrition. ⚫︎彼の経験がチームの弱点を 補います Translation: His experience compensates for the team's weaknesses.

⚫︎補います補います is a formal verb and can be used in various situations where you need to describe adding something to cover a lack or shortage. ⚫︎It's suitable for both written and spoken Japanese. ⚫︎You can use it when talking about adding: * Physical items (e.g., food, money) * Effort and time * Information or knowledge * Strength or support * Filling gaps or deficiencies

⚫︎The verb is written using the kanji 補 and the hiragana います. ⚫︎The reading is おぎないます. ⚫︎The okurigana (hiragana attached to the kanji) is います. ⚫︎Other conjugations of 補います補います include: * 補う (おぎなう - dictionary form) * 補った (おぎなった - past tense) * 補えば (おぎなえば - conditional form) * 補い (おぎない - stem form)

⚫︎足す (たす - to add, to supplement, more casual) ⚫︎追加する (ついかする - to add, to supplement, more formal) ⚫︎埋める (うめる - to fill, to compensate, often used for gaps) ⚫︎補完する (ほかんする - to supplement, to complement, often used in a technical context) ⚫︎充当する (じゅうとうする - to allocate, to assign, to use to cover)

⚫︎There isn't a single perfect antonym, as the meaning of 補います補います depends on the context. However, words expressing a removal or reduction could be considered opposites. ⚫︎For example: * 減らす (へらす - to reduce) * 取り除く (とりのぞく - to remove) * 削減する (さくげんする - to cut, to reduce)

食事でビタミンが不足しているので、サプリメントで 補います。 ・Translation: Because I lack vitamins in my diet, I'll supplement them with supplements. ・Explanation: This sentence explains that the speaker will use supplements to overcome a vitamin deficiency in their diet. The verb 補います補います is used to describe the act of adding something to overcome a lack.

このレポートには情報が足りないので、調査をして 補います。 ・Translation: This report lacks information, so I will conduct research to supplement it. ・Explanation: The speaker acknowledges a lack of information in the report. They plan to 補い補い (using the stem form of the verb) by conducting a survey.

⚫︎The kanji 補 is composed of the radical 衤 (衣 - cloth) on the left side, which represents clothing, and the phonetic component 甫 (usually pronounced ほ - but here is ほ - and the same as in 捕). ⚫︎The original meaning of 補 was related to repairing or mending clothes, or to fill in gaps. ⚫︎Over time, the meaning expanded to encompass the broader idea of supplementing, compensating, or making up for deficiencies in various contexts.