划时代

• Pinyin: huà shí dài
• Hanzi breakdown: 划 = 刂+ 戈 (mark/divide); 时 = 日 + 寺 (time); 代 = 亻+ 弋 (generation/era)

Meaning

Epoch-making; marking a new era; of historic and transformative significance.

Used to describe inventions, discoveries, policies, or events that fundamentally alter the course of history or a field. Reserved for genuinely revolutionary milestones, not incremental progress.

Examples

1. 互联网的出现是一项划时代的技术革命，彻底改变了人类生活。 The emergence of the internet was an epoch-making technological revolution that completely changed human life.
2. 这部小说在文学史上具有划时代的意义，影响了整整一代作家。 This novel has epoch-making significance in literary history and influenced an entire generation of writers.
3. 科学家的这项发现被誉为划时代的突破，开创了全新的研究方向。 The scientist’s discovery is hailed as an epoch-making breakthrough, opening up a whole new direction of research.

Usage Guide

Context: history, technology, academia, media

Tone: elevated

Do Say

• 这次改革具有划时代的历史意义，标志着新阶段的开始。(This reform has epoch-making historical significance, marking the beginning of a new phase.)
• 蒸汽机的发明是划时代的创举，推动了工业革命的全面发展。(The invention of the steam engine was a groundbreaking achievement that drove the Industrial Revolution.)

Don't Say

• 划时代 for minor improvements or incremental progress — reserve it for genuinely revolutionary changes with lasting historical impact

Origin & History

划 (mark/divide) + 时代 (era/epoch)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal