Japanese word

古代

Pronunciation

Romajikodai

Meaning

  • nounancient times

Example

古代には多くの国がありました。ko dai ni wa ō ku no kuni ga a ri ma shi ta

There were many countries in ancient times.

Illustration for 古代 (ancient times)

More examples

博物館で古代の道具を見ました。haku butsu kan de ko dai no dō gu o mi ma shi ta

I saw tools from ancient times at the museum.

Core concept

Describes a distant period in the early history of human societies, far removed from the present.

Common phrases

  • 古代の文明ko dai no bun mei

    ancient civilization

  • 古代の遺跡ko dai no i seki

    ancient ruins

  • 古代の文化ko dai no bun ka

    ancient culture

Similar words

昔mukashi: A time long ago, without pointing to a particular historical era.
過去kako: All time that has already passed, including recent and distant periods.

Definition in Japanese

今から遠く隔たった昔の時代。ima ka ra tō ku heda ta tta mukashi no ji dai

Word origin

古代 (kodai) combines 古 (ko, "old") and 代 (dai, "age"), giving the sense of an old age or era.

Usage tips

  • Unlike 昔 (mukashi), which can mean any time in the past, 古代 (kodai) usually points to a distant historical era.

Opposites

Word lists with this word