取而代之的是……
Reach for this when one thing disappears and something else fills the empty slot. It is the written, slightly literary way to say 'and what took its place was…' Common in news, essays, and reflective writing where you first describe what is gone, then announce the replacement. Speech prefers 后来…… or 现在……变成……; this phrase belongs in a paragraph that wants a clean rhetorical pivot from old situation to new.
Structure
[OLD SITUATION]，取而代之的是 [NEW SITUATION]。
qǔ ér dài zhī de shì...
How to Think About It
Picture two things on a single chair. The first must stand up before the second can sit down — 取而代之的是 names whoever just sat down. The phrase always points forward, never back: everything before the comma is the chair being vacated, everything after 是 is the new occupant.
Examples
纸质报纸渐渐消失了，取而代之的是手机上的新闻应用。
Zhǐzhì bàozhǐ jiànjiàn xiāoshī le, qǔ ér dài zhī de shì shǒujī shang de xīnwén yìngyòng.
Paper newspapers have gradually disappeared; what replaced them is news apps on the phone.
旧的工厂被拆掉了，取而代之的是一座现代化的购物中心。
Jiù de gōngchǎng bèi chāidiào le, qǔ ér dài zhī de shì yī zuò xiàndàihuà de gòuwù zhōngxīn.
The old factory was torn down; in its place stands a modern shopping mall.
他脸上的笑容不见了，取而代之的是深深的失望。
Tā liǎn shang de xiàoróng bù jiàn le, qǔ ér dài zhī de shì shēnshēn de shīwàng.
The smile on his face was gone; what replaced it was deep disappointment.
旧的工厂被拆除了。取而代之的是一座现代化的公园。
Jiù de gōngchǎng bèi chāichú le. Qǔ ér dài zhī de shì yī zuò xiàndàihuà de gōngyuán.
The old factory was demolished. In its place is a modern park.
他不再焦虑了。取而代之的是一种平静的自信。
Tā bù zài jiāolǜ le. Qǔ ér dài zhī de shì yī zhǒng píngjìng de zìxìn.
He's no longer anxious. What's replaced that is a calm self-assurance.
传统的纸质书正在消失。取而代之的是各种电子阅读设备。
Chuántǒng de zhǐzhì shū zhèngzài xiāoshī. Qǔ ér dài zhī de shì gè zhǒng diànzǐ yuèdú shèbèi.
Traditional paper books are disappearing. Taking their place are various e-reading devices.
Common Mistake
Learners drop 的是 and try to use 取而代之 like a verb (取而代之新的政策). It is fixed: the chunk 取而代之的是 must stay intact, and a noun phrase (not a clause with 了) follows it.
旧政策结束了，取而代之新政策开始了。
旧政策结束了，取而代之的是新政策。
Don't Confuse With
代替
代替 is the everyday verb 'to replace' (我代替他去). 取而代之的是 is a written connector that introduces what replaced something already gone.
相反，……
相反 contrasts two coexisting situations. 取而代之的是 requires the first situation to have ended or vanished.
而是……
而是 corrects a wrong assumption (不是A而是B). 取而代之的是 narrates a real-world succession, not a logical correction.
而是
Sits inside a 不是……而是…… contrast ('not A but B'). 取而代之的是 introduces a replacement in a new clause after the old thing has been described as gone.
代替
A plain verb meaning 'to replace' (B 代替 A). 取而代之的是 specifically opens a new clause to name what came in as the substitute.
Practice
Fill in the blank: 老式收音机消失了，____代之的是智能音箱。
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取而
Fill in the blank: 旧楼拆了，取而代之____是一个公园。
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的
Arrange into a sentence: 是 / 取而代之的 / 电动车 / 燃油车 / 减少了 / ，
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燃油车减少了，取而代之的是电动车。
Translate to Chinese: The old rules were abolished, and what replaced them was a stricter system.
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旧规则被废除了，取而代之的是一个更严格的制度。
Describe one change in your city or workplace using 取而代之的是.
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小区门口的报亭关掉了，取而代之的是一台自助快递柜。
老规定被取消了。____是一套更灵活的方案。
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取而代之的
取而代之____是一种全新的设计。
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的
Arrange: 是 / 取而代之 / 的 / 新版本 / 一个 / 更快的
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取而代之的是一个更快的新版本。
Translate: The noise is gone. In its place is complete silence.
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噪音消失了。取而代之的是一片寂静。
Write two sentences: first state something that disappeared, then use 取而代之的是 to name what replaced it.
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传统的电话亭已经看不到了。取而代之的是几乎人人手里的智能手机。
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 2 Fluentide episodes. Press play to hear the sentence:
取而代之的是流畅自然的肢体动作、精准的口型同步，以及无可挑剔的场景光照。
Replacing them are fluid and natural body movements, precise lip-syncing, and impeccable scene lighting.
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可是等到快递拆开，东西随手一扔，那种快乐很快就消失了，取而代之的是钱包变瘪的空虚感。
But once the package is opened and the item is tossed aside, that happiness quickly fades, replaced by the emptiness of a thinner wallet.
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Related Grammar Patterns
Acquire by listening
Hear 取而代之的是…… in real Chinese, not in a textbook.
Fluentide picks the next news episode at your level, so this pattern shows up again and again in real context. The transcript marks it, the audio drills it. Free to start.