近代

Traditional form:

近代

Pinyin (reading):

jìndài

Definitions:

• the not-very-distant past
• modern times, excluding recent decades
• (in the context of Chinese history) the period from the Opium Wars until the May 4th Movement (mid-19th century to 1919)
• capitalist times (pre-1949)

Characters:

• 近 - to approach; near, close; intimate
• 代 - era, generation; to substitute for, to replace

Traditional characters:

• 近 - to approach; near, close; intimate
• 代 - era, generation; to substitute for, to replace