年代 (nián dài) — a decade of a century in Mandarin
🔊 Tap to hear it
#500 most common word · HSK 5 · CEFR B2
Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.
Tone breakdown
年代 is pronounced nián dài. Tap any syllable’s row to hear the whole word.
In a sentence
Wǒ zǔ fu zài èr shí shì jì wǔ shí nián dài chū shēng de.
My grandfather was born in the 1950s.
Hear it, then say it right
Reading pinyin only gets you halfway. ToneDeck plays native audio for 年代 and thousands more words, then scores your pronunciation so your tones land. HSK 1 is free, no install.
Start freeFrequently asked questions
What does 年代 mean?+
年代 (nián dài) means "a decade of a century" in Mandarin Chinese.
How do you pronounce 年代?+
年代 is pronounced nián dài. It uses the tone 2 (rising), then the tone 4 (falling). Tap the character on this page to hear native audio.
How common is 年代 in Mandarin?+
年代 is the #500 most frequent word in spoken Mandarin, so it is one of the first words worth learning.
Where 年代 fits
Every HSK 5 word with tone-coloured pinyin and audio.
Words at a similar frequency
Master the tones first
What each tone sounds like and why it matters.
Why some tones change in connected speech.
Coming to iOS & Android
The mobile app is on the way. The trainer works right now.
ToneDeck for iPhone and Android is launching soon, and your progress syncs across every device. Meanwhile the full tone trainer runs in your browser today — no install, free to start.
Browse more on the Mandarin vocabulary hub, or read how to learn Mandarin tones.