埋め合わせ（うめあわせ、umeawase）
- compensation

The Japanese word 埋め合わせ (うめあわせ) primarily means to make up for something, to compensate for something, to make amends, to offset, or to cover a deficiency. It implies taking action to rectify a situation where something is missing, lacking, or incorrect. The "something" being covered can be time, money, effort, or any kind of deficit. The act of 埋め合わせ involves providing what's lacking to bring the situation to a satisfactory state.

⚫︎ 遅刻した分は、残業で 埋め合わせ します。 Translation: I will make up for the time I was late by working overtime. ⚫︎ 赤字を 埋め合わせ するために、コストを削減する必要がある。 Translation: We need to reduce costs to offset the deficit. ⚫︎ 彼は彼の過ちを 埋め合わせ するために謝罪した。 Translation: He apologized to make amends for his mistake.

埋め合わせ is used in various contexts where something needs to be balanced or corrected. It’s suitable for both formal and informal situations, although the level of formality might influence the specific wording of the sentence. You can use it when discussing financial matters, time management, personal mistakes, or any instance where there is a shortage or an imbalance. It’s important to understand the context to determine exactly what is being 埋め合わせ d.

埋め合わせ is typically written in kanji and hiragana: 埋め合わせ. ・埋め (うめ) means "to fill" or "to bury". ・合わせ (あわせ) means "to combine", "to match", or "to adjust". Variations in okurigana (the hiragana after the kanji) are usually not seen. The word is sometimes used in its verb form 埋め合わせる (うめあわせる), meaning "to make up for" or "to compensate for." Its conjugations, such as 埋め合わせた (うめあわせた - made up for), or 埋め合わせ (うめあわせ - making up for) or埋め合わせます (うめあわせます - will make up for) are also common.

・補う (おぎなう) - to supplement, to make up for. ・補填する (ほてんする) - to fill in, to replenish (often used for financial matters). ・弁償する (べんしょうする) - to compensate, to make restitution (usually used for property damage or loss). ・償う (つぐなう) - to compensate, to atone for. ・帳消しにする (ちょうけしにする) - to cancel out, to write off.

There isn't a direct antonym for 埋め合わせ. However, words or phrases that suggest creating a deficit, or exacerbating a shortfall could be considered opposite in meaning. For example: ・不足させる (ふそくさせる) - to make insufficient. ・悪化させる (あっかさせる) - to worsen. ・損なう (そこなう) - to damage, impair, or harm.

試験で悪い点を取ってしまったので、次の試験で頑張って 埋め合わせ しようと思っています。 ・Translation: I got a bad score on the exam, so I’m planning to work hard and make up for it on the next exam. ・Explanation: This sentence illustrates how 埋め合わせ is used to describe a plan to compensate for a deficiency (a bad exam score) with additional effort.

彼は遅刻したことを詫び、その時間を仕事で 埋め合わせ ると言った。 ・Translation: He apologized for being late, and said he would make up for the time with work. ・Explanation: The sentence illustrates 埋め合わせ applied to time and responsibility.

The etymology of 埋め合わせ comes from the verb 埋める (うめる), meaning "to fill" or "to bury," and 合わせる (あわせる), meaning "to combine" or "to adjust." It suggests the act of filling in a gap, or adjusting to make up for something that is missing or insufficient, therefore, 埋め合わせ means to fill the "gap".