Meaning of 替
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to substitute for
- to take the place of
- to replace
- for
- on behalf of
- to stand in for
How to use 替
As a verb, 替 means to replace or stand in for someone. As a preposition, it means "for" or "on behalf of," and it comes before the verb. Example: 我替你去吧。(Wǒ tì nǐ qù ba.) Let me go in your place.
替 (tì) shows two 夫 (fū, man) standing side by side above 曰 (yuē, to speak). Picture one man stepping in to speak for the other, taking his place.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 替 with 赞 (zàn, to praise), because both have two similar parts on top. 赞 has two 先 over 贝, while 替 has two 夫 over 曰. Also keep 替 before the verb: say 我替他高兴 (wǒ tì tā gāoxìng), not 我高兴替他.
替 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
替 tì · to substitute for · 12 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 替.
| 代替 | dàitì | to replace; to take the place of |
| 替代 | tìdài | to substitute for; to replace |
| 接替 | jiētì | to replace; to take over (a position or post) |
| 替身 | tìshēn | stand-in; substitute; (cinema) body double; stunt double |
| 替换 | tìhuàn | to exchange; to replace; to substitute for; to switch |
| 交替 | jiāotì | to replace; alternately; in turn |
| 替罪羊 | tìzuìyáng | scapegoat |
| 替补 | tìbǔ | to replace (a damaged component with a new one, an injured player with a substitute player |
| 顶替 | dǐngtì | to replace |
| 替代品 | tìdàipǐn | substitute; alternative |
| 替天行道 | tìtiānxíngdào | (idiom) to enforce justice on behalf of Heaven |
| 替死鬼 | tìsǐguǐ | scapegoat; fall guy |
Questions about 替
What does 替 mean?
替 (tì) means "to substitute for; to take the place of" and is used as a verb and preposition.
How do you write 替?
替 is made of 1 character: 替 (12 strokes). That is 12 strokes in total.
Is 替 an HSK word?
Yes. 替 is on the HSK 4 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 替 and 给 when both mean "for"?
替 stresses doing something in someone's place or on their behalf, as in 替我请假 (ask for leave for me). 给 more often marks who receives something or who benefits, as in 给我打电话 (call me). In many casual sentences both are possible, but 替 keeps the idea of substitution.
Is there a difference between 代替 and 替代?
Both mean to replace, and they are often interchangeable. 代替 is more common in everyday speech, as in 用茶代替咖啡 (use tea instead of coffee). 替代 sounds a bit more formal and appears often in written or technical contexts, such as 替代品 (substitute product).