当代 (dāng dài) — the present age; the contemporary era | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

当代 names the contemporary era as a historical period (当代史, 当代文学). Use 现代 for the broader 'modern times'; use 如今/当今 when the focus is 'nowadays' rather than a period.

noun

the present agethe contemporary era

Examples

当代。
dāng dài Shè huì yǒu hěn duō tiǎo zhàn.
Contemporary society has many challenges.
当代。
Wǒ xǐ huan yán jiū dāng dài lì shǐ.
I like to study contemporary history.
当代。
Zhè wèi yīn yuè jiā shì dāng dài zuì shòu huān yíng de.
This musician is the most popular of the contemporary era.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

当dāngcurrent

代dàiera/generation

当 means current, and 代 means an era; together it names the present age.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 當; 当 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

田田tiánfield

Sound part声符shēngfú

尚

尚shàng當dāng

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 當 combines 田 (field) with 尚; the evidence describes fields facing each other.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

亻弋代

Meaning part形符xíngfú

亻Written in full as人rénperson

Sound part声符shēngfú

弋

弋yì代dài

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 代, 亻 shows a person, and 弋 gives the sound.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 6 HSK 2.0 Level 5 Time (Abstract)

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