世纪

• Pinyin: shì jì
• Hanzi breakdown: 世 = pictograph representing three decades (thirty years); 纪 = 纟 (silk) + 己 (self, phonetic)

Meaning

Century; a period of one hundred years. Used to refer to specific centuries or to express a long span of time.

Commonly used in historical and temporal contexts. Can also appear in figurative expressions like 世纪性的 (epoch-making) to describe something of great historical significance.

Examples

1. 二十一世纪是科技发展最快的时代。 The 21st century is the era of the fastest technological development.
2. 这座城堡建于十八世纪。 This castle was built in the 18th century.
3. 人们把这次发现称为世纪大发现。 People call this discovery the discovery of the century.

Usage Guide

Context: history, academic, news

Tone: informative

Do Say

• 我们生活在二十一世纪。(We live in the 21st century.)
• 上个世纪发生了很多变化。(A lot of changes happened last century.)

Don't Say

• 这个世纪的天气真好。(Don't use 世纪 to refer to short time periods — it means a hundred years, not a season or year.)

Origin & History

世 means 'generation' or 'era' and 纪 means 'record' or 'period'. Together they denote a recorded span of one hundred years.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal