时代

The Chinese word 时代 (shídài) is composed of two characters: 时 (shí) and 代 (dài). The character 时 originally meant "sun" or "time", and later came to be used in the sense of "season" or "era". The character 代 originally meant "generation" or "dynasty", and later came to be used in the sense of "age" or "epoch". Thus, the word 时代 literally means "time-generation" or "time-era", and is used to refer to a particular period of time, such as the Stone Age or the Ming Dynasty.The word 时代 can also be used in a more abstract sense to refer to the general trend or spirit of a particular time period. For example, the phrase "新时代" (xīn shídài) is often used to refer to the modern era, while the phrase "旧时代" (jiù shídài) is used to refer to the past.The word 时代 is a common word in Chinese, and is used in a variety of contexts. It is an important word for HSK learners to know, as it is used to refer to both specific periods of time and to the general trend or spirit of a particular time period.