土地
tǔdì
In Chinese, land is translated as 土地 (tǔdì). If unsure, use 土地. Wiktionary also lists 陸地 / 陆地 (lùdì).
Meaning: part of Earth that is not covered by oceans or other bodies of water (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 土地 | tǔdì |
| 陸地 / 陆地 | lùdì |
土地 is used when referring to land as a resource, soil or a specific plot of property. When referring to the act of a person or vessel making landfall from a body of water, use 登陸. For an aircraft or spacecraft landing on a surface, use 著陸.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 土地 is composed of 土 (earth/soil) and 地 (ground/floor).
Which one should you use?
土地 is used for land as a resource, soil or a specific plot of property, whereas 陸地 is used specifically to contrast land with the sea or water, referring to the physical mass of land.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
tǔdì
Did you know?
- In Chinese culture, the term 土地 is frequently personified as the 土地公, or 'Earth God', a deity believed to protect specific plots of land and local villages.
- When talking about 'land' in a legal or real estate sense, Chinese often uses 地皮 to refer specifically to the surface or 'skin' of the ground.
- In Chinese culture, the character 土 (earth) is one of the five primary elements, representing stability and the center of the universe.
Examples in context
- 他買土地的目的是要造房子。He bought the land for the purpose of building a house on it.This sentence is useful for describing the purpose of buying 土地.Tatoeba #5114821 by xjjAstrus, translation #294418 by CK
- 這是一片肥沃的土地，居住著不同的民族。It's fertile land inhabited by diverse nations.This sentence is useful for describing 土地 that is fertile and inhabited.Tatoeba #13525770 by LeviHighway, translation #12424440 by Miktsoanit
- 對馬爾薩斯虛構的「土地耗盡」定律最有力的反駁，是蘇聯集體農場的時間。The best refutation of the imaginary Malthusian laws of "land depletion" is the practice of Soviet collective farming.This sentence is useful for discussing the concept of 土地 depletion.Tatoeba #13876612 by LeviHighway, translation #10903472 by AlanF_US
- 这块土地非常肥沃。(Zhè kuài tǔ dì fēi cháng féi wò.)The land here is very fertile.
- 保护国土是每个公民的责任。(Bǎo hù guó tǔ shì měi gè gōng mín de zé rèn.)Protecting the national land is the responsibility of every citizen.
- 他买了一块地皮建房子。(Tā mǎi le yī kuài dì pí jiàn fáng zi.)He bought a piece of land to build a house.
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Wei and Yuting are discussing a plan to start a farm.
- 伟 Wei我們需要更多的土地來種菜。Wǒmen xūyào gèng duō de tǔdì lái zhòng cài.We need more land to grow vegetables.
- 雨婷 Yuting這裡的土地非常肥沃。Zhèlǐ de tǔdì fēicháng féiwò.The land here is very fertile.
- 伟 Wei那你覺得這片土地適合我們嗎？Nà nǐ juéde zhè piàn tǔdì shìhé wǒmen ma?Then do you think this piece of land is suitable for us?
- 雨婷 Yuting是的，這片土地很完美。Shì de, zhè piàn tǔdì hěn wánměi.Yes, this land is perfect.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “land” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
