Meaning of 时代
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- age
- era
- epoch
- period (in one's life)
Measure word: 個|个
- Time, US weekly news magazine
How to use 时代
时代 is used for big historical periods and also for stages of a person's life, often in the pattern ……时代. It also appears in set phrases like 新时代 (xīn shídài, new era) and 时代变了 (the times have changed). Example: 我很怀念学生时代。 (Wǒ hěn huáiniàn xuésheng shídài.) I really miss my school days.
时 (shí) means time, and 代 (dài) means generation or a period that replaces the one before it. Put them together and you get a stretch of time that belongs to one generation: an era.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes use 时代 for any ordinary moment, as in 那个时代我在吃饭. For a specific moment or short time, use 时候 (shíhou) or 当时 (dāngshí); 时代 is only for long periods or life stages.
时代 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
时 shí · o'clock · 7 strokes
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代 dài · to be a substitute for · 5 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 时代.
| 时候 | shíhou | time; length of time |
| 时间 | shíjiān | (concept of) time; (duration of) time |
| 小时 | xiǎoshí | hour |
| 有时 | yǒushí | sometimes; now and then |
| 有时候 | yǒushíhou | sometimes |
| 当时 | dāngshí | then; at that time |
| 那时 | nà shí | then; at that time |
| 同时 | tóngshí | at the same time; simultaneously |
| 随时 | suíshí | at any time; at all times; at the right time; whenever necessary |
| 小时候 | xiǎoshíhou | in one's childhood |
| 平时 | píngshí | ordinarily; in normal times |
| 这时候 | zhè shíhou |
Questions about 时代
What does 时代 mean?
时代 (shídài) means "age; era" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 时代?
时代 is made of 2 characters: 时 (7 strokes), 代 (5 strokes). That is 12 strokes in total.
Is 时代 an HSK word?
Yes. 时代 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 时代 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 时代 is written 時代.
What is the difference between 时代 and 年代?
年代 (niándài) usually refers to a decade or a general period of years, as in 八十年代 (the 1980s). 时代 is broader and more abstract, describing an era defined by its character, like 信息时代 (the information age).
Does 时代 refer to Time magazine?
Yes, when capitalized in pinyin as Shídài it can be the name of the US news magazine Time. In full it is usually called 《时代》周刊 (Shídài Zhōukān).