to compensate
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to compensate
To balance out a disadvantage, deficiency, or negative effect through another achievement or advantage.
Er versuchte, seine mangelnde Erfahrung durch besonderen Fleiß zu kompensieren.
He tried to compensate for his lack of experience with exceptional diligence.
to compensate
To compensate someone financially or materially for damage, loss, or effort they have suffered.
Die Fluggesellschaft muss die Passagiere für die lange Verspätung kompensieren.
The airline must compensate the passengers for the long delay.
The verb 'kompensieren' (to compensate) is typically used with two fixed patterns. To balance out a deficiency, you use 'etwas durch etwas kompensieren' (to compensate for something with something). To compensate someone, it is 'jemanden für etwas kompensieren' (to compensate someone for something).
Sie kompensiert ihre geringe Körpergröße durch enorme Sprungkraft.
She compensates for her short stature with enormous jumping power.
'Kompensieren' (to compensate) belongs to educated and written language. It sounds more formal and is often used in official, economic, or scientific contexts.
Die Regierung plant, die finanziellen Ausfälle durch neue Steuern zu kompensieren.
The government plans to compensate for the financial losses through new taxes.
In the meaning 'ausgleichen' (to balance out), 'kompensieren' (to compensate) is often used with abstract disadvantages. Common combinations are: 'einen Mangel kompensieren' (to compensate for a deficiency), 'eine Schwäche kompensieren' (to compensate for a weakness), or 'Verluste kompensieren' (to compensate for losses).
Der Sportler konnte seine technischen Schwächen durch große Ausdauer kompensieren.
The athlete was able to compensate for his technical weaknesses with great endurance.
to pick up / keep / cancel
Sich aufheben and kompensieren can describe opposing effects. Sich aufheben requires that no effect remains in the end. Kompensieren, by contrast, means reducing or offsetting a disadvantage with an advantage, without the effect having to disappear completely.
Die Gewinne kompensieren den Verlust in diesem Jahr nur teilweise.
This year, the gains only partially offset the loss.
Die Gewinne und Verluste heben sich am Ende vollständig auf.
The gains and losses completely cancel each other out in the end.
