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This question is about choosing a proper English word for a Chinese phrase.
Let there be given the sentence "What is the "定位" in the market of our products?" Then, what are the proper English words for "定位" in the given sense? I might just use such as "placement" or "position" for it, but I am really not sure about the propriety.
I really need your help.
Typically one would "position" a product in the marketplace. If you are in the act of doing something (process is active now) then the phrase would be "positioning" [a/our/the] product in the marketplace. I would suggest you take a look at your proposed word choice in Jukuu.com. Plugging in the word for "position," yields the following usages:
"Positioning" on the other hand seems to give something closer to what you want. BTW - Here are some sample sentences, just to be sure (the website has many more).
1. Their segregated positioning subtly and silently indicates that caution should be taken in their use.
它们相对分离的位置微妙而无声地提示着用户，即使用它们时应该小心。
-- 来源 -- About Face 3交互设计精髓 好评(14) 差评(0)
2. In a fixed-head magnetic disk unit, a support and positioning element for a read / write head.
在固定磁头的磁盘机中,用于支撑和定位读/写磁头的部件。
-- 来源 -- 英汉 - 辞典例句 好评(17) 差评(5)
3. global positioning system
环球定位系统,[港]全球定位系统
-- 来源 -- 英汉 - 翻译样例 - 行业 好评(10) 差评(0)
4. The accurate positioning of an entity relative to a reference.
相对于参考基准把某个实体精确定位。
產品定位``Product positioning came from English first as well as commerce, business and marketing.
"How are our products positioned in the market?"
I think in your given sentence, you can translate "定位" as "role". To be specific, "定位" means the role you want your products to play in the market (in this sentence). In another words, you can also say "What is the 角色定位 in the market of our products". As a Chinese, I can explain to you considering both grammar and context.
If subject is man, then it is related social/mentality state, if subject is a product, then it says, what is targeted customer.
First, split "定位" into "定" and "位". "位" means "location/place" without doubt. For "定", let us first assume it's a verb. Then "定" means "determine/choose" in this phrase. If we assume "定" is descriptive, then it means "determined/fixed". In this sense, it means the position/place is determined/chosen (by somebody or whatever).
So if "定" is a verb, "定位" will be a phrase used like a verb. It means "determine the location/place". So if "定" is descriptive, "定位" will be a phrase used like a noun. It means "the chosen location/place".
Now let's go back to your question. You asked: what is the "定位" in the market of our products. Here "定位" is a noun. Imagine you are a product manager and you have a new product. When you are designing/promoting your products to the market, the more customers, the better. Then you will think about: what makes a customer buy the product? What is the role of your products to the customers in market? What kind of role will obtain the most customers?
I know I am a little too talkative, but I hope I helped!
The meaning of a word is not a word. One need to reflect what a word means before he translates it into another language.
Here is a wiki definition in the scope of marketing:
Although there are so many different definitions of brand positioning, probably the most common is: identifying and attempting to occupy a market niche for a brand, product or service utilizing traditional marketing placement strategies (i.e. price, promotion, distribution, packaging, and competition
Source http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Positioning_(marketing)#Definitions
