同時代

• Reading: どうじだい
• Romaji: dojidai
• Kanji breakdown: 同 (dou) — same, identical; 時 (ji) — time, era; 代 (dai) — generation, period, era
• Pronunciation: /doː.dʑi.dai/

Meaning

Contemporary; belonging to the same period or era. Describes people, works, or phenomena existing at the same time in history.

同時代 is most often used as a modifier (同時代の + noun) to place someone or something within a shared historical context. 同時代性 (contemporaneity) extends this to an abstract quality. Common in literary criticism, art history, and historical analysis when discussing how figures influenced each other or how shared circumstances shaped a generation's output. Slightly more formal than 同じ時代, with a stronger analytical nuance.

Examples

1. フロイトとアインシュタインは同時代を生き、互いの仕事に強い関心を抱いていた。 Freud and Einstein lived in the same era and took a keen interest in each other's work.
2. 同時代の作家たちは皆、戦争の経験を作品に色濃く反映させていた。 Writers of the same era all reflected the experience of war deeply in their works.
3. この画家の作品は、同時代のヨーロッパ美術の潮流と一線を画していた。 This painter's works set themselves apart from the currents of European art of the same period.

Usage Guide

Context: academic writing, literary criticism, art history, history

Tone: analytical

Origin & History

Compound of 同 (same) + 時代 (era, period). A straightforward descriptive compound elevated in register by academic and cultural use.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: Adults (academic)

Social background: Academic/Professional