Definition
互补 (hù bǔ) means 'to complement each other' — two things that together form a complete or harmonious whole. Unlike 配 (pèi), which focuses on matching or suiting each other (e.g., colors that look good together), 互补 emphasizes that each supplies what the other lacks. The set phrase 相辅相成 (xiāng fǔ xiāng chéng) is more formal and implies mutual reinforcement and dependence.
verb
to complement each otherto be complementary
Examples
- 互补，。Hóng hé lǜ shì hù bǔ sè, fàng zài yìqǐ hěn xiétiáo.Red and green are complementary colors; they look harmonious together.
- 互补，，。Zhè liǎng gè tuánduì hù bǔ, yí gè shàncháng shèjì, yí gè shàncháng yíngxiāo.These two teams complement each other — one excels at design, the other at marketing.
- 互补，。Tāmen de guāndiǎn hù bǔ, tǎolùn qǐlái hěn yǒu shēndù.Their viewpoints complement each other, making discussions very insightful.
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