replace, substitute
On'yomi (音読み)
- タイ
- カイ
Kun'yomi (訓読み)
- か.わる
- か.える
About this kanji
The kanji 替 (たい, かい) primarily means "replace" or "substitute." It is often used as a verb, with kun'yomi readings like かえる (to change) and かわる (to be changed), but it also appears frequently in compounds. For example, 交換 (こうかん) means "exchange," referring to swapping items or services. Another compound, 代替 (だいたい), translates to "substitute," often used in the context of replacing something that is not available. Lastly, 替え玉 (かえだま) refers to a "proxy," often related to the practice of substituting one thing for another. When using 替, it’s important to understand the context, as it can relate to physical items, ideas, or roles.
Built from
Example sentences
新しいレンズに替えました。
I changed to a new lens.
Meanings across languages
- English
- replace, substitute
- Tiếng Việt
- thay thế, thay đổi
- 日本語
- 替える, 変わる
- 한국어
- 대체하다, 대신하다
- 中文
- 替代, 替换
- id
- mengganti, substitusi
- th
- แทนที่, ทดแทน
- es
- reemplazar, sustituir
- fr
- remplacer, substituer
- de
- ersetzen, substituieren
- pt
- substituir, substituto
Common compounds
- 交換こうかんexchange
- 代替だいたいsubstitute, alternative
- 替え玉かえだまproxy, stand-in
Want to actually learn this kanji?
The dictionary is one view. The Kanji 360 app wraps every character with mnemonic images, audio readings, stroke-order animation, story context, and SRS scheduling — free to start on iPhone, iPad, and Android.