代

A phono-semantic compound:

人 (인, “person”) - provides the meaning (a person acting on behalf of another);

弋 (익, “ceremonial arrow/harpoon”) - provides the sound.

In the classic Hunmongjahoe (훈몽자회), it is glossed as ‘가라찰 대’, an old Korean explanation of its pronunciation/meaning.

It is widely used in both administrative contexts (signatures, approvals) and in words referring to time periods like 세대 (generation) or 시대 (era).

Official signatures and approvals:

When someone signs on behalf of an authorized person (in a company, institution, or military), 代 is written before their name, e.g.

代 홍길동 – “signed by Hong Gil-dong (on behalf of someone).”

Representative phone numbers:

Companies often use 代 to indicate a main line that redirects to other extensions:

e.g. 02133-2342(代) – “representative number.”

대신하다 (代身하다) — to substitute; to act on behalf of

대체하다 (代替하다) — to replace; to substitute

시대 (時代) — era; historical period

세대 (世代) — generation

대표 (代表) — representative; delegate

대리 (代理) — agency; acting on behalf of

Related forms:

代 — replace; era (base character)

替 — replace (emphasizes substitution)

世 — world; generation (temporal overlap)

更 — change (broader concept)

代 focuses on replacement within continuity, while 替 emphasizes one-for-one substitution.

代 links personal substitution and historical continuity:

One person replaces another → one era replaces another

This dual meaning explains why 代 naturally became a core character for:

- history (시대)

- sociology (세대)

- administration (대리, 대표)