Korean word

고대

Pronunciation

Romanizationkodae

Meaning

  • nounancient times

Example

역사 시간에 고대 문명을 배웠다.yeok ssa si ga ne ko dae mun myeong eul pae wot tta

We learned about ancient civilizations in history class.

Illustration for 고대 (ancient times)

More examples

박물관에서 고대 유물을 관람했다.pang mul gwa ne seo ko dae yu mu reul kwal lam haet tta

We viewed ancient artifacts at the museum.

Core concept

A distant historical period known through records or surviving objects and set apart from later periods.

Common phrases

  • 고대 문명ko dae mun myeong

    ancient civilization

  • 고대 유적ko dae yu jeok

    ancient ruins

  • 고대 유물ko dae yu mul

    ancient artifacts

Similar words

옛날yennal: A general term for the far past, often used when talking about how people lived long ago.

Definition in Korean

기록이나 유물로 증명되는 아주 옛 시기를 가리키는 명사로, 중세·근대와 대비되는 시간 구분에서 사용됨.ki ro gi na yu mul lo cheung myeong doe neun a ju yet si gi reul ka ri ki neun myeong sa ro chung se keun dae wa tae bi doe neun si gan ku bu ne seo sa yong doem

Word origin

This Sino-Korean word combines elements meaning old and era, giving it the sense of an ancient period.

Usage tips

  • Its time span is not fixed across every history course, so dates or centuries are often added when precision matters.

Opposites

Related words

  • 고대인kodaeinancient peoplenoun
  • 고대사kodaesaancient historynoun

Word lists with this word