Definition
地道 (dì dao) means 'authentic, genuine' and is the everyday word for describing something true to its type — especially language, food, or craftsmanship. It's more general than 正宗 (zhèng zōng), which emphasizes orthodox tradition and lineage, and less idiomatic than the phrase 原汁原味 (yuán zhī yuán wèi), meaning 'true to the original in every detail'.
adjective
authenticgenuineproper
Easily confused
- 地道dì dàolook-aliketunnel (an underground passage)
Examples
- 地道，。Tā de Yīngyǔ shuō de fēicháng dì dao, hǎoxiàng zài Měiguó shēnghuó guò yíyàng.He speaks English very authentically, as if he had lived in the United States.
- 地道，。Zhè jiā cāntīng de Sìchuān cài tèbié dì dao, lǎobǎn jiù shì Sìchuān rén.The Sichuan food at this restaurant is especially authentic; the owner is from Sichuan.
- 地道，。Zhège shǒugōng zuò de bāobāo hěn dì dao, yí kàn jiù shì zhuānyè shīfu zuò de.This handmade bag is very well done — you can tell at a glance it was made by a professional craftsman.
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