年
代

About

The word 年代 is formed by combining two meaningful characters: 年 (nián), which means "year", and 代 (dài), which carries the meaning of "generation" or "era". Their semantic union is direct and logical; the concept of "year" is joined with the concept of a "generative period" to create a new, composite idea that refers to a distinct span of years, such as a decade or a particular historical age. It is a conceptual fusion where the whole meaning, a defined period of time, emerges from the literal sum of its parts.

Example Sentences Hide

我爸爸出生在六十年代。

Wǒ bàba chūshēng zài liùshí niándài.

My father was born in the sixties.

这个音乐让我想起八十年代。

Zhège yīnyuè ràng wǒ xiǎngqǐ bāshí niándài.

This music reminds me of the eighties.

在二十年代，科技发展非常迅速。

Zài èrshí niándài, kējì fāzhǎn fēicháng xùnsù.

In the twenties, technology developed very rapidly.

研究人员正在研究不同年代的文化变迁。

Yánjiū rényuán zhèngzài yánjiū bùtóng niándài de wénhuà biànqiān.

Researchers are studying cultural changes across different eras.

尽管生活在信息年代，我们仍面临许多挑战。

Jǐnguǎn shēnghuó zài xìnxī niándài, wǒmen réng miànlín xǔduō tiǎozhàn.

Although living in the information age, we still face many challenges.

Word Definition - 年代

nián dài a decade of a century (e.g. the Sixties); age; era; period; CL:個|个[gè]

Individual Character Details

年 nián, nián, nián
代 dài