代 — how to write the kanji for “substitute”
代 means “substitute”, “change” and “convert”; it is a JLPT N4 kanji, taught in third grade in Japan. In newspapers it is one of the hundred most used kanji (66th). KANJIDIC2 gives it 2 on readings and 9 kun readings, so the word decides how you say it. Its parts sit side by side: 亻 (“person”), strokes 1–2; 弋 (“dart”), strokes 3–5, each finished before the next. Read dai, it forms 代表 (“representation”), 時代 (“period”) and 世代 (“generation”); the native reading ka-waru gives 代わり (“substitute”). Chinese reads it dài, “to be a substitute for”, at HSK 5.
- Strokes
- 5
- JLPT
- N4
- Radical
- 人 (“person”)
- On
- タイ, ダイ
- Kun
- か·わる, -が·わり, よ
Stroke by stroke
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- Left-falling stroke ㇒top leftdown and left
- Vertical ㇑leftdownwards
- Horizontal ㇐centerrightwards
- Slanted hook ㇂topdown and right
- Dot ㇔top rightdown and right
Japanese and Chinese
Japanese and Chinese draw all 5 strokes in the same order and direction, by our stroke-by-stroke comparison.
Trace it
Follow the numbers. Tracing help
Readings
- On (Chinese-derived)
- タイ tai, ダイ dai (rare)
- Kun (native)
- か·わる ka-waru, -が·わり -ga-wari, よ yo, しろ shiro, かわ·る kawa-ru (rare), かわ·り kawa-ri (rare), か·わり ka-wari (rare), -がわ·り -gawa-ri (rare), か·える ka-eru (rare)
- Meanings
- substitute; change; convert; replace; period; age
- Read dai
- 代表 時代 世代 現代 代理 近代
- Read tai
- 交代
- Read ka-waru
- 代わり
- School year
- third grade
- Newspaper rank
- 66th of 2,500 (KANJIDIC2)
- Korean hanja
- 대 dae
- Common words
- 63 in JMdict
Words with 代
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 代表 | だいひょう daihyou | representation; representative |
| 時代 | じだい jidai | period; epoch |
| 世代 | せだい sedai | generation |
| 現代 | げんだい gendai | present age; present day |
| 交代 | こうたい koutai | change; alternation |
| 代理 | だいり dairi | representation; agency |
| 近代 | きんだい kindai | present day; modern times |
| 代わり | かわり kawari | substitute; replacement |
| 代行 | だいこう daikou | acting as agent; acting on (someone's) behalf |
| 代議 | だいぎ daigi | representing others in a conference |
Most common first (JMdict).
Practice sheet
Print at 100%. Several kanji: worksheet maker.
Keep going
Same parts:
JLPT N4, in list order: