近代 (pinyin: jìn dài, written "jin dai" or "jindai") means the not-very-distant past. Below: its meaning, pronunciation, stroke order, and example sentences, so you can learn how to read, say, and write 近代.
Meaning
the not-very-distant past
modern times, excluding recent decades
(in the context of Chinese history) the period from the Opium Wars until the May 4th Movement (mid-19th century to 1919)