修复

• Pinyin: xiū fù
• Hanzi breakdown: 修 = 亻 (person) + 攸 (smooth), to make smooth/fix; 复 = 彳 (walk) + 复 (return), to return to original

Meaning

To repair; to restore; to fix. Bringing something back to its original or proper condition.

Used for physical repairs (buildings, artifacts) and abstract restoration (relationships, data, ecosystems). More formal than 修理, often implying careful restoration of something valuable. Common in contexts like heritage conservation, software bugs, and environmental restoration.

Examples

1. 这幅古画经过专家修复后焕然一新。 This ancient painting looks completely renewed after expert restoration.
2. 他们花了三年时间修复这座古老的桥梁。 They spent three years repairing this ancient bridge.
3. 系统崩溃后，工程师正在修复数据。 After the system crashed, engineers are restoring the data.

Usage Guide

Context: conservation, technology, construction

Tone: professional

Do Say

• 这些文物需要专业修复。(These cultural relics need professional restoration.)
• 软件漏洞已经修复了。(The software bug has been fixed.)

Don't Say

• 我要修复我的自行车 (Too formal for everyday repairs — use 修理 for fixing a bike)

Origin & History

Compound of 修 (repair, cultivate) and 复 (restore, return), meaning to repair and restore.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal