代表 (dàibiǎo)

代表 can mean the act of representing (as a verb), a person who represents (as a noun), or a delegation or body of representatives.

Meanings

[verb] To represent, to stand for, to act on behalf of.
[noun] A representative, a delegate.
[noun] A delegation; a group of representatives.

Example Sentences

她作为公司代表出席了本次国际贸易峰会。 Tā zuòwéi gōngsī dàibiǎo chūxí le běn cì guójì màoyì fēnghuì. She attended this international trade summit as the company's representative.

这枚奖牌不仅代表个人荣誉，更代表整个团队的努力。 Zhè méi jiǎngpái bù jǐn dàibiǎo gèrén róngyù, gèng dàibiǎo zhěnggè tuánduì de nǔlì. This medal represents not only personal honor but also the efforts of the entire team.

学生代表在毕业典礼上发表了一篇感人的演讲。 Xuésheng dàibiǎo zài bìyè diǎnlǐ shàng fābiǎo le yī piān gǎnrén de yǎnjiǎng. A student representative delivered a moving speech at the graduation ceremony.

这些数据不能完全代表整个群体的实际情况。 Zhèxiē shùjù bù néng wánquán dàibiǎo zhěnggè qúntǐ de shíjì qíngkuàng. This data cannot fully represent the actual situation of the entire group.

Collocations

Collocation	Meaning
作为代表	to serve as a representative
代表团	delegation
全权代表	plenipotentiary
代表性	representativeness
不代表	does not represent / does not mean

Usage Notes

代表 is frequently used in political and organizational contexts. The compound 代表团 refers to an official delegation. In everyday speech, 这不代表... is used to mean "this doesn't mean..." — a subtle logical use of the word. When 代表 acts as a verb, it can also mean "to symbolize" (红色代表热情 — red symbolizes passion).

Memory Hook

代 means "to substitute/stand in for" and 表 means "to show/express" — a representative stands in for others and shows their position.