世代

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 世代 is a noun read せだい, meaning a generation of people sharing a period or a stage in a line such as parents and children.
• Basic usage: It can describe popularity spanning two generations or traditional skills being taught to a younger generation.
  • この歌は親子二世代にわたって親しまれている。 says that the song has been enjoyed across two generations of parents and children; 職人は若い世代に伝統の技を教えている。 says that the artisan teaches traditional skills to a younger generation.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• 二世代にわたって
  • にわたって marks the range as extending across two generations.
• 若い世代に教える
  • に marks the younger generation as the recipient of the traditional skills.
• 世代 and 年代
  • 世代 denotes a generation of people or a stage in a family line, while 年代 denotes a period or range of years.