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Referring to the 'Atlantic Ocean' with 西洋 (xīyáng)
Location & Position
Structure
大西洋 / 南大西洋
Explanation
西洋 (xīyáng) literally means "Western Ocean" and historically referred to the seas and lands west of China. In modern Chinese, it most commonly appears in the compound 大西洋 (Atlantic Ocean). On its own, 西洋 can refer to Western countries or Western culture in a traditional sense.
Examples
大西洋是世界第二大洋。
dàxīyáng shì shìjiè dì èr dà yáng.
The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest ocean in the world.
他对西洋文化很感兴趣。
tā duì xīyáng wénhuà hěn gǎn xìngqù.
He is very interested in Western culture.
西洋棋和中国象棋的规则完全不同。
xīyáng qí hé zhōngguó xiàngqí de guīzé wánquán bùtóng.
The rules of chess and Chinese chess are completely different.