<p>「地」 is not a particle here. The word for <em>rag mats</em> is translated as the two-character word 「地席」, literally <em>mat</em> (席) for the <em>floor</em> (地).</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>...舊地席的气味</p>
  
  <p>...<em>smelt</em> (气味) <em>of</em> (的) ... <em>old</em> (舊) <em>rag mats</em> (地席).</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-31T08:32:57.017Z
Oh okay, thanks---that makes a lot more sense.
Becky 李蓓
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-31T08:34:19.263Z
I personally don't see the reason to use the super common characters 地 and 得 for words which are pretty much cognate to 的, but that's the state of our current writing system =,=
dROOOze
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-31T09:15:46.463Z
Some people consider that sophistication is directly proportional to complexity?
Wayne Cheah
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-31T08:28:12.660Z
2020-01-31T08:28:12.660Z
dROOOze
<p>地席 is a two character word meaning floor mat. </p>

<p>The 霉 in 霉旧地席 refers to the old mat being mouldy and/or having a musky smell.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-31T12:17:27.777Z
2020-01-31T12:17:27.777Z
Axel Tong
<p>From the second chapter in George Orwell's 1984, using the translations at <a href="https://book.douban.com/review/4592249/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Douban</a>:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p><a href="http://www.george-orwell.org/1984/0.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><em>Original</em></a>: The hallway smelt of boiled cabbage and old rag mats.<br>
  <em>Translation 1</em>: 门厅里有一股熬白菜和<strong>旧地席的气味</strong><br>
  <em>Translation 2</em>: 一进门厅就闻到煮卷心菜和<strong>霉旧地席的气味</strong>  </p>
</blockquote>

<p><strong>Question</strong>: Why is there a 地 in (霉)旧地席的气味?</p>

<p>It seems like it should be a 的, not a 地.  My understanding is that (霉)旧 (old) is an adjective describing the noun 席 (mat), and thus <a href="https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Structural_particle_%22de%22#.E7.9A.84_.28de.29_Before_Nouns" rel="nofollow noreferrer">it should be 的</a>.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-31T08:26:39.720Z
地席 is 铺在地上的席子, a mat.
Toosky Hierot
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-31T08:32:48.367Z
BTW, 地席, (Di xí), is floor mat, and 地毯, (Dì tǎn), is carpet. As for the 席, it also means banquet / feast as in the old days people sat on floor mats to eat.
Wayne Cheah
<word-choice><particles>
Why is there a 地 in (霉)旧地席的气味?
# Why is there a 地 in (霉)旧地席的气味?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-01-31)

From the second chapter in George Orwell's 1984, using the translations at [Douban](https://book.douban.com/review/4592249/):

> [*Original*](http://www.george-orwell.org/1984/0.html): The hallway smelt of boiled cabbage and old rag mats.  
> *Translation 1*: 门厅里有一股熬白菜和**旧地席的气味**  
> *Translation 2*: 一进门厅就闻到煮卷心菜和**霉旧地席的气味**

**Question**: Why is there a 地 in (霉)旧地席的气味?

It seems like it should be a 的, not a 地. My understanding is that (霉)旧 (old) is an adjective describing the noun 席 (mat), and thus [it should be 的](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Structural_particle_%22de%22#.E7.9A.84_.28de.29_Before_Nouns).

**Tags:** word-choice, particles

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: 地席 is 铺在地上的席子, a mat.  
> **username_2**: BTW, 地席, (Di xí), is floor mat, and 地毯, (Dì tǎn), is carpet. As for the 席, it also means banquet / feast as in the old days people sat on floor mats to eat.  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2020-01-31. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

「地」 is not a particle here. The word for *rag mats* is translated as the two-character word 「地席」, literally *mat* (席) for the *floor* (地).

> ...舊地席的气味
>
> ...*smelt* (气味) *of* (的) ... *old* (舊) *rag mats* (地席).

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Oh okay, thanks---that makes a lot more sense.  
> **username_3**: I personally don't see the reason to use the super common characters 地 and 得 for words which are pretty much cognate to 的, but that's the state of our current writing system =,=  
> **username_2**: Some people consider that sophistication is directly proportional to complexity?  

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### Answer by username_4 on 2020-01-31. Score: 1

地席 is a two character word meaning floor mat.

The 霉 in 霉旧地席 refers to the old mat being mouldy and/or having a musky smell.


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