1. to pay someone money for work or services
支付某人工作或服務的報酬
The company compensates its employees fairly.
這家公司公平地支付員工報酬。
How will you be compensated for your time?
你付出的時間將如何獲得報酬？
Compensate Meaning（定義、用法、例句與發音）
compensate
verb
快速理解
What does "Compensate" mean?What are 2-3 core uses of "Compensate"?
指為彌補損失、過錯或提供等值回報而採取的行動。
- 1
賠償/補償
EN: to pay someone money or give them something to make up for a loss, injury, or inconvenience
翻譯: 支付金錢或提供物品以彌補他人的損失、傷害或不便。
- 2
彌補/抵消
EN: to make up for a weakness, disadvantage, or lack in something
翻譯: 彌補某事物的缺點、劣勢或不足之處。
- 3
報酬/回報
EN: to provide something good as a balance for something bad or as a reward for effort
翻譯: 提供好處以平衡壞處，或作為努力的回報。
小提醒：注意搭配介系詞：compensate for something（彌補某事），compensate someone for something（因某事補償某人）。
發音（How to Pronounce "Compensate" in English）
How to pronounce "Compensate" in English?"Compensate" US vs UK pronunciation
點擊下方的 US / UK 按鈕可播放發音。
Real-life Examples of "Compensate" from YouTube Videos
Averting the climate crisis | Al Gore
TED
“Listen, if you have invested money with managers who you compensate on the basis of their annual performance, don't ever again complain about quarterly report CEO management Over time, people do what you pay them to do”
(1 out of 3)
Definitions（定義）
What are the definitions of "Compensate"?How does "Compensate" change by context?
2. to make up for a loss, damage, or inconvenience
彌補損失、損害或不便
The airline compensated passengers for the delayed flight.
航空公司為航班延誤向乘客提供了補償。
Nothing can compensate for the loss of a loved one.
沒有什麼能彌補失去親人的痛苦。
3. to counterbalance or offset something undesirable
抵消或平衡某種不良影響
Her enthusiasm compensates for her lack of experience.
她的熱情彌補了經驗的不足。
The car's excellent safety features compensate for its high price.
這輛車出色的安全性能抵消了其高昂的價格。
Grammar & Patterns（句型）
What are common sentence patterns for "Compensate"?How to make natural sentences with "Compensate"?
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| compensate + (sb) | 補償（某人） | The company will compensate the customers for the defective products. (公司將為有缺陷的產品補償顧客。) |
| compensate + for + sth | 彌補某事物 | Her diligence compensates for her lack of experience. (她的勤奮彌補了經驗的不足。) |
| compensate + (sb) + for + sth | 為某事補償（某人） | The insurance will compensate you for the loss. (保險公司將為你的損失補償你。) |
| be compensated + for + sth | 因某事獲得補償 | He was fairly compensated for his overtime work. (他因加班獲得了公平的補償。) |
| compensate + by + V-ing | 透過…來彌補 | He compensates for his short stature by being exceptionally confident. (他透過異常自信來彌補身高上的不足。) |
用法說明
How is "Compensate" different from similar structures?What usage mistakes are common with "Compensate"?
compensate for doing vs compensate to do
- compensate for doing 表示「為（已發生的）某個行為或情況作出補償或彌補」。介系詞 for 後面接動名詞 (doing)，強調補償的對象是某個既成事實或行動。
- compensate to do 的結構較為少見且不自然。通常表達「為了做某事而給予補償」時，會使用 compensate someone for doing something 或 compensate someone to do something（付錢請某人做某事）。
- 當主詞是事物（非人）時，compensate for 表示「彌補、抵消」某個不足或缺陷，後面同樣接名詞或動名詞。
- 若要表達「（某事物）足以彌補…」，可使用 be enough to compensate for 或 more than compensate for 的結構。 EN: The company compensated him for working overtime on the holiday. 翻譯: 公司因他在假日加班而給予他補償。
EN:The superb food more than compensates for the plain decor of the restaurant.
翻譯:這間餐廳的美食足以彌補其樸素裝潢的不足。
總結建議
建議使用 compensate (someone) for doing something 來表示「為某事補償（某人）」，並避免使用 compensate to do 這種不自然的結構。
易混淆對比
What is the difference between "Compensate" and similar words?How to choose "Compensate" vs alternatives?
compensate vs reimburse
「compensate」強調對損失、不便或付出的努力進行彌補或回報，範圍較廣；「reimburse」則專指償還他人已墊付的款項或開銷。
compensate vs offset
「compensate」是直接給予補償以平衡損失；「offset」則是透過對立或相反的作用來抵銷、中和某個負面影響。
compensate vs remunerate
「compensate」適用於各種損失或付出的補償；「remunerate」是較正式的用詞，特指為工作或服務支付報酬。
口語用法
How is "Compensate" used in spoken English?What is the spoken vs formal difference for "Compensate"?
引述
在口語中，當引述或轉述他人觀點時，常用來表示「彌補」或「平衡」的概念。 EN: So what he's basically saying is, the bonus is meant to compensate for the extra hours. 翻譯: 所以他基本上是在說，這筆獎金是為了彌補那些額外工時。
EN:She kept going on about how the flexible schedule compensates for the lower pay.
翻譯:她一直強調彈性工時如何彌補了較低的薪水。
語氣強調
在對話中，常用來加強語氣，表示「完全彌補」或「足以平衡」，常與 "more than"、"totally" 等詞連用。 EN: Don't worry, the amazing view from the balcony more than compensates for the small kitchen. 翻譯: 別擔心，陽台那超棒的景色完全彌補了廚房小的缺點。
EN:Honestly, the team spirit here totally compensates for the long commute.
翻譯:說真的，這裡的團隊精神完全彌補了通勤時間長的問題。
停頓填充
在思考或組織語句時，作為填充詞組的一部分，常用 "to compensate for that" 或 "to compensate, you know" 等結構。 EN: The salary isn't the highest... to compensate for that, they offer incredible benefits. 翻譯: 薪水不是最高的…為了彌補這一點，他們提供了超棒的福利。
EN:It's a bit far from the city center—to compensate, you know, the rent is much cheaper.
翻譯:離市中心有點遠—作為補償嘛，你知道的，租金便宜很多。
正式書寫注意：在正式或學術寫作中，應避免使用上述口語中的停頓填充結構（如 "you know"）及過於主觀的強調詞（如 "totally"）。建議使用更精確、結構完整的句子，例如 "This serves to compensate for..." 或 "...which adequately compensates for..."。
常見短語
What common collocations use "Compensate"?What fixed phrases with "Compensate" should I remember?
compensate for
compensate for something
彌補、補償（某事物）
compensate adequately
compensate (someone) adequately
給予（某人）充分的補償
compensate financially
compensate (someone) financially
給予（某人）金錢上的補償
compensate a loss
compensate a loss
賠償損失
compensate for damages
compensate for damages
賠償損害
compensate handsomely
compensate (someone) handsomely
給予（某人）豐厚的報酬/補償
compensate for a lack of
compensate for a lack of something
彌補…的不足
常見錯誤
What are common mistakes with "Compensate"?Which "Compensate" sentences look correct but are wrong?
×The company will compensate to the workers for the overtime.
✓The company will compensate the workers for the overtime.
「compensate」作為及物動詞時，直接接受詞（人或組織），不需加介系詞「to」。正確結構為「compensate someone for something」。
×He compensated his lack of experience with working very hard.
✓He compensated for his lack of experience by working very hard.
當表達「彌補（某種不足或缺失）」時，需使用「compensate for something」。表示「透過某種方式」彌補時，使用「by doing something」。
×The insurance policy will compensate for.
✓The insurance policy will compensate you for the loss.
「compensate」作為及物動詞時，必須有明確的受詞（被補償的對象）。句子不能缺少受詞而單獨使用「compensate」。
×We need to compensate the difference between the two plans.
✓We need to compensate for the difference between the two plans.
「compensate」單獨使用時，常指「賠償某人金錢或等價物」。若要表達「彌補、抵消（差異、不足、劣勢等抽象事物）」，必須使用「compensate for」。
×Eating more vegetables can compensate your unhealthy diet.
✓Eating more vegetables cannot compensate for an unhealthy diet. / Eating more vegetables may offset some effects of an unhealthy diet.
「Compensate (for)」通常用於完全抵消或平衡某種損失、劣勢或錯誤，語意較強。對於「部分改善但不完全抵消」的情況，使用「offset」、「make up for」或「counteract」可能更自然。
詞形變化
What are the word forms of "Compensate"?What are tense/participle forms of "Compensate"?
compensates(3rd_singular)compensating(present_participle)compensated(past)compensated(past_participle)