Chinese character 迭

It means change or alternation, and can extend to repeated events. In Chinese compounds, 更迭 means replacement, 迭起 describes recurrence, and 迭代 is technical iteration. The surrounding word fixes which sense is meant.

The Shuowen Jiezi, a dictionary compiled in the Eastern Han (25–220 CE), glosses 迭 as “to alternate or change.” Its form combines 辶, a movement element, with 失 as a sound element.

Which one means stacking: 迭 or 叠?

Use 迭 for alternation or recurrence; use 叠 for stacking or folding.

As of 2026, standard Mandarin treats 迭 for 叠’s stacking or folding sense as a character error. From 1964–1986, an official simplified-character table used 迭 as a simplified form of traditional 疊 for piling or folding; the later standard uses 叠 for that character.

Japanese also uses 迭 in compounds such as 更迭 and 交迭 for replacement or alternation. As of 2026, device fonts and regional glyph standards can make its displayed shape vary; a shape difference alone does not mean it is a different character.

How does 迭 change inside a word?

The compound decides whether it points to change, recurrence, or iteration.

更迭 describes a replacement, often of a role or arrangement; 迭起 and 迭遭 describe events or setbacks coming one after another. 迭代 is technical iteration: the result of one pass becomes the input to the next.

In older set phrases, 迭 can also mean “stop” or “reach.” Those readings belong to particular phrases, not to every modern use.