1.
to take the place of, to replace, to substitute for
For one thing or person to serve in place of another. The subject takes over the role or function of something else.
私が代わりに行きます。
I'll go in your place.
電話を代わってもらえますか。
Could you put someone else on the phone?
AIが人間に代わって多くの仕事をこなす時代が来ている。
An era is coming where AI handles many tasks in place of humans.
代わる is an intransitive godan verb meaning for something to take the place of something else. The transitive pair is 代える.
TRANSITIVITY:
- Type: intransitive (自動詞)
- Pair: 代える (transitive — to substitute)
- Pattern: AがBに代わる (A takes the place of B)
ASPECT (ている):
- 代わっている = has replaced, is acting as a substitute (resulting state)
COMMON PATTERNS:
- AがBに代わる (A replaces B)
- Aに代わって (in place of A, on behalf of A)
- 代わりに (instead, in place of — very common)
DISTINCTIONS:
- 代わる: to take the place of, to be substituted (intransitive)
- 変わる: to change, to be altered (modification of state)
- 換わる / 替わる: to be exchanged, to be swapped