About
The character "代" is composed of the person radical "亻" and the component "弋", which historically served as a phonetic element. Its etymology centers on the idea of substitution, originally representing one person taking the place of another, hence the core meaning "to replace" or "act on behalf of". From this foundational sense, the character's meaning broadened to denote sequential periods, such as "generation" or "dynasty", conceptualized as one age succeeding another. Further semantic extension led to its use in referring to historical eras, geological epochs, and administrative roles, consistently building upon the inherent notion of succession and replacement.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
现代生活很便利。
他代表学校参加会议。
这是一个新时代。
古代历史很有趣。
我代替他完成工作。
成功需要付出代价。
两代人之间常有代沟。
现代科技正在改变我们的生活方式。