I've seen 「近代化{きんだいか}」or「近代化する」used to mean "modernization". I've also seen "近代" used to describe someone as "modern" (e.g. "近代的な人"). Obviously both words have the root "modern" somewhere but I'm confused about the nuances and when to use one over another.
1 Answer
It seems you have understood
近代 is modern
近代化 is modernization
The meaning of the suffix 化 is change
The word 変化 means change, 強化 means strengthening, 悪化 means deterioration, 化学 means chemistry,...