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代

代 — substitute, change, convert

Learn the correct stroke order for 代 (substitute), a 5-stroke kanji.

JLPT N4Grade 35 strokes

Stroke Order

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Stroke 0 / 5
On'yomi (音読み)ダイdai、タイtai
Kun'yomi (訓読み)か.わるkawaru、かわ.るkawaru、かわ.りkawari、か.わりkawari、-がわ.りgawari、-が.わりgawari、か.えるkaeru、よyo、しろshiro
Strokes5
Radical人
Frequency#66
Meaningssubstitute, change, convert, replace, period, age, counter for decades of ages, eras, etc., generation, charge, rate, fee

Step-by-Step Diagram

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Try Writing It

Practice writing each stroke in the correct order and direction. Start from the green dot.

Draw stroke 1 of 5 — start from the green dot

Common Words

一代いちだいgeneration; lifetime; agenoun
永代えいたいpermanence; eternitynoun
近代きんだいpresent day; modern times; recent timesnoun
現代げんだいpresent age; present day; contemporarynoun
古代こだいancient times; distant past; antiquitynoun
時代じだいperiod; epoch; eranoun

Usage & Examples

Usage Notes

The kanji 代 (substitute) is taught in grade 3 of Japanese elementary school and appears at JLPT N4 level. It has 5 strokes with radical 人.

In newspaper frequency rankings, 代 is #66, making it one of the most commonly used kanji.

Example Words in Context

一代いちだい — generation; lifetime; age
永代えいたい — permanence; eternity
近代きんだい — present day; modern times; recent times

Practice Sheet

Trace then write on your own. Print this row as a PDF practice sheet.

Related Kanji

Same radical (人)

人person今now介jammed in仏Buddha仁humanity以by means of付adhere仕attend

Same reading

体body題topic台pedestal待wait貸lend弟younger brother

Frequently Asked Questions

How many strokes does 代 have?

The kanji 代 (substitute) has 5 strokes. Watch the animation above to see the correct order.

What is the correct stroke order for 代?

代 follows the standard Japanese stroke order as taught in schools. Use the step-by-step diagram or the "Try Writing" tool above to practice each stroke in sequence.

What does 代 mean?

代 means: substitute, change, convert, replace, period, age, counter for decades of ages, eras, etc., generation, charge, rate, fee. On'yomi readings: ダイ, タイ. Kun'yomi readings: か.わる, かわ.る, かわ.り, か.わり, -がわ.り, -が.わり, か.える, よ, しろ.

What JLPT level is 代?

代 is a JLPT N4 kanji. This is a beginner-level kanji.