Japanese word

紀元

Pronunciation

Romajikigen

Meaning

  • nounera

Example

その王は新しい紀元を定めました。so no ō wa atara shi i ki gen o sada me ma shi ta

The king established a new era.

Illustration for 紀元 (era)

More examples

この出来事は新しい紀元の始まりとなりました。ko no de ki goto wa atara shi i ki gen no haji ma ri to na ri ma shi ta

This event marked the beginning of a new era.

Core concept

Sets the beginning from which an era or a calendar's years are counted.

Common phrases

  • 紀元を定めるki gen o sada me ru

    establish an era

  • 紀元とするki gen to su ru

    designate as an era

Definition in Japanese

ある時代の始まりとして、年代を数える基準となる時点。また、その時点からの時代。a ru ji dai no haji ma ri to shi te nen dai o kazo e ru ki jun to na ru ji ten ma ta so no ji ten ka ra no ji dai

Word origin

紀元 (kigen) is a Sino-Japanese compound of 紀 (ki, "record") and 元 (gen, "beginning"), so its structure points to the beginning of a recorded chronology.

Usage tips

  • In English, era usually refers to a broad historical period, while 紀元 (kigen) can specifically mean the starting point used to count years.

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