黎 明 期(れいめいき)

れいめいき

noun

dawn (of an era); early days

1. dawn of an era; early period; infancy

The very beginning or earliest stage of a field, movement, era, or technology. A formal and literary term often used in historical, academic, and journalistic writing.

インターネットの黎明期(れいめいき)を知(し)っている。

I remember the early days of the internet.

日本映画(にほんえいが)の黎明期(れいめいき)について研究(けんきゅう)している。

I'm researching the dawn of Japanese cinema.

AI技術(ぎじゅつ)はまだ黎明期(れいめいき)にあるが、すでに社会(しゃかい)に大(おお)きな影響(えいきょう)を与(あた)え始(はじ)めている。

AI technology is still in its infancy, but it has already begun to have a major impact on society.

Compound of 黎明(れいめい) (dawn, daybreak) + 期(き) (period). Literally the "dawn period" of something.

Common collocations

黎明期(れいめいき)にある (be in the early stages)
黎明期(れいめいき)の技術(ぎじゅつ) (early-stage technology)
黎明期(れいめいき)を迎(むか)える (enter the dawn of)
黎明期(れいめいき)から (since the early days)

Usage

A formal, somewhat literary word. Common in essays, documentaries, and news features looking back at the origins of something. The standalone 黎明(れいめい) means dawn (literal or figurative) and can be used without 期(き) in more poetic contexts.

general

Added 2026.3.3 18:08 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01

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