The Chinese word 扫地 (sǎo dì) is a verb-object compound formed by combining the verb 扫 (sǎo), meaning "to sweep", with its direct object 地 (dì), meaning "ground" or "floor". This straightforward grammatical structure creates the literal meaning "to sweep the ground", which is its primary sense. This type of formation is highly productive in Chinese, where an action verb is directly paired with the noun it acts upon to form a new, specific activity word. The term can also be used metaphorically, as in 扫地出门 (sǎo dì chū mén), meaning "to sweep someone out the door" or "to fire and expel someone", extending from the core concept of clearing something away completely.