補 means “supplement, make up for”

おぎなう · oginau

Also: supply, make good, offset

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)
おぎなう
On'yomi (Chinese reading)
ホ

JLPT N2 · Taught in grade 6 · 12 strokes

The story

Clothing (衤) beside 甫, pictured as a stitched patch: 補 began as mending a torn garment. 補う is to make up for what's missing, 補習 the extra classes for students who fell behind, and a 候補 is a candidate.

Used in 補う (oginau, to make up for), 候補 (kouho, candidate), and 補助 (hojo, assistance/subsidy)

More from The Order of Things

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Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.