世代

• Pinyin: shì dài
• Hanzi breakdown: 世 = 三横 + 十 (generation, world, era — stylised three-generation symbol); 代 = 人 + 弋 (generation, era, to substitute)

Meaning

Generation; era; age. A succession of people related by descent, or a broad period of time sharing common characteristics.

Used in two overlapping senses: (1) a family lineage across generations (世代相传 — passed down through generations; 世代务农 — farming families for generations), and (2) a sociological generation or historical era (80后世代 — the post-80s generation, 数字世代 — the digital generation). It implies continuity and inheritance across time. Contrast: 一代 (one generation), 代际 (inter-generational), 时代 (era/epoch — broader historical sense).

Examples

1. 这片土地已在他们家族中世代耕种，每一块田埂和每一口水井都承载着祖先留下的辛勤记忆与深厚情感。 This land has been farmed by their family for generations; every ridge between the fields and every well carries the ancestors’ hard-earned memories and deep emotions.
2. 随着社会变迁加速，不同世代之间在价值观念、消费习惯和人际交往方式上的差异日益凸显。 As social change accelerates, differences between generations in values, spending habits, and ways of interacting with others are becoming increasingly pronounced.
3. 中华文明历经数千年而不曾中断，这一文明成就的延续依赖于每一个世代对文化传统的自觉传承与创新发展。 Chinese civilization has continued unbroken for thousands of years, and that continuity depends on each generation consciously inheriting cultural traditions while also innovating and developing them.

Usage Guide

Context: family, history, sociology, culture, generational identity

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 这门传统手工艺在这个家族中世代相传，每一位继承人都在原有技艺的基础上融入了自己所处时代的审美理解与创新尝试。(This traditional handicraft has been passed down through the generations in this family; each heir has incorporated the aesthetic sensibility and innovative attempts of their own era into the foundation of the inherited skills.)
• 社会学研究表明，世代差异不仅体现在消费偏好和媒介使用习惯上，更深层地折射出不同历史时期的社会价值体系与集体心理结构。(Sociological research shows that generational differences are reflected not only in consumption preferences and media usage habits, but also more deeply in the social value systems and collective psychological structures of different historical periods.)

Don't Say

• 世代 as an exact synonym for 时代 (era, age) when referring to a broad historical period — 时代 denotes a period characterised by particular events or conditions (如改革开放时代), while 世代 emphasises the human succession across time; confusing the two can produce odd phrasing in historical or sociological writing

Origin & History

世 (generation, world, era) + 代 (generation, period, to replace)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal