Usage note
年代表示较长的一段历史时间。
nián dài biǎo shì jiào cháng de yí duàn lì shǐ shí jiān。
年代 means a long period of time in history.
Context note
年代常用于历史、文化和描述。
nián dài cháng yòng yú lì shǐ 、 wén huà hé miáo shù。
It is often used with history, culture, and description.
5 examples
那个年代很特别。
nà ge nián dài hěn tè bié。
That era was very special.
这是一个久远的年代。
zhè shì yí gè jiǔ yuǎn de nián dài。
This is a long-ago era.
不同年代的东西不一样。
bù tóng nián dài de dōng xī bù yí yàng。
Things from different eras are different.
那个年代没有手机。
nà ge nián dài méi yǒu shǒu jī。
There were no mobile phones in that era.
年代变化很大。
nián dài biàn huà hěn dà。
The times changed a lot.
5 mini stories
老师给大家讲了过去的年代。
lǎo shī gěi dà jiā jiǎng le guò qù de nián dài。
The teacher told everyone about past eras.
那个年代的人很努力。
nà ge nián dài de rén hěn nǔ lì。
People in that era worked very hard.
不同年代的生活方式不同。
bù tóng nián dài de shēng huó fāng shì bù tóng。
Lifestyles in different eras are different.
他喜欢研究年代变化。
tā xǐ huan yán jiū nián dài biàn huà。
He likes studying changes in eras.
年代久远的东西总让人好奇。
nián dài jiǔ yuǎn de dōng xī zǒng ràng rén hào qí。
Things from long ago always make people curious.
Mini dialogue
恐龙年代
A
恐龙生活在什么年代？
Kǒnglóng shēnghuó zài shénme nián dài?
In what era did dinosaurs live?
B
它们生活在很久以前的年代。
Tāmen shēnghuó zài hěn jiǔ yǐqián de nián dài.
They lived in an era long ago.
爷爷奶奶的年代
A
爷爷奶奶的年代没有手机。
Yéye nǎinai de nián dài méiyǒu shǒujī.
In the era of grandparents, there were no cell phones.
B
那个年代真不一样。
Nàge nián dài zhēn bù yíyàng.
That era was really different.
Related words and contrasts
similar
时代
shí dài
era; age
时代 is more general, while 年代 often refers to a specific decade or period.
similar
时期
shí qī
period; phase
时期 emphasizes a stretch of time with a particular feature.
related
年份
nián fèn
year (as a number)
年份 refers to a specific year, like 2023, while 年代 is a broader era.