1. belonging to the same time period
同時期的，同時代的
Shakespeare was contemporary with Queen Elizabeth I.
莎士比亞與伊莉莎白一世女王是同時代的人。
The museum has an exhibition of contemporary art from the 1960s.
博物館有一個關於1960年代當代藝術的展覽。
Contemporary Meaning（定義、用法、例句與發音）
contemporary
adjective
快速理解
What does "Contemporary" mean?What are 2-3 core uses of "Contemporary"?
「contemporary」主要形容與現在同時存在的人事物，或具有現代風格與觀念。
- 1
同時代的
EN: belonging to the same time period
翻譯: 屬於同一時代的
- 2
當代的
EN: living or occurring in the present
翻譯: 生活在或發生於當前的
- 3
現代的
EN: modern in style or design
翻譯: 風格或設計上現代的
小提醒：注意「contemporary」可指「同時代的」（如莎士比亞的當代人），也可指「現代的」（如當代藝術），需根據上下文判斷。
發音（How to Pronounce "Contemporary" in English）
How to pronounce "Contemporary" in English?"Contemporary" US vs UK pronunciation
點擊下方的 US / UK 按鈕可播放發音。
Real-life Examples of "Contemporary" from YouTube Videos
Liz Diller: A giant bubble for debate
TED
“But beyond exhibiting contemporary art, the Hirshhorn will become a public forum, a place of discourse for issues around arts, culture, politics and policy.”
(1 out of 24)
Definitions（定義）
What are the definitions of "Contemporary"?How does "Contemporary" change by context?
2. modern; relating to the present time
現代的，當代的
Contemporary architecture often uses glass and steel.
當代建築經常使用玻璃和鋼材。
She writes about contemporary social issues.
她撰寫關於當代社會議題的文章。
This book discusses contemporary trends in technology.
這本書討論了當代的科技趨勢。
3. having a modern style or design
具有現代風格的，時尚新穎的
They furnished their apartment in a contemporary style.
他們以現代風格裝潢了他們的公寓。
The hotel features contemporary furniture and minimalist decor.
這間飯店以現代傢俱和極簡裝飾為特色。
4. a person who lives or lived at the same time as someone else
同時代的人，同輩
She was admired by her contemporaries for her innovative work.
她因其創新的工作而受到同代人的欽佩。
Many of Shakespeare's contemporaries were also successful playwrights.
莎士比亞的許多同時代人也都是成功的劇作家。
Grammar & Patterns（句型）
What are common sentence patterns for "Contemporary"?How to make natural sentences with "Contemporary"?
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| contemporary + noun | 當代的、現代的 | The museum features contemporary art from around the world. (這座博物館展出世界各地的當代藝術。) |
| be contemporary with + noun | 與…處於同一時代 | Shakespeare was contemporary with Queen Elizabeth I. (莎士比亞與伊莉莎白一世女王處於同一時代。) |
| in contemporary times | 在當代 | This issue is particularly relevant in contemporary times. (這個議題在當代尤其相關。) |
| contemporary of + noun | …的同時代人物 | He was a contemporary of the famous painter. (他是那位著名畫家的同時代人物。) |
| contemporary + noun + in + field | 在…領域的當代… | She is a leading contemporary writer in science fiction. (她是科幻小說領域的領軍當代作家。) |
用法說明
How is "Contemporary" different from similar structures?What usage mistakes are common with "Contemporary"?
contemporary with vs. contemporary to
- contemporary with + noun phrase 是最標準且常見的用法，表示「與...同時代/同時期」。
- contemporary to + noun phrase 偶爾可見，尤其在較舊的文獻或特定語境中，但現代用法中較不普遍，有時被視為較不正式或精確。
- 在學術寫作或正式語境中，強烈建議使用 contemporary with。
- 兩者皆用於描述人、事件、藝術品等存在於同一時間框架。 EN: Shakespeare was contemporary with Cervantes. 翻譯: 莎士比亞與塞萬提斯是同時代的人。
EN:This architectural style is considered contemporary to the Art Deco movement.
翻譯:這種建築風格被認為與裝飾藝術運動處於同一時期。
總結建議
在絕大多數情況下，尤其是正式寫作中，應使用「contemporary with」來表達「與...同時代」。
易混淆對比
What is the difference between "Contemporary" and similar words?How to choose "Contemporary" vs alternatives?
contemporary vs modern
「contemporary」強調與當下同時代或現存的，而「modern」則指從歷史角度劃分的「現代」時期，通常指近幾個世紀。
contemporary vs current
「contemporary」側重於與現今時代共存或屬於同一時代，而「current」更強調此時此刻正在發生或流行的。
contemporary vs coeval
兩者都表示「同時代的」，但「contemporary」更常用於指人與現今時代，而「coeval」是正式術語，多用於指事物起源於同一時期。
口語用法
How is "Contemporary" used in spoken English?What is the spoken vs formal difference for "Contemporary"?
引述
在口語中，常用來引述或提及一個廣為人知的概念或群體。 EN: So, I was reading this article by a contemporary of his, and the perspective was totally different. 翻譯: 所以我讀了他一位同代人的文章，觀點完全不同。
EN:In contemporary thought, there's a big focus on sustainability.
翻譯:在當代思想中，永續性是個很大的焦點。
語氣強調
用來強調某事與「現在」或「當下」的緊密關聯，以加強語氣。 EN: That's a very contemporary problem we all have to deal with. 翻譯: 那是個我們都必須面對的、非常當代的問題。
EN:Her style isn't just modern; it's truly contemporary.
翻譯:她的風格不只是現代，而是真正的當代。
停頓填充
在組織思緒時，偶爾用作填充詞，帶出要討論的當前趨勢或背景。 EN: The issue is... contemporary... you know, how social media affects us. 翻譯: 問題是…當代…你知道的，就是社交媒體如何影響我們。
EN:We need to think about, um, contemporary approaches to this old challenge.
翻譯:我們需要考慮，嗯，針對這個老問題的當代解決方法。
正式寫作注意：在學術或正式寫作中，應更具體地定義「當代」所指的時間範圍或文化背景，避免模糊使用。口語中鬆散的引述用法在正式文體中可能顯得不夠精確。
常見短語
What common collocations use "Contemporary"?What fixed phrases with "Contemporary" should I remember?
contemporary art
contemporary + [noun]
當代藝術
contemporary society
contemporary + [noun]
當代社會
contemporary music
contemporary + [noun]
當代音樂
contemporary issues
contemporary + [noun]
當代議題
contemporary dance
contemporary + [noun]
現代舞
contemporary literature
contemporary + [noun]
當代文學
contemporary design
contemporary + [noun]
當代設計
contemporary culture
contemporary + [noun]
當代文化
常見錯誤
What are common mistakes with "Contemporary"?Which "Contemporary" sentences look correct but are wrong?
×He is a contemporary.
✓He is a contemporary of mine. / He is my contemporary.
當 'contemporary' 作名詞時，意思是「同時代的人」或「同輩」，通常需要搭配 'of' 或所有格來指明是誰的同時代人。單獨使用 'a contemporary' 語意不完整。作形容詞時則可直接修飾名詞，如 'a contemporary artist'。
×This contemporary technology is from the 19th century.
✓This modern technology is from the 19th century.
'Contemporary' 主要意指「當下的」或「與提及的時間點同時期的」。描述歷史上某個時期的「現代」事物，通常用 'modern'。若要說「19世紀的當代科技」，應說 '19th-century contemporary technology'，意指在19世紀那個時期是當代的。
×This design is contemporary with that trend.
✓This design is contemporary with that style. / This design follows that contemporary trend.
'Be contemporary with' 表示「與...屬於同一時期」，其後接的物件應是另一個具有時間屬性的實體（如風格、人物、事件），而非抽象趨勢或概念。描述「符合當代趨勢」應用 'follows the contemporary trend' 或 'is in line with the contemporary trend'。
×In our contemporary world now, everything changes fast.
✓In the contemporary world, everything changes fast.
'Contemporary' 本身已含有「當前的」、「現今的」意思，因此加上 'now' 或 'current' 會造成語意重複。應避免使用 'contemporary now' 或 'current contemporary' 這類搭配。
×This is a furniture contemporary.
✓This is contemporary furniture.
作為形容詞時，'contemporary' 通常置於名詞之前作修飾語，如 'contemporary music', 'contemporary design'。極少數情況下（多為文學或特定固定用法）會後置，但對學習者而言，置於名詞前是安全且常見的用法。
詞形變化
What are the word forms of "Contemporary"?What are tense/participle forms of "Contemporary"?