に代わって
In place of, On behalf of, To succeed
Structure
(1) に代わり
Explanation
に代わって is used after a noun to show that one person or thing is taking the place of another. It expresses the idea that (B) is doing something 'in place of (A)' or 'on behalf of (A)'. This grammar pattern is formed from the case marking particle に, the う - Verb 代わる ('to replace'), and the conjunction particle て.
- 病気の母に代わって、私が夕食を作った。Since my mom is sick, I made dinner in her place.
- 友達に代わって、私が荷物を取りに行きました。I went to pick up the package on behalf of my friend.
に代わり is a more formal and written-style equivalent of に代わって. This is the verb's ます-stem, also known as the conjunctive form.
- 以前のキャプテンに代わり、今年から私がチームをまとめます。Taking over for the previous captain, I'll be leading the team starting this year.
- 最近は手紙に代わり、SNSで連絡を取ることが多くなった。These days, social media has largely replaced letters as a way to keep in touch.
Fun Fact
The particle に in this pattern points to the position that is being filled. Therefore, に代わる can be thought of as 'entering into the place of' someone or something. This nuance explains why に代わって can be used for both temporary actions ('on behalf of') and permanent changes ('to replace' or 'to succeed').
- 委員長に代わって、私が説明します。I will explain on behalf of the class president.
- 父に代わって、兄が家族を支えている。My older brother is supporting the family in place of my father.
Examples
病気の監督に代わって、コーチが指揮を執った。
The coach took command in place of the sick head coach.
出張中の父に代わって、母が保護者会に出席した。
My mother attended the parent-teacher conference on behalf of my father, who is away on a business trip.
今や電子書籍が紙の本に代わり、多くの人に読まれている。
Nowadays, e-books are read by many people, replacing paper books.
弊社の担当者に代わりまして、私からご説明いたします。
I will explain the matter to you on behalf of our representative in charge.
海外にいる友人に代わって、私が賞を受け取ります。
I will accept the award on behalf of my friend who is overseas.
プラスチック製のストローに代わって、紙製のものが普及してきた。
Paper straws have become widespread, replacing plastic ones.
会社に代わって深くお詫び申し上げます。
I would like to offer our deepest apologies on behalf of the company.
コロナ禍以降、対面での会議に代わり、オンライン会議が増えた。
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, online meetings have increased, taking the place of face-to-face meetings.
店員：「店長に代わって、私がご用件を伺います。」
Clerk: 'I can help you in place of the manager.'
最近では現金に代わって、キャッシュレス決済を利用する人が増えている。
Recently, the number of people using cashless payments instead of cash has been increasing.
姉に代わって、僕がペットの犬の世話をした。
I took care of our pet dog in place of my older sister.
ストリーミングサービスがDVDレンタルに代わる新しい娯楽の形となった。
Streaming services have become a new form of entertainment, replacing DVD rentals.