---
title: "Jindai Meaning: 近代 (jìndài) Means “modern times”"
description: "近代 (jìndài) means “modern times (in China, 1840-1919)”. Hear its tones, see what 近 and 代 each mean and a real sentence that uses it."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/jindai"
published: "2026-10-21"
updated: "2026-11-06"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

[What does it mean in Chinese?](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning)

# What does 近代 mean?

猫头鹰māotóuyīngowl

近代 jìndài

## modern times (in China, 1840-1919)

## Its characters

1. 近 jìn near
2. 代 dài generation

## In a sentence

这座博物馆介绍了中国近代的历史。 This museum presents China's modern history.

[More about 近代](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E8%BF%91%E4%BB%A3)

## More words with 近 or 代

- [逼近 bījìn](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/bijin)
- [代表 dàibiǎo](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/daibiao)
- [代价 dàijià](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/daijia)
- [代理 dàilǐ](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/daili)
- [代理人 dàilǐrén](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/dailiren)
- [代替 dàitì](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/daiti)
- [代言 dàiyán](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/daiyan)
- [当代 dāngdài](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/dangdai)
- [附近 fùjìn](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/fujin)
- [古代 gǔdài](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/gudai)

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[All 214 Chinese radicals](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-radicals)

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