to replace; to substitute for
HSK level
代替 is written with 17 strokes (代: 5, 替: 12). The animation replays automatically.
代替 (dàitì) is a verb meaning 'to replace,' 'to substitute for,' or 'to take the place of.'
You use it when one thing or person steps in to do the job of another: 用茶代替咖啡 ('use tea in place of coffee'), or 我代替他去开会 ('I'll go to the meeting in his place'). The structure is typically 用 A 代替 B ('use A to replace B') or A 代替 B ('A replaces B'). English speakers should distinguish it from 代表 (dàibiǎo, 'to represent / stand for'): 代替 is about functional substitution — one thing doing another's work — while 代表 is about symbolizing or acting officially on behalf of a group.
代替 is neutral in register and common in both speech and writing. Compare 替 (tì) alone, which can mean 'for / on behalf of' as a preposition, and 换 (huàn), which means to swap or exchange rather than to fill in for.
Character by character
Memory hook: Two 'substitute' characters stacked (代 + 替) drive home the meaning: to take another's place.
没有人能代替你。
Méiyǒu rén néng dàitì nǐ.
No one can replace you.
spoken
我可以用蜂蜜代替糖吗？
Wǒ kěyǐ yòng fēngmì dàitì táng ma?
Can I use honey instead of sugar?
spoken
今天老师病了，由王老师代替上课。
Jīntiān lǎoshī bìng le, yóu Wáng lǎoshī dàitì shàngkè.
The teacher is sick today, so Teacher Wang is teaching in her place.
neutral
机器不能完全代替人工。
Jīqì bùnéng wánquán dàitì réngōng.
Machines cannot fully replace human labor.
written
替代 is a near-identical synonym, slightly more formal and common in technical or written contexts (替代能源, 'alternative energy'). 代替 is more common in everyday speech; the characters are simply reversed.
代表 means to represent or symbolize on behalf of a group. 代替 means to physically substitute for. You 代替 a sick colleague at work, but you 代表 your school at a competition.
代理 means to act as an agent or serve in an acting role. 代替 is a one-off substitution; 代理 implies formally holding another's position or authority.
Acquire it by listening
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