How to Write 代 (dài) — Meaning “to replace; generation; era”

Imagine a person (亻) shooting an arrow (弋) to knock over an old leader and replace them with a new one. This visual helps you recall that 代 means 'to replace' and also a 'generation' of new people.

Write the person radical 亻 first with a left-falling stroke and a vertical stroke. Then add 弋: start with the horizontal stroke, then the diagonal hook, and finish with the dot inside the hook. A common mistake is making the hook too large or forgetting the dot.

All three share the person radical 亻 on the left, but their right sides differ: 代 has 弋 (a diagonal hook with a dot), 亿 has 乙 (a simple hook), and 什 has 十 (a cross shape). Remember: 代's hook has a dot inside, while 亿's hook has no dot, and 什 has a straight cross.

代 appears in common words like 代表 (representative), 现代 (modern times), and 代替 (to substitute). It is also used in cultural terms such as 代沟 (generation gap) and 一代人 (a generation of people), making it essential for discussing time, change, and representation.

Common words containing 代 include: 代表 (dài biǎo) — representative; to represent; 现代 (xiàn dài) — Modern times; modern; 代替 (dài tì) — to replace; to substitute.