Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use 'make up for' to show how one positive action balances out a previous mistake or a natural deficiency.
- Always use 'for' before the thing being compensated: 'He made up for the delay.'
- Never separate the parts: 'Make up for it' is correct; 'Make it up for' is wrong.
- Follow 'for' with a noun or a gerund (-ing): 'Make up for being late.'
Overview
make up for は、単なる「補償する」という辞書的な意味を超え、人間関係の修復、ビジネス上の不手際の挽回、あるいは自分自身の欠点を補うといった、極めて多層的で「感情的な機微」を伴う表現です。make up for という一言が象徴しています。日本語では「埋め合わせをする」「補う」「償う」といった言葉が対応しますが、英語の make up for はこれらすべてを包含しつつ、より能動的で前向きな「解決への意志」を感じさせる響きがあります。make up for the delay（遅れを挽回する）ために何をするかをセットで語るのが、プロフェッショナルなコミュニケーションの定石です。本稿では、この表現の構造的な理解から、日本人が陥りやすい罠、そして類似表現との繊細なニュアンスの違いまで、専門的な視点で徹底的に解説します。How This Grammar Works
make up for は、文法的には「三語からなる句動詞（Three-word phrasal verb）」に分類されます。この構造を分解して理解することで、なぜこの組み合わせが「埋め合わせ」という意味を成すのか、その論理が見えてきます。- 1
make(動詞): 何かを「作り出す」「生じさせる」という根源的なエネルギーを持っています。 - 2
up(副詞): 句動詞におけるupは「完全に」「最後まで」という「完了・充足」のニュアンスを付与します。何かが欠けている状態を「満たす」イメージです。 - 3
for(前置詞): 「〜に対して」「〜を目的として」という方向性を示します。ここでは「補償の対象となる対象物」を指し示します。
make up for は常に「何に対して（for）」という対象を必要とする他動詞的な働きをします。日本語では「昨日の分を埋め合わせるよ」と目的語を省略しがちですが、英語では I will make up for it. のように、必ず for の後に代名詞や名詞を置く必要があります。また、日本語の「償う」にはやや重い罪悪感のニュアンスが伴うことが多いですが、make up for は「不足している能力をユーモアで補う」といった、ポジティブな文脈でも頻繁に使用される点が特徴です。
Formation Pattern
make up for の活用と構成パターンを整理しましょう。この句動詞は「分離不可能」なタイプであり、make と up の間に目的語を挟むことはできません。
[主語] + [makeの活用形] + up + for + [名詞句 / 動名詞]
His hard work makes up for his lack of experience. | 経験不足を努力で補っている（恒常的な状態）。 |
I'm trying to make up for lost time. | 失われた時間を取り戻そうとしている（現在進行中の動作）。 |
The delicious food made up for the poor service. | 料理の美味しさが接客の悪さを帳消しにした（過去の出来事）。 |
We have made up for the initial deficit. | 当初の赤字分をすでに補填した（完了した結果）。 |
How can I make up for my mistake? | どうすればミスを挽回できますか？（可能性・手段）。 |
*make my mistake up for* のように語順を入れ替えることはできません。必ず make up for のセットで使います。
for は前置詞であるため、後ろには必ず「名詞」または「動名詞（-ing）」が来ます。不定詞（to + 動詞）を置くことはできません。
make up for being late (遅刻したことを埋め合わせる)
*make up for to be late*
When To Use It
make up for が使われる具体的なシチュエーションを、C1レベルに相応しい文脈で見ていきましょう。I know I missed your birthday, so I want to take you to a fancy dinner to make up for it.
Her enthusiasm more than makes up for her lack of technical skills.
The small size of the apartment is made up for by its prime location.
The sunny weather on the last day made up for the rain earlier in the week.
We need to work overtime this week to make up for the production delay.
Common Mistakes
for を忘れてしまう（make up との混同）make up（forなし）には「化粧をする」「話をでっち上げる」「仲直りする」といった全く別の意味があります。- 間違い例:
*I must make up my mistake.*（これでは「ミスを捏造する」という怪しい意味になりかねません） - 正解:
I must make up for my mistake.
for という前置詞を介さずに直接目的語を置きたくなる心理（母語干渉）が働きます。for の後ろに不定詞を置いてしまう- 間違い例:
*I'll make up for to miss the meeting.* - 正解:
I'll make up for missing the meeting.
to + 不定詞 を使ってしまう傾向がありますが、前置詞 for の後には動名詞しか置けないというルールを徹底する必要があります。make up for は不自然です。- 間違い例:
*I'll make up for your broken cup with a new one.*（コップの「損失という事態」を補うなら可能ですが、モノ自体を置き換えるならreplaceが適切です） - 正解:
I'll replace your broken cup./I'll make up for breaking your cup by buying you a new one.
make up for は「価値や影響のバランスを取る」ことに焦点があり、物理的な「置換」そのものを指す言葉ではないからです。Contrast With Similar Patterns
This bonus makes up for all the hard work. |The company compensated the victims for their losses. |He spent the rest of his life trying to atone for his sins. |The gains in the tech sector offset the losses in energy. |He managed to redeem himself by scoring the winning goal. |make up for vs. make it up to [someone]make up for [something]: 「事柄（ミスや欠如）」を埋め合わせる。make it up to [someone]: 「人」に対して埋め合わせをする。- 例:
I'm sorry I'm late. I'll make it up to you.（遅れてごめん。君に埋め合わせをするよ＝何かおごるよ、など） - 日本語ではどちらも「埋め合わせる」ですが、英語では対象が「事」か「人」かで形が変わります。
Quick FAQ
make up for はポジティブな意味でしか使えませんか？基本的には「マイナスをプラスで補う」という構造なので、結果としてポジティブな方向に向かいますが、補う対象自体は lack, loss, mistake, failure など、ネガティブな言葉が来ることが一般的です。
compensate との使い分けの基準は？迷ったら make up for を使えば間違いありません。compensate は「金銭的な補償」や、専門的なレポート、契約書などで好まれます。日常会話や一般的なビジネスメールでは make up for の方が自然で、かつ「気持ち」がこもっているように聞こえます。
はい、可能です。The deficit was made up for by an anonymous donation.（その赤字は匿名の寄付によって補填された）のように使われます。ただし、能動態の方が「主語の意志」を感じさせるため、謝罪や決意の場面では能動態が好まれます。
make up と make up for の違いを覚えるコツは？for を「〜の身代わりに、〜の対価として」という交換のイメージで捉えてください。make up（作り上げる）＋ for（〜の代わりに）＝「欠けているものの代わりに、何かを作り上げて補う」と考えると、忘れにくくなります。
make up for を使いこなせるようになると、英語でのコミュニケーションに「責任感」と「前向きな姿勢」を付加することができます。C1レベルの学習者にとって、語彙を増やすこと以上に大切なのは、こうした「状況をコントロールし、関係性を調整するための表現」を血肉化することです。次にミスをしてしまった時、あるいは誰かの欠点をフォローする時、ぜひこの表現を使ってみてください。それは単なる文法の使用ではなく、信頼を築くための高度な戦略となるはずです。2. Negative Contractions
| Full Form | Contracted Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
does not make up for
|
doesn't make up for
|
It doesn't make up for it.
|
|
did not make up for
|
didn't make up for
|
They didn't make up for the loss.
|
|
has not made up for
|
hasn't made up for
|
She hasn't made up for the error.
|
Conjugating 'Make up for'
| Tense | Subject | Form | Object |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Present Simple
|
I / You / We / They
|
make up for
|
the delay
|
|
Present Simple
|
He / She / It
|
makes up for
|
the delay
|
|
Past Simple
|
All subjects
|
made up for
|
the delay
|
|
Present Continuous
|
I
|
am making up for
|
the delay
|
|
Present Perfect
|
He / She
|
has made up for
|
the delay
|
|
Future (will)
|
All subjects
|
will make up for
|
the delay
|
|
Gerund
|
N/A
|
making up for
|
the delay
|
|
Infinitive
|
N/A
|
to make up for
|
the delay
|
Meanings
To provide something good as a balance against something bad or lacking, effectively neutralizing a negative impact.
Restitution
Doing something positive to apologize for a specific mistake or social slight.
“He bought her flowers to make up for forgetting her birthday.”
“How can I ever make up for the trouble I've caused?”
Counterbalancing
When a positive quality offsets a negative quality or a lack of something.
“Her enthusiasm makes up for her lack of experience.”
“The stunning views more than make up for the small size of the room.”
Replacement
To replace something that has been lost, stolen, or wasted.
“The insurance money didn't really make up for the loss of the sentimental items.”
“We need to find a way to make up for the lost revenue this quarter.”
Reference Table
| 状況／問題 | 取られた行動 | 結果（バランス回復） |
|---|---|---|
|
間違い／過ち
|
謝罪 + 努力
|
許し／修正
|
|
不在／不足
|
追加の提供
|
完全性／十分さ
|
|
不便
|
親切なジェスチャー
|
好意／満足
|
|
失われた機会
|
新たなチャンスを掴む
|
進歩／達成
|
|
ネガティブな印象
|
改善された行動
|
ポジティブな認識
|
|
不十分なパフォーマンス
|
努力の増加
|
結果の改善
|
フォーマル度スペクトル
I trust this additional report will compensate for my delayed submission. (Apology)
I hope this makes up for my being late. (Apology)
Let me buy you a coffee to make up for the wait. (Apology)
My bad! Drinks on me to make up for it. (Apology)
埋め合わせをする：「Make Up For」の繋がり
何をバランスさせるか
- Mistakes 間違い、悪い選択
- Absence 逃した機会、不在
- Negatives 失望、不便
どのように機能するか
- Action ポジティブな努力、ジェスチャー
- Restitution 償うこと、修正すること
- Equilibrium バランスを取り戻すこと
文法パターン
- Make (conjugated) make, made, making
- Up For 固定フレーズ
- Noun/Gerund 補償の目的語
「Make Up For」と似たフレーズの比較
「Make Up For」を使うべき？
ネガティブな状況、不在、または間違いがありますか？
それをバランスさせる、または補償するための行動を取る（または提案する）予定ですか？
その行動は直接物理的な物を置き換えるものですか？
「Make Up For」の目的語
間違い＆過ち
- • my mistake
- • a terrible error
- • the oversight
不在＆不足
- • lost time
- • my absence
- • the lack of effort
- • missed opportunities
不便
- • the trouble
- • the delay
- • the disappointment
ネガティブな経験
- • a bad impression
- • the poor service
- • the initial blunder
レベル別の例文
I am sorry. I will make up for it.
I will fix the problem.
Does the cake make up for the mess?
Is the cake enough to fix the mess?
He made up for being late.
He did something good because he was late.
Good food makes up for a small room.
The food is good, so the small room is okay.
She bought a gift to make up for her mistake.
She used a gift to compensate for her error.
They are working hard to make up for lost time.
They are trying to recover the time they lost.
The sun makes up for the cold wind.
The sun is nice, so the cold wind is not a problem.
I can't make up for what I said.
I cannot fix the bad words I used.
The team's spirit made up for their lack of skill.
Their attitude was better than their technical ability.
I'll have to work on Saturday to make up for taking Friday off.
I need to replace the hours I didn't work.
Does the high pay really make up for the stress?
Is the money worth the emotional pressure?
We made up for the delay by driving faster.
We compensated for being late by increasing our speed.
The film's amazing special effects almost make up for the weak plot.
The visuals are so good they nearly hide the bad story.
Nothing can truly make up for the loss of a loved one.
No action can compensate for someone dying.
He tried to make up for his absence by sending expensive presents.
He used money to compensate for not being there.
The company offered a discount to make up for the poor service.
They gave a price reduction as compensation.
The candidate's charisma largely made up for his lack of political experience.
His personality compensated for his professional deficit.
The sheer scale of the project makes up for the occasional technical glitch.
The grandeur outweighs the minor errors.
How do you propose to make up for the shortfall in this year's budget?
What is your plan to fix the missing money?
Her intellectual depth more than makes up for her quiet demeanor.
Her smartness is much more important than her being shy.
The aesthetic brilliance of the prose scarcely makes up for the vacuity of the content.
The beautiful writing hardly compensates for the empty meaning.
In some jurisdictions, community service is seen as a way to make up for minor infractions.
Work is a form of restitution for small crimes.
The historical injustices can never be fully made up for by mere financial reparations.
Money cannot fix the deep wrongs of the past.
The sudden surge in demand failed to make up for the preceding months of stagnation.
The new sales weren't enough to fix the long period of no growth.
間違えやすい
Learners use 'make up' to mean compensation, but it actually means to invent or reconcile.
Both involve fixing a mistake, but this version focuses on the person you hurt.
よくある間違い
I make up my mistake.
I make up for my mistake.
I made it up for.
I made up for it.
He made up for be late.
He made up for being late.
The quality made up for the lacking of speed.
The quality made up for the lack of speed.
文型パターン
The ___ more than makes up for the ___.
How can I ever make up for ___?
Real World Usage
I believe my fast learning pace makes up for my lack of experience in this sector.
We'd like to offer you a free dessert to make up for the long wait for your main course.
I'm so sorry I missed our date; I'll make up for it this weekend, I promise!
The camera quality is so good it almost makes up for the high price tag.
The Q3 profits helped make up for the losses sustained in Q1.
He made up for his early error by scoring the winning goal in the final minute.
「天秤」をイメージしよう！
He made up for his rudeness with a sincere apology.
「For」を忘れないで！
I need to make up for my mistake.(正しい)
動名詞か名詞のみで！
She made up for being late by working extra hours.
世界共通の謝罪ツール
He tried to make up for his absence at the party with a thoughtful gift.
過去、現在、未来、いつでも使える
She made up for her mistake last week.(過去)
He is making up for lost time.(現在)
I will make up for it tomorrow.(未来)
Smart Tips
Add 'amply' or 'more than' before 'makes up for'.
Use the gerund 'being' to bridge the gap.
Just use the pronoun 'it'.
Use 'What [Subject] lacks in [X], it makes up for in [Y]'.
発音
Stress Pattern
In 'make up for', the primary stress is usually on 'up'.
Linking
The 'k' in 'make' links to the 'u' in 'up', sounding like 'may-kup'.
Rising-Falling on 'up'
That makes ↗UP↘ for it.
Emphasizing that the balance has been achieved.
暗記しよう
記憶術
MUF: Mending Upset Feelings. When you 'Make Up For' something, you are mending the situation.
視覚的連想
Imagine a set of old-fashioned gold scales. On the left side is a heavy black rock labeled 'MISTAKE'. You are dropping bright gold coins labeled 'GOOD DEED' onto the right side until the scales are perfectly level.
Rhyme
If you made a mistake and feel some regret, 'make up for' it now and clear the debt.
Story
John forgot his wife's birthday (the mistake). To fix it, he cooked a five-course meal. The delicious food 'made up for' his bad memory, and they spent the evening laughing.
Word Web
チャレンジ
Write down three things you are not good at (e.g., cooking). Then, write three things you are great at that 'make up for' those weaknesses (e.g., 'My cleaning makes up for my bad cooking').
文化メモ
British speakers often use 'make up for' with 'more than' to be polite and understated (e.g., 'The tea more than made up for the rain').
In US corporate settings, 'make up for' is used to discuss 'making up the difference' in quotas or budgets.
Learners often use 'compensate' because it feels more 'serious', but 'make up for' is often more appropriate for social harmony (wa).
The verb 'make' comes from Old English 'macian' (to build/shape). The addition of 'up' (to complete) and 'for' (in place of) evolved in Middle English to signify 'completing a deficit'.
会話のきっかけ
What is a personality trait you have that makes up for a weakness?
If a hotel room was dirty, what could the manager do to make up for it?
Do you think technology makes up for the lack of face-to-face contact these days?
日記のテーマ
よくある間違い
Test Yourself
She plans to buy him a gift to ______ up for forgetting his birthday.
Find and fix the mistake:
He wanted to make up for to be late.
正しい文を選びましょう：
英語に翻訳しましょう：「El buen servicio compensó el largo tiempo de espera.」
Answer starts with: ["T...
Score: /4
練習問題
8 exercisesHe bought her a diamond ring to make ___ ___ his long absence.
Find and fix the mistake:
The delicious food made it up for the slow service.
The high salary compensated for the stressful environment.
A: I'm sorry I forgot your book. B: That's okay, just buy me a coffee and we'll ___.
for / enthusiasm / lack / her / makes / up / experience / of
1. Being late, 2. Small room, 3. Low salary
Score: /8
Practice Bank
11 exercisesShe always tries to ______ up for her mistakes with extra kindness.
He couldn't make up his absence at the meeting.
正しい文を選びましょう：
英語に翻訳しましょう：「Ellos compensaron el tiempo perdido trabajando durante el fin de semana.」
これらの単語を並べ替えて文を作りましょう：
主語と正しい補完を組み合わせましょう：
His amazing performance totally ______ up for his earlier error.
We must make up to our oversight.
これらの単語を並べ替えて文を作りましょう：
正しい文はどれでしょう？
状況と、それを埋め合わせる方法を組み合わせましょう：
Score: /11
よくある質問 (8)
No. Unlike some phrasal verbs, 'make up for' is inseparable. The object must always come after 'for'. Say `make up for it`.
Use `make up for` for the *thing* or *action* (e.g., 'make up for the mistake'). Use `make it up to` for the *person* (e.g., 'I'll make it up to you').
Yes, it is perfectly acceptable in neutral and semi-formal business contexts. For extremely formal legal documents, use `compensate` or `offset`.
Technically yes (e.g., 'The time was made up for'), but it is quite rare and can sound clunky. It's better to stay in the active voice.
Yes, it implies that a positive is balancing a negative. You wouldn't say 'The rain made up for the sunshine' unless you were being sarcastic.
No, you must use a noun phrase or a gerund. If you want to use a clause, you must say `make up for the fact that...`.
`Offset` is more technical and often used in economics or science. `Make up for` is more common in social and general contexts.
Yes, 'make up for lost time' is a very common idiom meaning to do something quickly or intensely because you started late.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Compensar / Resarcir
English requires the three-part phrasal structure; Spanish is a single transitive verb.
Rattraper / Compenser
French uses different verbs for 'time' vs 'mistakes', whereas English uses 'make up for' for both.
Wiedergutmachen / Ausgleichen
German syntax is very different, placing the 'gut' or 'wieder' at the end of the sentence.
埋め合わせる (Umeawaseru)
Japanese is a compound verb; English is a phrasal verb.
عوض (Awwada)
Arabic uses a single verb root with different patterns (weights) to change meaning.
弥补 (Míbǔ)
Chinese doesn't have verb conjugation, so the word 'míbǔ' never changes form.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
関連動画
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