Wartime is the period when a country is fighting a war. It is uncountable, and it usually appears without "a" or "the": "in wartime", "during wartime", "food was short in wartime".

Wartimewartime is the period when a country is fighting a war指的是一個國家在打仗的那段時期。 It is uncountable這是不可數名詞 and it usually appears without "a" or "the"通常不會加「a」或「the」 "in wartime", "during wartime", "food was short in wartime"例如「in wartime」、「during wartime」、「food was short in wartime」（戰時食物短缺）。

Much more often, though, you will meet it in front of another noun, describing something that belonged to that period: wartime Britain, wartime rationing, wartime memories, his wartime experiences, a wartime romance. When it works this way it means "from the war years" or "happening during the war", and it quietly carries the whole atmosphere with it — shortages, danger, families apart.

Much more often, though不過更常見的是 you will meet it in front of another noun你會看到它放在另一個名詞前面 describing something that belonged to that period用來形容屬於那個時期的東西 wartime Britain, wartime rationing, wartime memories, his wartime experiences, a wartime romance例如wartime Britain（戰時的英國）、wartime rationing（戰時配給）、wartime memories（戰時的回憶）、his wartime experiences（他戰時的經歷）、a wartime romance（一段戰時的戀情）。 When it works this way這樣用的時候 it means "from the war years" or "happening during the war"意思是「來自戰爭那幾年」或「發生在戰爭期間」 and it quietly carries the whole atmosphere with it而且默默帶出整個氛圍 shortages, danger, families apart物資短缺、危險，還有家人分離。

That is why writers like it. "Her wartime childhood" says in two words what would otherwise take a paragraph.

That is why writers like it這就是作家喜歡用它的原因。 "Her wartime childhood"「Her wartime childhood」（她戰時的童年）這句話 says in two words what would otherwise take a paragraph用兩個字就說出了原本要一整段才能表達的意思。

Its opposite is peacetime, and the two are often set against each other: "a factory that made cars in peacetime and planes in wartime". One thing worth noticing: in English-speaking countries, if someone says "the wartime years" with no other information, listeners usually assume World War II. It is not part of the dictionary meaning, but it is how the word lands.

Its opposite is peacetime它的反義詞是peacetime（承平時期） and the two are often set against each other這兩個詞常常被拿來對比 "a factory that made cars in peacetime and planes in wartime"例如「a factory that made cars in peacetime and planes in wartime」（一間工廠承平時期生產汽車、戰時生產飛機）。 One thing worth noticing有一點值得注意 in English-speaking countries在英語系國家 if someone says "the wartime years" with no other information如果有人說「the wartime years」而沒有其他說明 listeners usually assume World War II聽的人通常會直接聯想到第二次世界大戰。 It is not part of the dictionary meaning這不是字典定義的一部分 but it is how the word lands但這就是這個字給人的實際感覺。