New Members ABRW Posted October 12, 2017 at 12:10 AM New Members Report Share Posted October 12, 2017 at 12:10 AM What is a good way to indicate an object's position as related to a ship using a clock to indicate direction? I don't know any characters. The answer in pinyin would be very helpful. For example: There are three whale at 2 o'clock. You san tiao jingyu zai liang dian zhong you fang xiang. Is that correct? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roddy Posted October 12, 2017 at 08:51 AM Report Share Posted October 12, 2017 at 08:51 AM That's a very interesting question, I have no idea if Chinese does this. Although even in English it's perhaps only familiar in aviation and nautical language? If anyone's unclear, it's this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
889 Posted October 12, 2017 at 09:00 AM Report Share Posted October 12, 2017 at 09:00 AM In English I sometimes use it to describe location, say, of a particular part of an inscription or design on the face of an object. Can't say I recall ever hearing it used in Chinese, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roddy Posted October 12, 2017 at 09:03 AM Report Share Posted October 12, 2017 at 09:03 AM Here's something in Chinese. Although what is going on with that image? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelley Posted October 12, 2017 at 11:18 AM Report Share Posted October 12, 2017 at 11:18 AM I always heard it in films about fighter pilots, bandits at 3 o'clock and similar. I think when you have more than 2 dimensions as in the air, it might make more sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dandy Jiang Posted October 14, 2017 at 07:45 AM Report Share Posted October 14, 2017 at 07:45 AM There are three whale at 2 o'clock. liǎng diǎn zhōng fāng xiàng yǒu sān tiáo jīng yú。 OR yǒu sān tiáo jīng yú zà iliǎng diǎn zhōng fāng xiàng 。 I've heard it from Chinese movies, usually said by soldiers or policemen. In Chinese, at × o'clock is “zài × diǎn zhōng fāng xiàng”。 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
New Members ABRW Posted October 16, 2017 at 04:52 AM Author New Members Report Share Posted October 16, 2017 at 04:52 AM Thanks for the answers. I work as a guide on ships and very often we have Chinese guests. The easiest and most accurate way of telling everyone where wildlife is is to say something like, "there are whales at two o'clock" It will be a very useful phrase. thanks again. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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