接地

jiēdì
verb #37,968

Meanings

  1. 1 to ground (an electrical connection)
  2. 2 to earth (a circuit)
  3. 3 (figurative) down-to-earth / grounded

Examples

Jīnshǔ wàiké bìxū jiēdì.
The metal casing must be grounded.
Tā de yǎnjiǎng hěn jiē dìqì.
His speech was very down-to-earth.

Tips

usage
Two registers. Technical: literal electrical earthing — 接地线 'ground wire', 接地 'ground resistance'. Colloquial: 接地气 (jiē dìqì, 'connect to earth-energy') = 'down-to-earth, in touch with ordinary people' — a hugely popular compliment for politicians, celebrities or products that don't feel elitist.
memory
Same metaphor as English 'grounded' — both languages independently picked the electrical 'earth connection' to describe a person who hasn't lost touch with reality.

Stroke Order

jiē