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.”