1.
fee; bill; charge for a service or item
Suffix attached to a noun to name the cost, fee, or bill for that thing or service: 電気代 (electricity bill), 食事代 (the cost of a meal).
2.
age range; decade; generation
Attached to a multiple of ten to name a ten-year span of ages (50代, 'in one's fifties'; 二十代, 'in one's twenties'), or, as 〜年代, to name a decade (1990年代, 'the 1990s'). The same 代 appears in 世代 (generation) and 時代 (era).
Two separate uses share this suffix: sense 1 names the bill or fee for a thing, sense 2 a span of ages or years.
Compounds
- 電気代: electricity bill
- ガス代: gas bill
- 水道代: water bill
- 飲み代: drinking tab; bar bill
- タクシー代: taxi fare
- 部屋代: room charge
Usage
In sense 2, 〜代 covers the whole ten-year span: 50代 is anyone from 50 to 59, and 10代 (also 十代) means roughly the teens. 前半 and 後半 narrow it: 30代前半 (early thirties), 40代後半 (late forties). With a year, use 〜年代: 1980年代 (the 1980s).