填补 (tián bǔ) is a compound verb meaning 'to fill and make up for'—typically a gap, shortage, vacancy, or deficiency. The first character 填 (tián) means 'to fill (in)', as in filling a form or space; the second, 补 (bǔ), means 'to supplement', 'to repair', or 'to compensate'. Together, they emphasize both physical or conceptual filling *and* functional restoration: it’s not just occupying empty space, but restoring completeness or adequacy. This word is commonly used in formal, written, or professional contexts—such as economics, education, staffing, or infrastructure—where deficits need active correction.

It often appears with objects like 缺口 (gap), 空缺 (vacancy), 不足 (shortage), or 损失 (loss). While it can be used transitively ('fill X'), it may also appear in passive or resultative constructions (e.g., 被填补, 填补了…). It carries a neutral-to-positive connotation, suggesting effective, purposeful action rather than mere stopgap measures.