代 meaning and stroke order
To be a substitute for; to act on behalf of; to replace; to substitute; generation; dynasty; age; period; (historical) era; (geological) eon
How to write 代, stroke by stroke
5 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
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- 5
Meaning of 代
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to be a substitute for; to act on behalf of; to replace; to substitute
- generation; dynasty; age; period; (historical) era; (geological) eon
How 代 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A man 亻 caught 弋 by the passing of time.
Radical: 亻 (man), shared by 277 characters on this site.
How to remember 代
A person 亻 stands beside 弋, which the etymology hint reads as being caught by the passing of time. Each person is caught in their own era, and one generation replaces the one before it.
代 appears in words about time periods, like 时代 (shídài) era and 古代 (gǔdài) ancient times, and in words about replacing or representing, like 代替 (dàitì) and 代表 (dàibiǎo). It can also mean to do something on someone's behalf. Example: 请代我问好。(Qǐng dài wǒ wènhǎo.) Please say hello for me.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 代 with 伐 (fá, to cut down). 代 has 弋, which has one slanted stroke and a dot, while 伐 has 戈, which has an extra short stroke at the bottom left. Also watch the right side: 弋 has no hook-free shortcut, so do not forget the dot at the top right.
Common words with 代
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 代表 | dàibiǎo | representative; delegate | HSK 3 |
| 时代 | shídài | age; era | HSK 3 |
| 年代 | niándài | a decade of a century (e.g. the Sixties); age | HSK 3 |
| 现代 | xiàndài | modern times; modern age | HSK 3 |
| 古代 | gǔdài | ancient times | HSK 3 |
| 现代化 | xiàndàihuà | modernization | HSK 3 |
| 代表团 | dàibiǎotuán | delegation | HSK 3 |
| 代替 | dàitì | to replace; to take the place of | HSK 4 |
| 替代 | tìdài | to substitute for; to replace | HSK 4 |
| 近代 | jìndài | the not-very-distant past; modern times, excluding recent decades | HSK 4 |
| 代价 | dàijià | price; cost | HSK 5 |
| 代理 | dàilǐ | to act on behalf of sb in a responsible position; to act as an agent or proxy | HSK 5 |
| 交代 | jiāodài | to transfer (duties to sb else); to give instructions; to tell (sb to do sth) | HSK 5 |
| 当代 | dāngdài | the present age; the contemporary era | HSK 5 |
代 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 代
Learning 代 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 代
How many strokes are in 代?
代 is written with 5 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 代 mean?
代 (dài) means to be a substitute for; to act on behalf of; to replace; to substitute; generation; dynasty; age; period; (historical) era; (geological) eon. A common word with it is 代表 (dàibiǎo), meaning "representative; delegate".
How do you pronounce 代?
代 is pronounced dài, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 代?
The radical of 代 is 亻, which carries the idea of "man". Dictionaries list 代 under this radical.
Is 代 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 代 is part of the HSK 3 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
What is the difference between 代替 and 代表?
代替 (dàitì) means to take someone's or something's place, such as one material replacing another. 代表 (dàibiǎo) means to represent or speak for a group, and it can also be a noun meaning a delegate.
How do you say a decade like the 1990s with 代?
Use 年代 (niándài) after the decade number: 九十年代 (jiǔshí niándài) means the nineties. You can also say 二十世纪九十年代 for the 1990s specifically.