The Chinese word **补贴 (bǔtiē)**, meaning "subsidy" or "allowance," is a compound word formed by combining two characters with related meanings: **补 (bǔ)**, which means "to supplement," "to make up for," or "to repair," and **贴 (tiē)**, which means "to stick to" or, in an economic context, "to subsidize financially." Together, they create a term where **补** emphasizes the action of adding something that is lacking, and **贴** conveys the idea of providing financial support that "sticks to" or adheres to the recipient to cover a shortfall. Thus, the compound semantically merges to denote a supplementary financial grant provided to offset costs or losses.