Chinese Conversation · Level 61
90 words
Chinese word
年代
Pronunciation
Pinyinnián dài
Meaning
- noundecade
Example
那首歌属于九十年代。nà shǒu gē shǔ yú jiǔ shí nián dài
That song is from the 1990s.
More examples
这张照片是八十年代拍的。zhè zhāng zhào piān shì bā shí nián dài pāi de
This photo was taken in the 1980s.
Core concept
A group of years treated as one recognizable period.
Common phrases
九十年代jiǔ shí nián dài
the 1990s
出生年代chū shēng nián dài
birth decade
八十年代bā shí nián dài
the 1980s
Similar words
年龄nián líng: The number of years a person has lived.
时代shí dài: A period in history or society marked by particular conditions or events.
年份nián fèn: A specific calendar year or the number used to identify it in records.
世代shì dài: A group of people born around the same time.
Definition in Chinese
以年为单位划分的时间段或历史时期，常用于表示某一十年或若干年的区间，如“九十年代”“七十年代”。yǐ nián wèi dān wèi huà fēn de shí jiān duàn huò lì shǐ shí qī cháng yòng yú biǎo shì mǒu yì shí nián huò ruò gān nián de qū jiān rú jiǔ shí nián dài qī shí nián dài
Word origin
年代 (niándài, "year period") combines 年 (nián, "year") with 代 (dài, "era"), joining years with the idea of a historical span.
Usage tips
- English can use "the nineties" for a person's age, but this Chinese word keeps the focus on a historical time period, not someone's age.
Other meanings
- eranoun