---
title: "Tianbu Meaning: 填补 (tiánbǔ) Means “to fill”"
description: "填补 (traditional 填補, tiánbǔ) means “to fill (a gap or vacancy)”. Hear its tones, see what 填 and 补 each mean and a real sentence that uses it."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/tianbu"
published: "2026-10-21"
updated: "2026-11-06"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

[What does it mean in Chinese?](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning)

# What does 填补 mean?

猫头鹰māotóuyīngowl

填补 tiánbǔ

## to fill (a gap or vacancy)

## Its characters

1. 填 tián to fill in
2. 补 bǔ to fill

## In a sentence

我们需要找人填补这个空缺。 We need to find someone to fill this vacancy.

支持者认为，许多发展中国家长期缺少道路、电力和港口，“一带一路”**填补**了这一缺口，带动了当地的就业和贸易。

From [“一带一路”到底是什么？ · What is China’s Belt and Road Initiative?](https://mandarinthewild.com/library/read/what-is-the-belt-and-road-initiative#library-word-276-278)

[More about 填补](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%A1%AB%E8%A1%A5)

## More words with 填 or 补

- [补偿 bǔcháng](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/buchang)
- [补充 bǔchōng](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/buchong)
- [补贴 bǔtiē](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/butie)
- [补助 bǔzhù](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/buzhu)
- [互补 hùbǔ](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/hubu)
- [弥补 míbǔ](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/mibu)
- [填充 tiánchōng](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/tianchong)
- [填写 tiánxiě](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/tianxie)
- [替补 tìbǔ](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/tibu)

## Keep 填补 for Review

A free account keeps it, and Review brings it back just before you’d forget it.

## Look up another word

## See any word in its sentence

Get a card like this for every word on any page or YouTube subtitle.

[Add to Chrome](https://mandarinthewild.com/go/chrome?from=%2Fmeaning%2Ftianbu) [Read in the Library](https://mandarinthewild.com/library)

[Hear any Chinese read aloud](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-text-to-speech)

[How it compares with The Chairman’s Bao](https://mandarinthewild.com/compare/the-chairmans-bao)