Explore each form from the oldest known stage to today.
The character 補 (bǔ) evolved from ancient pictographs representing the concept of 'mending' or 'repairing.' Its earliest forms in oracle bone and bronze scripts showed a combination of elements - typically clothing (衣) on the left and a hand or tool on the right - suggesting the act of patching or repairing garments. The modern form clearly shows the clothing radical (衤) combined with 甫, which provides phonetic value. Over centuries, its meaning expanded from physical repair to include abstract concepts like supplementing, filling deficiencies, and making up for shortcomings. In Confucian classics, it appears in contexts of correcting deficiencies in character or governance. Arrived in Japan: The character 補 arrived in Japan during the 5th-6th centuries CE, primarily through the introduction of Chinese writing systems and Buddhist texts. It became established in the Japanese writing system during the Asuka and Nara periods (538-794 CE), appearing in early Japanese documents like the Manyōshū poetry collection and legal codes such as the Taihō Code (701 CE).