道地 (dào dì) — authentic, genuine (especially of products from a known place)

Definition

Describes a product, food, or style that is genuinely from the place it claims to be from — "authentic, the real thing." Often pairs with 货 (e.g. 道地货) to mean "genuine goods."

adjective
authenticgenuine (especially of products from a known place)

Examples

  • 道地，。
    Zhè zhǒng chá hěn dào dì, shì cóng fú jiàn dài lái de.
    This tea is very authentic, it was brought from Fujian.
  • 道地，。
    Tā zuò de cài wèi dào fēi cháng dào dì, gēn jiā xiāng de yí yàng.
    The taste of the dishes she makes is very authentic, just like from her hometown.
  • 道地。
    Zhè jiā diàn mài de tǔ tè chǎn dōu shì dào dì huò.
    The local products sold in this shop are all genuine goods.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

道dàoregion
地dìplace

道 (region) and 地 (place) point to a product from its proper area, so genuine.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
行行xíngstreet
止止zhǐfoot
Sound part声符shēngfú
𩠐
首shǒu道dào
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

Early 道 showed a street 行, a foot 止, and a part written 首 or 𩠐; the right part of 行 later disappeared.

Open 道 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
土土tǔearth
Sound part声符shēngfú
也
也yě地dì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

地 is built from 土 (earth) and 也, which gives its sound.

Open 地 →

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