三代

sāndài

noun

Meanings

1 three generations
2 the Three Dynasties of Xia, Shang and Zhou

Characters

generation; dynasty

Examples

HSK 7-9

我家三代同堂，爷爷奶奶一直和我们住在一起。

Wǒ jiā sāndài tóngtáng, yéye nǎinai yìzhí hé wǒmen zhù zài yìqǐ.

Three generations live under one roof in my family: my grandparents have always lived with us.

HSK 7-9

夏、商、周合称“三代”，是中国最早的三个王朝。

Xià, Shāng, Zhōu héchēng " sāndài ", shì Zhōngguó zuì zǎo de sān ge wángcháo.

The Xia, Shang and Zhou are together called the 'Three Dynasties', the earliest three dynasties of China.

HSK 7-9

古代儒家常把三代当作理想的盛世。

Gǔdài Rújiā cháng bǎ sāndài dàngzuò lǐxiǎng de shèngshì.

Confucian scholars of imperial times often held up the Three Dynasties as an ideal golden age.

Tips

history

In classical texts 三代 almost always means the Xia, Shang and Zhou, the dynasties of high antiquity that Confucians took as their model of good government. In everyday speech it means family generations: 祖孙三代 'grandparents, parents and children', 三代同堂 'three generations under one roof'.

Stroke Order

三 sān

代 dài