How to tell them apart
代わりに covers everyday substitution like ビールのかわりに酒を買う and also compensation or contrast like 安いかわりに故障しやすい. に代わって is the formal expression for acting as a representative on behalf of a person, group or organization, as in 社長に代わって挨拶する. For a human representative the two can overlap with に代わって sounding more formal, while に代わって is unnatural for casual object substitution or for the compensation meaning.
- 代わりに・かわりに Use 代わりに to express everyday substitution and also compensation or contrast between two things or actions.
- に代わって Use に代わって to say you act on behalf of someone or a group in formal representative situations.
| Grammar point | Meaning | JLPT level |
|---|---|---|
| 代わりに・かわりに warini kawarini | in place of; as a substitute for; alternatively | N4 |
| に代わって ni watte | instead of someone; doing something for another's benefit | N3 |
代わりに・かわりに warini kawarini
in place of; as a substitute for; alternatively
代わりに expresses substitution, meaning one person or action takes the place of another. It follows the thing being replaced, with nouns taking の as in バスの代わりに and verbs taking the plain form as in 行く代わりに or 行かない代わりに. It can also stand alone at the start of a sentence as 代わりに or その代わりに to mean instead. Be careful to place it after the replaced item, not after the new choice.
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バスの代わりに電車で行こうよ。
Let's go by train instead of by bus.
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私の代わりに行ってもらいたいのですが。
I would like you to go instead of me.
に代わって ni watte
instead of someone; doing something for another's benefit
Noun に代わって means acting in place of that person, group, or organization, often to speak, write, attend, or take responsibility on their behalf. It follows a noun naming the person being replaced, as in 母に代わって or 社長に代わって, and comes from 代わる meaning to substitute. It is fairly formal and implies authorized representation, so for casual everyday favors の代わりに sounds more natural.
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ジムは、ベティーにかわって手紙を書いた。
Jim wrote the letter for Betty.
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彼に代わって私が責任を負った。
I undertook responsibility for him.
代わりに・かわりに and に代わって are JLPT N4–N3 grammar points that Japanese learners often mix up. This page compares them side by side on meanings, usage and example sentences, so you can tell them apart.