代
substitute · change · convert · replace · period · age · counter for decades of ages, eras, etc. · generation · charge · rate · fee
Details
Stroke Order
Cultural Context
Etymology
Composed of person and phonetic. Substitute for person.
Symbolism
Generation, proxy, era. Represents succession and transition.
Related Culture & Scenes
- — Village life
Component Breakdown
person + 弋
Words & Expressions
Four-Character Compounds
暗黒時代
あんこくじだい
Dark Ages; dark age
黄金時代
おうごんじだい
golden age
三百代言
さんびゃくだいげん
pettifogging lawyer; unscrupulous or unethical lawyer; shyster
時代錯誤
じだいさくご
anachronism
新陳代謝
しんちんたいしゃ
renewal; replacement; regeneration
前代未聞
ぜんだいみもん
unheard-of; unprecedented; unparalleled in history (unparallelled)
万代不易
ばんだいふえき
eternity; perpetuity
一世一代
いっせいちだい
once in a lifetime; the first and last occurrence (event, experience) of one's lifetime
世代交代
せだいこうたい
alternation of generations; heterogenesis; change of generations
当代随一
とうだいずいいち
the greatest of the day
永代供養
えいたいくよう
services performed in perpetuity by a Buddhist temple for the repose of a departed soul
当代無双
とうだいむそう
being unsurpassed (unparalleled) at present
万劫末代
まんごうまつだい
eternity; through all eternity; for evermore
Proverbs & Idioms
代わりがない
かわりがない
Irreplaceable
Too valuable to substitute
Poetry
ちはやぶる 神代もきかず 竜田川 からくれなゐに 水くくるとは
Not even in the age of the raging gods was such a thing heard — the Tatsuta River dyeing its water deep crimson.
朝ぼらけ 宇治の川霧 たえだえに あらはれわたる 瀬々の網代木
At first light, as the river mist at Uji thins in patches, the fishing stakes appear across the shallows.
Anime & Manga
时光代理人
Link Click
A well-known work with 代 in its Japanese title.
妄想代理人
Paranoia Agent
A well-known work with 代 in its Japanese title.
解雇された暗黒兵士（30代）のスローなセカンドライフ
Chillin’ in My 30s after Getting Fired from the Demon King’s Army
A well-known work with 代 in its Japanese title.
ＣＬＡＮＮＡＤ もうひとつの世界 智代編
Clannad: Another World, Tomoyo Chapter
A well-known work with 代 in its Japanese title.
平穏世代の韋駄天達
The Idaten Deities Know Only Peace
A well-known work with 代 in its Japanese title.
Related Figures & Stories
加賀千代女
Name contains 代
Kaga no Chiyo , also known as Chiyo-jo ʑo], lit.
Wikipedia立花誾千代
Name contains 代
Tachibana Ginchiyo was head of the Japanese Tachibana clan and onna-musha during the Sengoku period.
Wikipedia五代友厚
Name contains 代
Godai Tomoatsu was one of the Satsuma students of 1865 who were smuggled out of Bakumatsu period Japan to study in Great Britain.
Wikipedia県犬養三千代
Name contains 代
Agatainukai Michiyo , or Tachibana no Michiyo , was a court lady of early Nara period and mother of Empress Kōmyō.
WikipediaOther kanji with the same meaning
“substitute”
“convert”
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 代 mean in Japanese?
代 means substitute, change, convert, replace, period, age, counter for decades of ages, eras, etc., generation, charge, rate, fee.
How do you read 代?
On'yomi: ダイ、タイ (DAI, TAI). Kun'yomi: か.わる、かわ.る、かわ.り、か.わり、-がわ.り、-が.わり、か.える、よ、しろ (kawaru, kawaru, kawari, kawari, gawari, gawari, kaeru, yo, shiro).
How many strokes does 代 have?
代 has 5 strokes. Its radical is 人 (person).
Is 代 a good kanji for a tattoo?
代 is one of the kanji most often chosen for tattoos. It means substitute, change, convert, replace, period, age, counter for decades of ages, eras, etc., generation, charge, rate, fee. Read the full meaning and cultural background on this page first — some popular choices are deliberately dark.
Explore by meaning:substitute · change · convert · replace · period · age · generation · charge · rate · fee