Chinese Conversation · Level 67
89 words
Chinese word
替
Pronunciation
Pinyintì
Meaning
- verbreplace
Example
今天我来替你做晚饭。jīn tiān wǒ lái tì nǐ zuò wǎn fàn
Today I will make dinner instead of you.
More examples
公司突然缺人，我去替他上班。gōng sī tū rán quē rén wǒ qù tì tā shàng bān
The company suddenly lacked enough workers, so I went to work for him.
Core concept
Responsibility shifts from its usual holder to another person who performs the work.
Common phrases
替你做晚饭tì nǐ zuò wǎn fàn
cook dinner for you
替他开会tì tā kāi huì
stand in for him at the meeting
替他上班tì tā shàng bān
go to work in his place
Similar words
代替dài tì: Take the place of a person or thing to perform the needed role or function.
替代tì dài: Replace one thing with another so the new one can be used.
换huàn: Exchange one thing for another or change to a different state.
Definition in Chinese
表示代为他人做事或暂时接替对方的行为，侧重于替换角色或履行他人的职责。biǎo shì dài wéi tā rén zuò shì huò zàn shí jiē tì duì fāng de xíng wéi cè zhòng yú tì huàn jué sè huò lǚ xíng tā rén de zhí zé
Word origin
In classical Chinese, 替 (tì, "to replace") could mean "to discard or set aside," a meaning that developed toward having another person take the vacated place.
Usage tips
- In everyday conversation, English replace can sound permanent, while this verb often describes a short-term stand-in, so context helps distinguish temporary cover from a lasting change.