péi cháng
compensate for; pay for
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索赔 (suǒ péi)
claim
补偿 (bǔ cháng)
compensate
The Chinese word 赔偿 (pèi cháng) for "compensation" is composed of two characters: 赔 (pèi) and 偿 (cháng). The character 赔 originally meant "to break" or "to damage", and it was often used in the context of paying compensation for damage caused. The character 偿 originally meant "to repay" or "to return", and it was often used in the context of repaying a debt or fulfilling an obligation. Over time, the two characters came to be used together to form the word 赔偿, which specifically refers to the act of paying compensation for damage or loss.
