世代（せだい、sedai）
- generation

The Japanese word 世代 (せだい, sedai) primarily refers to a generation, or a group of people born around the same time who share common experiences. It can also refer to a period or an era. It encompasses the idea of time, people, and shared experiences that shape a particular group. The meaning can vary based on context, ranging from a broad group spanning many years to a more specific grouping.

⚫︎私たちの世代 Translation: Our generation ⚫︎親の世代 Translation: The parents' generation ⚫︎新しい世代のテクノロジー Translation: New generation technology

⚫︎You can use 世代 to talk about people, such as "the older generation" or "the younger generation." ⚫︎It's also used to describe periods or times, like "the Meiji generation" referring to people during the Meiji period. ⚫︎When discussing technological advancements or product cycles, 世代 can specify a particular version or iteration, as in "the latest generation of smartphones."

⚫︎The word 世代 is typically written with the kanji 世代 (せだい). ⚫︎The hiragana せだい is used for reading. ⚫︎There are no variations in okurigana.

⚫︎時代 (じだい, jidai) - period, era ⚫︎グループ (gurūpu) - group ⚫︎人々 (ひとびと, hitobito) - people (plural)

There isn't a direct antonym for 世代, as it is a term that describes a grouping of people or a time period. The concept of "no generation" or "different generations" might be considered in opposition.

今の世代はデジタルネイティブだ。 ・Translation: The current generation is digitally native. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the current generation's familiarity with technology.

世代間のギャップを感じる。 ・Translation: I feel a gap between the generations. ・Explanation: This sentence expresses the feeling of difference or misunderstanding between different generations.

The word 世代 is composed of two kanji: 世 (せ, se) which means "world" or "generation," and 代 (だい, dai) which means "generation," "age," or "era." Together, they create a compound word to specifically mean "generation."