4A07 Trinh Thi Phuong Trang Idioms of comparison in Vietnamese and English

Idioms of comparison 1

Running head: Idioms of comparison

Idioms of comparison in Vietnamese and English

A Contrastive Analysis

Trịnh Thị Phương Trang

University of Education

Contrastive Analysis

Mr Nguyễn Ngọc Vũ

December 30, 2010


Abstract

Language is a system of communication of a nation.

Every nation has their own historical, civilized, cultural,

climatic characteristics, so every nation has their own language.

However, different nations have similarities and differences in

expressing their ideas. Studying similarities and differences

between idioms of comparison in English and Vietnamese is liable

to help the researcher to affirm that. Moreover, making some

comparisons is a good way to memorize English idioms of

comparison effectively and enjoyably. Hence, translation skill

can be improved thanks to more knowledge about idioms. In

addition, making comparisons between English and Vietnamese

idioms can help the researcher to understand more about cultures

of both of countries since similarities and differences in

culture reflect coincidences and dissimilarities in ways of

thinking and looking at the world of English and Vietnamese

people.


Idioms of comparison in Vietnamese and English

A Contrastive Analysis

Introduction

Idioms of comparison are applied frequently in

literature and in daily life. It serves as a tool to make the

language more graphic. However, every language has differences in

ways of expressing the same idea using idioms of comparison.

The goal of the study is to discover some common types of

comparison used in English and Vietnamese idioms. In addition,

the study chiefly aims at finding out some similarities and

differences between comparison idioms in both English and

Vietnamese.

Because there are so many comparison idioms in both

languages, it is impossible to include all of them in the study.

The study can just explore comparison idiomatic expressions which

play an important part in the purpose of the study.


Theoretical Framework

Theoretical background of idioms in English

Definition of idioms in English

The Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary defines

idioms as: “A group of words whose meaning is different from the

meanings of the individual words” (Hornby, 2006, p.740).

The viewpoint is supported in A Dictionary of

Linguistics & Phonetics. The author regards an idiom as “a term

used in grammar and lexicography to refer to a sequence of words

which us semantically and often syntactically restricted, so that

they function as a single unit” (Crystal, 1985, p.225).

According to A Dictionary of Linguistics, an idiom is

“any expression peculiar to a language, conveying a distinct

meaning, not necessarily explicable by, occasionally even

contrary to, the general accepted grammatical rules” (Pei &

Gaynor, 1954, p.95).

Feature of English idioms

When mentioning semantic features of idioms, we had

better focus on the figurative meaning of idioms. It is the most

important characteristic of idioms to know whether an expression


is an idiom or not. According to Collins Cobuild English Language

Dictionary:

A idiom is a group of words which, when they are used

together in a particular combination, has a different

meaning from the one they would have if you took the meaning

of the individual words in the group. (Sinclair, 1987,

p.718)

Smiley & Goldtein (1998) also suggest that “idioms

are certainly more than the sums of their parts” (p.76). That

means the meaning of components of an idiom is different from the

meaning of the whole idiom. That we can guess the meaning of an

idiom or not depends on open or closed classes. As Yong and Peng

(2007) suggest:

In open class combinations, individual components are

freely recombination and are used in a common literal sense.

As co-occurrence of individual components is expected of

this class of combinations, both their meaning and

structures are predictable amenable to analysis. (p.178)

For instance, we can guess the meaning of the idiom

“turn over a new leaf”. “Turn over” means to “make something


change position so that the other side is facing towards the

outside or the top” and “a new leaf” is a leaf which is more

beautiful, more perfect. Therefore, the meaning of the idioms can

be guessed as “to change your way of life to become a better,

more responsible person”.

However, in close class combinations, we cannot guess

the meaning of idioms. That is because “they are characterized by

semantic opaqueness, syntactic restrictions and structural

stability” (Yong & Peng, 2007, p.178). For example, the idioms

“spread oneself too thin” or “for the birds”.

Idioms have “a fixed form – that usually cannot be

changed” (Heacock, 2003, p.ix). However, Heacock (2003) also

claims:

Not all fixed phrases are idioms. For example, “close your

eyes” is a common fixed phrase, but not an idiom because

each word in it is used in its standard meaning. The phrase

“keep your skirt” is an idiom, however, because the phrase

does not mean “do not take off your skirt” – it means “stay

calm”. (p.ix)


Idioms can be divided into six different forms or

structures:

+ Idioms located at noun entries such as “in addition

to’”, “for the birds”…

+ Idioms located at verb entries such as “look

forward to”, “take off”, “hear about”…

+ Idioms located at adjectival entries such as “in

short”, “hot under the collar”…

+ Idioms located at adverbial entries such as “once

again, “worse off” …

+ Idioms located at pronominal entries such as “give

it up”, “come to nothing”…

+ Idioms located at numeral entries such as “give a

hundred percent”, “one by one”…

It’s really important to know that modifying any

components and functional words can lose the idiomatic meaning

(Yong & Peng, 2007).

Theoretical background of idioms in Vietnamese

Definition of idioms in Vietnamese

According to Từ Điển Thành Ngữ và Tục Ngữ Việt Nam:


Thành ngữ Tiếng Việt là những tổ hợp từ ngữ cố định có cấu

trúc từ hoặc câu nhưng hoàn toàn thuộc phạm trù cấp từ, được

mã hóa hầu hết đều có tính chất cách điệu nghệ thuật, và chỉ

làm một thành phần trong câu nói. (Nguyễn, 2010, p.5)

As Nguyễn (2007) has noted in his book, “thành ngữ là

tập hợp từ cố định đã quen dùng mà nghĩa của nó thường không thể

giải thích được một cách đơn giản bằng nghĩa của các từ tạo nên

nó” (p. 8).

Features of Vietnamese idioms

Idioms are characterized by figurative and

metaphorical meanings. Therefore, it’s too difficult to

comprehend although we know the meanings of all their components.

For example, “lấy thúng úp voi”, “gà để gà cục tác”, “đi guốc

trong bụng”… Especially idioms are originated from fairy tales,

folk tales…such as “ba que xỏ lá”, “thằng chết cãi thằng khiêng”,

“nợ như chúa Chổm”, “sư tử Hà Đông”… (Nguyễn, Nguyễn & Phan,

2009).

Idioms usually consist of more than 3 components

whose counterpoint, alliteration and rhyme are combined with each

other in many different ways. There are some idioms of comparison


such as “nóng như lửa”, “khóc như mưa”, “nhanh như chớp”… Also,

there are some idioms which are created according to

counterpoint, alliteration such as “tai to mặt lớn”, “miệng hùm

gan sứa”, “cùng hội cùng thuyền”, “ong bướm lả lơi”… Besides,

some idioms are originally spoken words in everyday speech which

are usually used again and again for a long time and then develop

figurative meanings to become idioms, for instance “chở củi về

rừng”, “theo voi hít bã mía”, “nước chảy chỗ trũng”, “đi guốc

trong bụng”… (Nguyễn et al, 2009).

Theoretical background of English idioms of comparison

At first, we should find out the definition of

idioms of comparison which are also called similes. There are a

lot of definitions of simile. According to Oxford Advanced

Learner’s Dictionary, “simile is a word or phrase that compares

sth to sth else, using the words “like” or “as”, for example “a

face like a mask” or “as white as snow”; the use of such words

and phrases” (Hornby, 2006, p.1369).

An idiom of comparison is also defined as:

the comparison of two nouns with different meanings, using

the words like or as to make the connection. Friendship is


like ice cream, fear moved like lighting, and leaves feel as

slippery as fish are examples of similes”. (Tucker, 2002,

p.41)

There is also a similar but shorter definition in The

Challenge of Effective Speaking: “A simile is a direct comparison

of dissimilar things using the word “like” or “as”” (Verderber,

Verderber & Sellnow, 2008, p.197).

The meanings of similes are figurative. Take the

simile “as tall as a tree” as an example. When you say: “Minh is

as stubborn as a mule”, you mean Minh is so stubborn, not Minh is

as stubborn as a mule. Therefore, the simile “as stubborn as a

mule” is considered figurative.

Learners can sometimes be confused between similes and

metaphors but they are really different:

A metaphor, like a simile, is a comparison between two

essentially unlike things. In contrast to a simile, however,

where an explicit comparison is made (The eye is like a lamp

for the body), the metaphor makes an implicit comparison

(The eye is lamp of the body). (Robert H. Stein 15)


Huff (2004) asserts that “the only difference between

simile and metaphor is that metaphor does not use the words

“like” or “as” to make the comparison” (p.98). In other words,

two distinctly different things in a simile are connected by

“like” or “as” while a metaphor “is an implied but in many ways

even more direct than comparison because the reader is expected

to identify the comparison without the word “like” or “as””

(Osborne, 1997, p.124). However, “because similes merely join two

disparate ideas or images, they are generally less fertile than

metaphors, which can evoke additional and fresh shades of

meaning” (Ehrenhaft, 2008, p.145).

Theoretical background of Vietnamese idioms of comparison

In Vietnamese, there are 2 kinds of idioms of

comparison: one employs the word “như”, “tựa”, “tày”, “bằng”,

“tựa như” or “cũng như” and one doesn’t.

Based on similarities of characteristics of 2 things, 2

phenomena, 2 actions, the Vietnamese create a large number of

idioms which use A to name or to modify B.

Eg: Mặt trái xoan: oval-shaped face.


Star: a famous and talented person (usually in

art, sport, culture).

(Nguyễn, 2010)

The other kind of idioms of comparison includes the

word “bằng”, “tày”, “tựa”, “sánh”, “như” or “cũng như” which

divides an idiom into 2 parts.

Both of parts can be a noun, verb, phrase or clause.

The second part whose function is predicating and complementing

the first part is counted from comparative word.

Eg: In the idiom “tội tày đình”, “tày đình” is the

complement of the noun “tội”.

In the idiom “chạy như bay”, “như bay” is the complement

of the verb chạy.

(Nguyễn, 2010)


A contrastive analysis of comparison idioms in English and

Vietnamese

Quantity comparison

There are about 700 idioms of comparison in English,

for example, “as warm as sunbeam”, “to follow like a shadow”, “to

work like a Trojan”,… There are a similarity in the number of

idioms of comparison in English and Vietnamese. Some examples of

Vietnamese idioms of comparison are “lạnh như tiền”, “xanh như

tàu lá”…

Similarities of idioms of comparison in English and Vietnamese

Although the culture of two nations is different, ways

of thinking and looking at the world of English and Vietnamese is

somehow similar. Hence, both Vietnamese and English express ideas

and concepts in the same way. In fact, a large number of

Vietnamese idioms of comparison are similar with English idioms

of comparison in terms of both concept and image to express.

English idioms Vietnamese

idioms

As black as coal Đen như than

As black as crow Đen như quạ


As black as ink Tối đen như mực

As sweet as sugar Ngọt như đường

As black as soot Đen như bồ hóng

As brief as a dream Ngắn như

một giấc mộng

As bright as day Sáng như ban

ngày

As brilliant as stars Sáng như

sao

As changeable as the weather Hay thay

đổi như thời tiết

As cold as ice Lạnh như

băng

As cheerful as a lark Vui như sáo

As cunning as a fox Xảo quyệt

như cáo

As dark as midnight Tối như

nửa đêm

As dumb as a an oyster Câm như

hến


As fair as a rose Xinh như

hoa

As fast as a hare Nhanh như

thỏ

As fat as a pig Mập như

heo

As fierce as a tiger Dữ như cọp

As firm as rock Vững như đá

As fleet as the wind Nhanh như

gió

As fresh a rose Tươi như hoa

As gay as a lark Vui như sáo

As gruff as a bear Hỗn như

gấu

As good (valuable) as gold Quý như

vàng

As green as a leaf Xanh như

tàu lá

As heavy as an elephant Nặng như

voi


As hard as a stone Cứng như

đá

As heavy as lead Nặng như chì

As hot as fire Nóng như

lửa

As keen as a razor Sắc như

dao cạo

As light as down Nhẹ tựa lông

hồng

As light as a feather Nhẹ tưa

lông hồng

As mum as an oyster Câm như

hến

As pretty as a picture Đẹp

như tranh

As quick as lightning Nhanh như

ánh sáng

As quick as a flash Nhanh như

chớp

As red as blood Đỏ như máu


As red as a beetroot Đỏ như gấc

As sharp as a razor Sắc như

dao cạo

As silly as a calf Ngu như bò

As sour as vinegar Chua như

giấm

As stink as a polecat Hôi như

chồn

As swift as lightning Nhanh như

chớp

As smooth as velvet Mịn như

nhung

As slow as a snail Chậm như

sên

As swift as an arrow Nhanh như

tên bắn

As steady as rock Cứng như

đá

As timid as a rabbit/ hare Nhát như

thỏ đế


As thick as ants Đông như kiến

As transparent as glass Trong suốt

như thủy tinh

As yellow as saffron Vàng như

nghệ

As wet as a drowned mouse Ướt như

chuột lột

As white as snow Trắng như tuyết

As white as a sheet Như tờ

giấy trắng

Like father like son Cha nào

con nấy

To fight like cat and dog Như chó

với mèo

To stick like a leech Bám dai

như đỉa

To stick like glue Dính như

keo

To cry like a baby Khóc như

đứa trẻ


To follow like a shadow Theo như

hình với bóng

To swim like fish Bơi như cá

Differences of idioms of comparison in English and Vietnamese

The same content but different images to express

Images of idiomatic comparisons in twp nations are

different result from differences in culture. Vietnam has the

cultural tradition of the wet rice production. Therefore, animals

have a strong attachment to Vietnamese daily life. That’s why

Vietnamese idioms of comparison consist of images related to

buffaloes which are an animal familiar with rice production

agriculture. Buffaloes pull ploughs, work very hard everyday to

help farmers in their farming. As a result, wanting to mention

strength, people often refer to buffaloes. In fact, to talk about

someone very strong, the Vietnamese have the idiom “khỏe như

trâu” while the English have the idiom “as strong as a horse”.

That’s because English people prefer horses to buffaloes. Horses

can not only pull ploughs but also transport and entertain. They

are really energetic and strong enough to help people in life.


In spite of that, it doesn’t mean that English people

don’t consider buffaloes strong animals or Vietnamese people

don’t regard horses as strong animals. That results just from the

difference in culture.

Also, dragons are a kind of animal which is very

close in fertile imagination of Vietnamese people. Because of

that, the image as a dragon appear in the Vietnamese idiom of

comparison “ăn như rồng cuốn” to talk about eating large

quantities of food while the image of a horse is used in the

idiom “to eat like a horse”.

Lamp, butter are so familiar with English life while

sweet potatoes, pig are familiar with Vietnamese life, as a

result there are differences in images to express their ideas of

gentleness and fatness:


idioms

As gentle as a lamp Hiền như củ khoai

As fat as butter Béo như lợn


Besides, the differences in the ways of thinking and

observing the world make differences in the images of idiomatic

comparisons. Take some following examples to illustrate that:


idioms

As easy as ABC Dễ như trở bàn tay

As easy as pie Dễ như trở bàn tay

As easy as anything Dễ như trở bàn tay

As smooth as butter Mượt như nhung

As pale as a ghost Xanh như tàu lá

As lazy as a lizard Lười như hủi

As soft as wax Mềm như bún

As merry as a cricket Vui như tết

As cheerful as the birds Vui như tết

As glad as a fly Vui như tết

As happy as a child Vui như tết

As happy as a clam Vui như tết

As dark as midnight Tối như đêm ba mươi

As black as midnight Tối như đêm 30

As dark as midnight Tối như hũ nút


As close as herrings Chặt như nêm

As soundly as a log (Ngủ) say như chết

As cold as marble Lạnh như tiền

As dry as a biscuit Khô như ngói

As red as lipstick Đỏ như gấc

As thin as finger Gầy như bộ xương khô

As weak as a kitten Yếu như sên

As weak as a baby Yếu như sên

As black as a stack of black cats Đen như

cột nhà cháy

As black as the ace of spades Đen như cú súng

As round as a barrel Tròn như quả bóng

As old as the hills Xưa như trái đất

As hot as mustard Cay như ớt

Like hot cake Đắt như tôm tươi

As silent as the dead Im lặng như tờ

As silent as the grave Im lặng như tờ

What is more, the differences in human make

differences between English and Vietnamese idioms. For example,

in Vietnam, there is the idiom “ghen như Hoạn Thư” to refer to a


person who is dreadfully jealous. However, in English, the idiom

“as jealous as Othello” is used to talk about a one’s jealousy.

Another example is “sướng như tiên” and “as happy as a king”.

Indeed, Vietnamese people consider a fairy the happiest one while

English people consider a king the happiest one.

The same components but the dissimilar content

Every so often, some images of comparison can appear

in both Vietnamese and English idioms but the meaning of the two

whole idioms are quite different. That’s because the meaning of

components differs in culture.

Indeed, using the idiom “rõ như ban ngày”, the

Vietnamese want to indicate a event which has nothing fishy.

Meanwhile English people use the idiom “as bright as day” to

describe a light room. Besides, when the weather is fine and

sunny with good natural light, English people say: “It’s as

bright as day”.

Besides, wanting to compliment someone on his or her

beauty of eyes, Vietnamese people say: “Mắt cô sắc như dao cạo”.

Still, English people use the idiom “as sharp as a razor” to

refer to one’s brainpower.


What is more, whilst Vietnamese people apply the

idiom “chắc như đinh đóng cột” to something steady, “as hard as

nails” in English idiom means a person who is quite strict.

Also, when Vietnamese people say: “Nó tốt như vàng”, they mean

it’s worth buying the object because of its good quality. In

contrast, “as good as gold” cannot be used to compliment an

object. In other words, English people never say: “It’s as good

as gold” but “The person is as good as gold”. The person can be

an assiduous and submissive child or a well-behaved adult.


Pedagogical Implications for Teaching English Idioms of

comparison

Learning English idioms is one of steps so as to help

learners master English. English idioms of comparison are

frequently used in daily life. Therefore, teachers should help

their students learn idioms most effectively.

Firstly, it’s advisable for teachers to raise

students’ awareness of similarities and differences between

Vietnamese and English idioms of comparison. When teachers teach

their students a certain English idiom of comparison, they should

let them guess the Vietnamese idiom which is equivalent to that

idiom, making a comparison and explain why they are similar or

different. It’s really useful for them to have a long-term memory

about that idiom of comparison.

Secondly, idioms of comparison as well as other

idioms are taught and practiced in classroom but students rarely

apply them to their daily speech. That’s why teachers should

encourage students to use idioms of comparison in their daily

life as frequently as possible. Learners will memorize idioms


better if idioms of comparison are put into communicative

contexts. Don’t make them learn by heart.

Thirdly, teachers should draw students’ attention to

idioms of comparison which are most useful and most frequent. As

there are so many idioms of comparison in English culture, about

700, students aren’t liable to memorize and apply all of them in

their daily life. Students should be taught to know what idioms

of comparison they should learn.


Conclusion

There are both similarities and differences between

English and Vietnamese idioms of comparison. The same or

different image can bear resemblance in the meaning of English

and Vietnamese idioms of comparison. In addition, there are some

idioms of comparison which have the same components but the

meaning are quite different. Great as have the researcher made an

attempt to do the research, there are some restrictions on the

research out of the limited time and other unexpected factors.

The researcher hopes that the research will a useful material for

learners and teachers to learn or teach most effectively.


References

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4A07 Trinh Thi Phuong Trang Idioms of comparison in Vietnamese and English

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Transcript of 4A07 Trinh Thi Phuong Trang Idioms of comparison in Vietnamese and English