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身代わり (みがわり) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Common word Freq. Frequency Top 20,000 Meanings 1
noun
substitute for someone ; stand-in ; scapegoat ; sacrifice
Refers to a person or thing that takes someone else's place, especially in danger, punishment, blame, or sacrifice. For a neutral replacement in ordinary situations, 代わり is broader.
彼かの 女じょ は 人ひと 質じち の 身み 代が わり に なる と 申もう し 出で た 。
She offered to take the hostage's place.
Written forms 身み 代が わり Usage 78%
Standard modern spelling; this is the prioritized form.
身み 代がわ り Usage 11%
Variant okurigana spelling with 代り instead of 代わり.
身み 替がわ り Usage 7%
Less common variant combining 替 with the shorter okurigana spelling.
身み 替が わり Usage 4%
Less common kanji variant using 替 for the replacement element.
Kanji 身 somebody, person, one's station in life 代 substitute, change, convert 替 exchange, spare, substitute Similar words 代か わり Broader and more neutral; it can mean a replacement or doing something instead, without the strong nuance of taking on another person's danger or blame.
代だい 理り More formal and administrative; it means acting on someone's behalf as a representative, not necessarily suffering or sacrificing oneself in their place.
替か え 玉だま Often means an impostor or fraudulent stand-in, such as someone taking a test for another person; 身代わり is broader and can be sympathetic or sacrificial.
Etymology A compound of 身, meaning one's body or person, and 代わり, meaning replacement or taking the place of something; literally, a person or body put in another's place.
