代: the kanji for generation, era, fee, substitute
代 is a JLPT N4 kanji that means generation, era, fee, substitute. Below are its readings, 13 common words and example sentences, all with audio.
Stroke order
代 is written in 5 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
Words by reading
代 has 6 readings in the official Jōyō Kanji Table. Below are 13 common words grouped by reading. Tap ▶ to hear each word (audio plays with a free account).
ダイ (dai)
On reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 時代じだい · jidai | era; period |
| 現代げんだい · gendai | modern times |
| 世代せだい · sedai | generation |
| 代表だいひょう · daihyō | representative |
| 代金だいきん · daikin | price; payment |
| 電気代でんきだい · denkidai | electricity bill |
| 代理だいり · dairi | proxy; agent |
| 年代ねんだい · nendai | age; decade |
| 三十代さんじゅうだい · sanjūdai | one's thirties |
タイ (tai)
On reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 交代こうたい · kōtai | taking turns; shift change |
かわる (kawaru)
Kun reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 代わるかわる · kawaru | to take the place of |
| 代わりかわり · kawari | substitute; instead |
かえる (kaeru)
Kun reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 代えるかえる · kaeru | to replace; to substitute |
Example sentences for work and daily life
- 今月の電気代が高かったです。Kongetsu no denkidai ga takakatta desu.This month's electricity bill was high.
- 私が会社の代表として出席します。Watashi ga kaisha no daihyō to shite shusseki shimasu.I will attend as the company's representative.
- 部長の代わりに私が説明します。Buchō no kawari ni watashi ga setsumei shimasu.I'll explain in place of the department manager.
- 夜勤は三人で交代します。Yakin wa sannin de kōtai shimasu.Three people take turns on the night shift.
- 代金は来週お支払いします。Daikin wa raishū o-shiharai shimasu.We'll pay next week.
- 学生時代は大阪に住んでいました。Gakusei jidai wa Ōsaka ni sunde imashita.I lived in Osaka when I was a student.
Questions about 代
How many strokes does 代 have?
代 is written in 5 strokes. The stroke order is shown at the top of this page.
What are the readings of 代?
The on readings are dai (ダイ), tai (タイ). The kun readings are kawaru (かわる), kaeru (かえる), yo (よ), shiro (しろ).
How do you say someone's age range, like "in their thirties," in Japanese?
Add 代 (dai) to the number: 二十代 (nijūdai) is in one's twenties, 三十代 (sanjūdai) in one's thirties and 四十代 (yonjūdai) in one's forties.
What JLPT level is 代?
N4. The JLPT does not publish official kanji lists, so this level is a guide based on the official Test Content Specifications used through 2009.
About the JLPT level
The JLPT does not publish official lists of kanji for each level. The level on this page is a guide based on the official Test Content Specifications used for the test through 2009. The JLPT states that the current N4 is designed to match the former Level 3.
More JLPT N4 kanji
Work and money
Executive Japanese by CCN is one-on-one online Japanese for managers and directors doing business in Japan.
Sources
- Jōyō Kanji Table (常用漢字表), Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan, 2010: readings and special readings of 代
- JLPT Frequently Asked Questions, The Japan Foundation and Japan Educational Exchanges and Services: how current levels match the former levels
- Stroke order diagrams are based on KanjiVG by Ulrich Apel, used under CC BY-SA 3.0. The diagrams on this page are shared under the same license.