Running head: IDIOMS OF COMPARISON IN ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE

Idioms of Comparison in English and Vietnamese

A Contrastive Analysis
Nguyn nh Tun
University of Education

Contrastive Analysis
Instructor: Mr. Nguyn Ngc V
December 30, 2011

IDIOMS OF COMPARISON IN ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE

Abstract
Language and culture are intimately connected to each other. Language generally
reflects culture and vice versa, culture has a strong influence on language. Two
countries with different cultures will surely have many dissimilarities in language and
that does not except idioms, especially idioms of comparison, which play a crucial
part in language. Investigating and explaining some similarities and differences
between idioms of comparison in English and Vietnamese helps to strongly
corroborate the inextricable and dialectical relationship between culture and
language, ameliorate knowledge of comparative idioms and enhance cultural
understanding of Vietnamese and English people to a great extent. Making
comparison will also better translation ability in some ways. Moreover, through the
scrutiny and analysis, there emerges a golden opportunity to review some general
and essential knowledge of language, culture, similes and idioms,

IDIOMS OF COMPARISON IN ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE

Contents (APA format):
Introduction
Theoretical Background
Culture and Language: An Inextricable and Close Relationship
Culture.
Language.
The relationship between culture and language.
The Differences between British and Vietnamese Cultures
Idioms, Similes and Idioms of Comparison
Idioms.
Definitions of idioms.
Main features of idioms in English and Vietnamese.
Semantic features.
Structural features.
Differences between idioms and proverbs.
Definitions of proverbs.
Similaritiesbetween idioms and proverbs.
Differences between idioms and proverbs.
Similes.
Definitions of similes.
Main features of similes.
Foundation of similes.
Idioms of comparison.
Definition.
Features of comparative idioms.
Identification of idioms of comparison.
Idioms of Comparison in English and Vietnamese: Contrastive Analysis
Similarities of Idioms of Comparison in English and Vietnamese
The general features.
Coincidences in translation.
Dissimilarities of Idioms of Comparison in English and Vietnamese
Images compared are different but the same meanings.
Same images of comparison but different meanings.
Comparative idioms with images of well-known persons.
The same animal images with different connotations and meanings.
Solutions for Better Translation and some Teaching Implications
Implications for Translation
Implications for Language Teaching
Conclusion
References

IDIOMS OF COMPARISON IN ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE

Idioms of Comparison in English and Vietnamese
A Contrastive Analysis
Introduction
Frequently utilized in both spoken and written language, idioms of comparison
appear to be a wonderful language device that helps to make language more vivid,
beautifully impressive and full of life. In fact, idioms of comparison have intrigued
many linguists not only in Vietnam but also in many countries to spend time
investigating and examining. One crucial and riveting point that serves as a source of
inspiration for lots of research is the similarities and differences between
comparative idioms of different languages, which often result from the dissimilarities
in culture and viewpoints.
This paper focuses on scrutinizing idioms of comparison in English and
Vietnamese, examining their main features and types as well as discovering and
explaining the differences and similarities. Since the number of comparative idioms
in English and Vietnamese is really enormous, it is nearly out of the question to
cover all of them in this study. Thus, those idioms that well serve the aims of the
study will be given more attention than the others.

IDIOMS OF COMPARISON IN ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE

Theoretical Background
Culture and Language: An Inextricable and Close Relationship
Culture. Whats culture? The question is seemingly simple, yet its not easy to
offer a detailed and pleasing answer. Culture derives from the Latin word colere,
which means to build on, to foster, promote and cultivate. There are lots of ways to
define culture given by different scholars with dissimilar viewpoints. As Edward Tylor,
a famous British anthropologist, noted in his book Primitive Culture (1871), culture
is that complex whole which includes knowledge, beliefs, arts, morals, law, custom
and any other capacities and habits acquired by man as a member of society(p. 1).
Geertz (1973) claimed that culture denotes an historically transmitted pattern of
meanings embodied in symbols, a system of inherited conceptions expressed in
symbolic forms by means of which men communicate,perpetuate, and develop their
knowledge about and attitudes toward life. (p. 89).
To make it laconic and easier to understand, culture can be seen as a set of
widely accepted behaviour patterns, fundamental assumptions and values as well as
common experience. It is said to profoundly shape or strongly influence social
structures, communication styles and even stipulate behaviour or etiquette of all
people in a particular society. Actually, it is culture that has an enormous influence on
the way we act and respond, the way we produce, send and normally interpret
different kinds of information. Li (2005, p. 23) noted that according to many cultural
experts, culture has these four basic and noteworthy attributes:
Firstly, culture is not a kind of biological and natural inheritage but is learnt or
inherited socially and gradually. Hudson (1980, p.74) concurred with this point,
saying that culture should be taken as socially acquired knowledge.

IDIOMS OF COMPARISON IN ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE

Secondly, culture does not ever belong to any individuals in particular.
Absolutely, its shared by all members of a community.
In addition, as buttressed by Geertz (1973, p. 89), culture is a symbolic
meaning system. In that special system, language is one of the most crucial parts
which can be likened as a key factor, playing the role of an essential medium to
transmit much of culture.
Last but not least, culture is a unified system, which means that the integral
parts of it are closely related and linked to one another.
To sum up, anthropologically, culture is the pattern, the norms of behavior,
thinking and interpreting that all members in a social group frame, then learn and
share. It is what binds men together the ideas and the standards they have in
common ( Benedict, 1934, p. 16). More specifically, a group of peoples culture may
consist of many things, such as their beliefs, language, rules of demeanor or actions,
art, dressing ways, ways of producing goods, methods of cooking food, religion and
even economic systems, Beyond doubt, culture is a remarkably special attribute of
human society. Its one significant factor that helps to sharply distinguish one human
group from the others as well as clearly differentiate human beings from other
animals.
Language. In no uncertain terms, humans are not unique in the capability to
communicate with one another. In point of fact, many kinds of animals and even
some plant species can do that. However, its human language that is apparently
unique in being a symbolic communication system which is learnt instead of being
biologically and naturally inherited. One of the most concise ways to define language
it is that language is a human system of communication that uses arbitrary signals,
such as voice sounds, gestures, or written symbols (Nordquist, n.d.). In General

IDIOMS OF COMPARISON IN ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE

linguistics, Robins (1989) almost concurred, saying A language [is a ] symbol
system based on pure or arbitrary convention infinitely extendable and
modifiable according to the changing needs and conditions of the speakers.
Language is widely known as a communication tool, helping people to
express opinions, thoughts as well as communicate information. Li (2005, p. 24)
noted that language carries out these three crucial functions :
1) Language is the primary vehicle of communication;
2) Language reflects both the personality of the individual and the culture
of his history. In turn, it helps shape both personality and culture;
3) Language makes possible the growth and transmission of culture, the
continuity of societies, and the effective functioning and control of social group.
When it comes to characteristics, it is unanimously concluded that language is
a means of communication and self-expression (communicate peoples ideas,
feelings and various traces or surges of emotions). In addition, language is
irrefutably arbitrary. Its nearly out of the question to find out the reasons why this
word represents that object. Language is also said to be non-instinctive;
conventional, symbolic, systematic and vocal. Moreover, as a means of fostering,
stimulating and developing culture as well as establish and reinforcing human
relations, language is clearly a form of social behavior which must be utilized in a
society or it would surely die . Last but not least, its plausible to confirm that human
language is generally open-ended, extendable, modifiable and especially, structurally
complex, which is such a thing not to be found in any animal communication system.
(Language, n. d.)
In a nutshell, being definitely extendible and sophisticated, language is, no
quibble, a great present to humankind, a very distinctly crucial factor that

IDIOMS OF COMPARISON IN ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE

distinguishes humans from other creatures and species. It is language that helps us
to form ideas, emotions and feelings, to store or communicate, express them to
others. Its also an eternal source of inspiration and ecstasy for various artists. Its,
shortly, a faculty of speech that all humans living on the Earth wonderfully have in
common.
The relationship between culture and language. Language and culture are
cogently recapped to have an inextricable and dialectical relationship. Brown (1994)
proposed that language is a part of a culture and a culture is a part of a language,
the two are intricately interwoven so that one cannot separate the two without losing
the significance of either language or culture. (p. 165). Kramsch (2000) also
proclaimed, language is the principle means whereby we conduct our social lives.
When it is used in contexts of communication, it is bound up with culture in multiple
and complex ways. (p. 3).
To state it another way, culture and language, at all times, go hand in hand
with each other. Language can be regarded as an essential and vital part of culture,
as Li (2005) emphasized without language, culture would not be possible ( p. 25). It
is the indispensable vehicle for transmitting a large amount of culture. On the other
hand, culture, as the whole of humans ways of living as well as a set of values,
demeanors and patterns of perception, has become extremely crucial to language,
having a great impact on the formation and development of language. Learning a
language, whether it is a first, second or foreign one, usually appears to be an
onerous task that entails the learning of a new culture. Language acquiring and
culture learning always occur concurrently. There are hardly any altercations about
that.

IDIOMS OF COMPARISON IN ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE

In short, culture has a significantly strong influence on language which on its
part, faithfully acts as a mirror reflecting most of culture. They are closely and
naturally interwoven. Because of that, if two countries have different cultures, there
will be a plenty of dissimilarities in the languages, indisputably and engrossingly.
This, for instant, happens when English and Vietnamese are taken into account.
However, it should be kept in mind that in reality, no culture is completely isolated
and separately unique. People of various cultures can sometimes share the same
ways of thinking and viewing in some matters. There are important resemblances
that stem in part from diffusion and in part from the fact that all cultures are built
around biological, psychological and social characteristics common to all mankind
( Li, 2005, p. 26). Universal concepts and similar points among cultures certainly
reflect in languages. That is to say, between two different languages, English and
Vietnamese for example, we can find some concepts or cases that are coincidentally
similar or even the same.
The Differences between British and Vietnamese Cultures
There are, in no uncertain terms, lots of differences between British and
Vietnamese cultures. When it comes to culture, its of paramount importance to make
reference to nature. Definitely, geographical features as well as climatic conditions
play a crucial role in the formation and development of culture, including its form of
economy, customs, values and even political institutions. Below are some major
points that should be kept in mind when contrasting the cultural features between the
two countries. Situated in Northwestern Europe, the United Kingdom (UK) includes
the island of Great Britain, the North Eastern part of the island of Ireland and some
other smaller islands. England is widely known as the largest and also the most
populous part of the island of Great Britain. Among many cultural regions, the

IDIOMS OF COMPARISON IN ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE

English culture is considered to be archetypal and often used to refer to the culture
of the whole country. As an island country, surrounded by sea, Britain generally has
varied, temperate climate. Its hard to know exactly what the weather will be like from
one day to another. In Britain, much of the land is utilized for human habitation.
Actually, there are not remarkably high mountains or forests. The navigable rivers,
although quite short and not very large, have served a significant role in the
transport system.
Vietnam, on the other hand, located in the South East of the Asian continent.
Its the largest and also most populous of the three Indochinese countries. Generally,
Vietnam is characterized by tropical monsoon type of climate. Although about three
quarters of its area are mountains and hills, Vietnam has vast and fertile plains with
alluvial soil banked up by many rivers and seas which are utilized for agriculture. In
Vietnam, there are many long and navigable rivers. The dense network of rivers,
lakes, streams and ponds is considered as the assets of this country, multiplying
Vietnams grandeur in many ways.
Vietnam is a multi-ethnic country with about fifty-four distinct groups. A
majority of its population still live in rural areas and small villages. In Britain,
conversely, over 90% of the population now dwells in towns or cities.
When comparing the two cultures, the most prominent thing to point out is that
the culture of Vietnam is primarily based on wet rice production. In Vietnam,
agriculture has always been of great importance in the economy. There are a plenty
of agriculture products, such as rice, fruits, ground-nut trees, vegetables, various
husbandry products and industrial trees. Vietnamese people usually raise and breed
buffaloes, pigs, poultry,...In fact, agriculture is intimately linked with aquaculture. On
the other hand, British people used to follow nomadic culture. Unlike the

IDIOMS OF COMPARISON IN ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE

Vietnamese, the British developed and invested in farming agriculture and industry
very early. Agriculture does not serve the most significant part in British economy.
The working population employed in agriculture is estimated at less than 3%.
Cereals, dairying of beef, cattle, poultry meat, eggs, are some principle agricultural
products in Britain. When it comes to husbandry, people often mention cows, cattle,
sheep, poultry, horses,
Its also necessary to take a cursory glance over the food and drink culture.
For Vietnamese people, rice is regarded as the basic of the meals. People use tea
as the traditional drink. On the other hand, in Britain, cereal and meat are staple in
their meals. British people use knives and forks instead of chopsticks (as
Vietnamese do) and generally drink lots of coffee.
To other Europeans, the British people, especially the English, are widely
known for their modesty, humour and sportsmanship. In addition, politeness is
believed to be a conspicuous characteristic of British society although on the whole,
their habits of politeness are very informal. English people are also perceived as
being reserved .They often keep certain distance to people they dont know, do not
talk much about themselves and do not have the habit of showing freely strong
emotions. The major and common religion in Britain is Christianity.
Taking about Vietnamese, the Oriental cultures and values are notably
different from those of the West. Vietnam has an age-old and wonderfully heroic
history. Through the history of thousands of years, to protect their country as well as
gain their independence and freedom, Vietnamese people courageously and
unyieldingly fought against lots of fierce enemies. Because of the profound influence
of Confucianism, proper form and appearance are very crucial to Vietnamese. With
its code of ethics and morals, Confucianism puts an emphasis on the society

IDIOMS OF COMPARISON IN ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE

hierarchy and accentuates the worship of ancestors. As a matter of fact, Oriental
culture, including that of Vietnam, has dignified Yin-Yang philosophy, which highlights
the perfect harmony between people with people as well as people with nature. In
Vietnam, Buddhism is the dominant religion besides some other ones. Generally
speaking, Vietnamese people are patriotic, hard-working, faithful, intrepid, modest
and self-controlled. As Nguyen, M. D (1985) stated, Vietnamese cherish and uphold
their ties with the past and their historical heritage of 4,000 years of civilization,
,Vietnamese prefer activities that develop the human essence, such as philosophy,
poetry and meditation. (p. 411).
To sum up, its undeniable that the two countries, Vietnam and Great Britain,
in general, do not share the same culture. The dissimilarities are especially
conspicuous when it comes to lifestyle and living condition. As we have discussed
above, culture has a significantly strong influence on language and language,
certainly, acts as a mirror reflecting most of the culture. Because of the lucid
differences between the two cultures, its indisputable that there will be lots of
interesting dissimilarities when we fathom and study the language units of English
and Vietnamese, especially idioms.
Idioms, Similes and Idioms of Comparison
Idioms.
Definitions of idioms. Each word certainly has its own meaning. However,
words do not just exist separately and individually, they, in fact, also come in groups
or expressions. Idioms can be said to be one of the most common expressions that
one must acquire if he/she wants to master a language. What is an idiom? Hornby
(1995) stated in his Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary that an idiom is a phrase
or sentence whose meaning is not clear from the meaning of its individual words and

IDIOMS OF COMPARISON IN ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE

which must be learnt as a whole unit. In Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary
(2006), Hornby changed the definition a little bit, noting that an idiom is a group of
words whose meaning is different from the meanings of the individual words. (p.
740). To put it in a simple way, an idiom is a phrase in which the words together have
a meaning that is somehow different from the dictionary definitions of the individual
words, which can make idioms arduous to understand. It should be kept in mind that
an idiom is differentiated from a collocation since a collocation is, according to Cruse
(1986), a sequence of lexical items which habitually co-occur and each lexical
constituent is also a semantic constituent." (p. 40).
The number of idioms in English is considerable. Some interesting examples
are: It was for the birds (means: Its is really meaningless and uninteresting), or to
bury the hatchet (to make peace), to call it a day (to stop doing something), to
paint the town red (to carouse and have a good time), ...
In Vietnamese, we also possess a lot of idioms, such as: Ngho rt mng ti
(Very poor, penniless); Chc gy bnh xe (to prevent someone from doing
something they have planned); cao chy xa bay (to flee, to run away); nm du
tay; cao chy xa bay ,..
Main features of idioms in English and Vietnamese. Idioms have some
remarkably special features. In this paper, lets examine the two most important
ones: semantic and structural features.
Semantic features. Vinogradow (1977) once cleverly likened the meaning of
an idiom to the special chemical mixture of the meaning of all the components,
which is, notably and completely new in quality. Just take an example to elucidate his
point: to give someone the slip, it would be inappropriate to translate every word
and understand the meaning literally (one has a slip and then he/she gives it to

IDIOMS OF COMPARISON IN ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE

another person). Actually, the meaning is to make a getaway, to escape from
some one. The idiom to take ones medicine (to accept, acquiesce something
unpleasant without complaining or protesting) is also a good example. Its meaning
can not be drawn out if we just base on the component words. No doubt, the real
meaning of the idiom is far different from that of the set phrase. That is to say, we
have to translate and interpret idioms figuratively and metaphorically. Its quite
puzzling to comprehend an very idiom despite the fact that we may know the
meanings of all their components.
However, not all idioms have their meaning completely differ from the
meaning of all their individual components. There are many idioms whose literal
meaning and figurative one are almost identical. This point was buttressed by Kunin,
A.V. (2006) when he said that the meaning of an idiom is either partly or completely
different from the meaning of all components. For example, give and take, as
busy as a bee, cat and dog life,We can, more or less, guess their meanings.
The case is also true in Vietnamese, we can take c nm trn tht (to take
great risk), con ng chu cha (born into a wealthy family, born with a silver spoon in
one's mouth) or n cho bt (to repay kindness with ingratitude) as examples.
Obviously, we can not interpret them literally but must perceive them as separate
semantic units which have figurative meanings, revealing the reflection of things and
concepts. However, there are also some idioms in Vietnamese which have literal
sense and their meanings can be deduced correctly from the components. To
illustrate this point, we have cng nh (as hard as a stone), p nh tranh (as
pretty as a picture), bm nh a i (to stick like a limpet), bn tn bn nghi (half
doubtful) or bch pht bch trng, .

IDIOMS OF COMPARISON IN ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE

Secondly, idioms can convey positive, neutral or negative meanings. When it
comes to positive meanings, we may take to have a heart of gold (to be a good and
honest person), to be in the pink (to be very healthy), the fruit of something
(meaning: the good and satisfactory result of an activity) or a lucky dog (a really
lucky person) as examples. Some examples of idioms with negative meanings are a
fair-weathered friend ( a friend who stays beside you in good times, but forgets
about you once things become difficult), to shed crocodile tears (to pretend, make
believe that one is weeping),...Some idioms such as in somebodys shoes (in ones
position), see something with half an eye (something very easy, effortless to see or
notice),are considered as idioms with neutral meanings. Interestingly, some idioms
can have both positive and negative meanings, such as to take advantage of. It can
mean to make use of an opportunity (positive meaning), or to exploit, to make use
of somebody or something in an dishonest way (negative meaning).
Structural features. Idioms are commonly said to be the set-expressions,
which means that we can not add, omit or freely substitute the components in an
idiom without adversely influenced its metaphorical meaning or even impairing it.
Another way to say, the components of idioms cant be varied or simply modified in
the way we often do with literal and normal expressions. This is true both in speaking
or writing, both in English and Vietnamese. For example: chut sa chnh go (to get
a windfall), c chu chim lng, chim sa c ln,..., or hit the hay (go to bed), bite
the buller (undergo a difficult, unpleasant situation), bury the hatchet (make
peace). Certainly, if we simply change them to hit the grass or bury the axe, they
are not idioms any more. In addition, we can not transform an idiom into passive
form, especially when its utilized in a full sentence.

IDIOMS OF COMPARISON IN ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE

Secondly, idioms can very differ at length. Thats irrefutably right, especially
when it comes to English idioms. We have many idioms which just have one or two
words, for example: lemon (something defective) or fishy (suspicious and
strange), horse around (play around), on ice (to set aside for future use),We
also have those idioms which are quite long, such as get up on the wrong side of
the bed (wake up in bad mood), or people who live in glass houses shouldnt throw
stones (one should not criticize or chide when he/she is equally at fault,
blameworthy),
Thirdly, its evident that idioms can take many forms as well as structures.
Take English ones into consideration, we have many idioms that are in the form of
noun phrases ( a new man, a lucky dog, crocodile tears, a bad apple, a storm
in a tea cup,..), verb phrases (keep something under ones hat, face the music,
bite the bullet,) or prepositional phrases ( in the hole, on ice, up ones
sleeve,..). Moreover, idioms can have regular structures (the ones whose meanings
we can not easily guess), irregular structures (those which have unconventional
forms but meanings can be deduced from the components) or sometimes,
grammatically incorrect structures. Typical examples of the last type are to go
through thick and thin, to be at large , or to be good friends with somebody,
They are widely accepted despise the improper structures.
All in all, from the points given above, its clear that although English idioms
and Vietnamese idioms may not totally similar here and there, the common ground is
that they are almost fixed and figurative expressions and operate as semantic units
which is definitely unchangeable. To make it succinct, they are notably special
because of their semantic unity, structural stability and metaphorical meanings.

IDIOMS OF COMPARISON IN ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE

Differences between idioms and proverbs.

Definitions of proverbs. Its necessary to spend some time distinguishing
idioms from proverbs. Although many people believe the boundary between them is
very weak and unclear, its indisputable that there should be some plausible and
significant points which can somehow tell them apart.
What is a proverb? According to Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary
(2006), a proverb is a well-known phrase or sentence that gives advice or says
something that is generally true. For example: Dont put all your eggs in one
basket, Waste not, want not, Vu Ngoc Phan (2000), particularly considered a
proverb as a complete saying expressing one idea of comment, experience,
morality, justice or criticism.(p. 39). Some Vietnamese proverbs are Ngt mt cht
rui, con c cha nh nh c nc, php vua thua l lng, no nn bt, i ra ma,

Similarities between idioms and proverbs. In no uncertain terms, we can find

some similarities between idioms and proverbs. Firstly, idioms and proverbs
conventionally employ language metaphorically. That is the reason why its arduous
to discover their true meanings just by looking up all the individual words in a
dictionary .
Not only idioms but also proverbs are set-expressions whose meanings
meanings can not be easily inferred from their components but must be understood
as a whole. Generally, we can not add, omit or replace any components of an idiom
or a proverb because that will inevitably result in unwanted changes in the meaning
of the whole group, making them lose their figurative meanings.

IDIOMS OF COMPARISON IN ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE

Moreover, idioms and proverbs are the fruit of humans thinking, cultures and
experiences accumulated from the processes of laborious working, discovering and
learning. Both of them are primarily passed along from generation to generation.
Differences between idioms and proverbs. There are some points that can
help us distinguish idioms from proverbs. Specifically, proverbs are short but popular
phrases or sentences which express a judgement, give useful advice or reveal a
moral or empirical truth about life. They are widely evaluated to have three major
functions: educational function, perceptive function and finally, aesthetic function.
Idioms, on the other hand, mainly have the functions of naming, depicting things,
properties or various phenomena,In general, they dont pass judgements, offer
advice or state the universal truth. Another way to say, idioms rarely have perceptive
and educational functions. In addition, we can differentiate proverbs from idioms by
examining their grammatical structures. While proverbs are complete phrases or
sentences that can convey a whole idea (for instant, Where there is a will, there is a
way), idioms are just phrases which serve as parts of sentences (eg, smell a rat,
on ice,). Actually, idioms are commensurate to words only.
In a nutshell, although proverbs and idioms have a lot of things in common,
they can be distinguished from each other when it comes to functions and structures.
Similes.
Definitions of similes. Among many figures of speech, similes appear to be
the simplest one. There are plenty of definitions of similes. According to Oxford
Advanced Learners Dictionary (2006), simile is (the use of) a word or phrase that
compares something to something else, using the words like or as. In American
Heritage College Dictionary (1997), simile is defined as a figure of speech in which

IDIOMS OF COMPARISON IN ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE

two essentially unlike things is explicitly compared, usually by means of like or as (p.
1270).
Those definitions above really help us to have certain knowledge of such an
interesting figure of speech. Generally, simile involves a clear comparison between
two unlike entities. The resemblance is usually indicated by the use of like, as or
than, for example: as white as snow, as cold as ice, as angry as a wasp, to
cry like a baby, life is like a journey,In Vietnamese, similes are found to make
use of the words nh, bng, ta, bng. There are ample examples for this,
such as p nh tin, xu nh ma, en nh than, trng nh tuyt, hc thy
khng ty hc bn, bao nhiu tc t tc vng by nhiu,.
Like numerous other types of figurative language, simile is regularly in written,
spoken as well as daily language. It indisputably makes language more vividly
symbolic and comprehensible. Just have a glance at some similes utilized in some
famous authors work. For example:
Death lies on her like an untimely frost. (Romeo and Juliet- Shakespeare)
Dawn breaks open like a wound that bleeds afresh (Wilfred Owen)
N ci ai trng nh pha l
Trng xo bn kia vng tri Phan Thit (Bch Kh)
Ting sui trong nh ting ht xa (Cnh khuya - H Ch Minh)
In everyday speech, everyone (of course including Vietnamese and English)
utilizes similes very frequently. Sometimes, in view of its popularity, we easily fail to
remember that we are using such a highly effective means of description. Simile is,
then, seemingly a valuable bridge between interlocutors.
In fact, there are many ways to classify similes, but the easiest way may be
the one that splits similes into two categories: explicit similes and implicit ones. The

IDIOMS OF COMPARISON IN ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE

explicit similes are those which utilize the function word as to make comparison.
(for example: as harmless as a dove). On the other hand, an implicit simile is the
one making use of the word like to form the comparison ( to sleep like a baby).
A simile may seem to be nearly similar to a metaphor, yet they are different in
some ways. Though both of them compare one object with another, while a
metaphor only makes implicit comparison (eg, He is a lion), a simile can especially
make the it explicit and open (eg, He is as brave as a lion).
Main features of similes. Its easy to see that in a simile, an object is
explicitly or implicitly compared with another and they are connected by the words
like, as, nh, or bng,.The interesting point is that those objects compared in
a similes normally dont belong to the same semantic class. Another way to say,
they are conventionally incomparable. For instance, a person can be brought into
comparison with an animal or a thing. The linchpin lies in the fact that all similes
require a shared feature for the things that participate in forming the comparison.
Below is some illustrative examples:
John is as greedy as a pig.
Obviously, John and a pig do not belong to the same semantic group as one
is human while the other is an animal. But as John is greedy and so is a pig, there
emerges a point of similary which can link them together. Thats the shared element
between the two.
In the simile Mary swims like a fish, the action of swimming of a woman is
graphically compared with that of a fish. Since Mary swims very well and a fish is, of
course, excellent at swimming in the water, there appears a shared element that
makes the comparison plausible and meaningful.

IDIOMS OF COMPARISON IN ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE

From the analysis above, we can come to a conclusion that a simile consists
of three necessary factors. They are: topic (the thing that is being talked about),
image (the thing that is compared) and significantly, the point of similarity. As in the
example John is as greedy as a pig, John is the topic, the pig is, clearly, the
image and to be greedy is the point of similarity connecting the topic and image
together.
Foundation of similes. As mentioned above, there is no altercation about
the fact that a simile needs a shared element for the two objects compared.
Similarity in character between the objects that involve in the comparison is
considered to be the foundation of simile. Such similarities are usually found in
quality, appearance and behaviour or demeanor. The quality can be interpreted as
good, bad, cool, hot, cold, cunning, gentle,For example: as cold as ice or lnh
nh bng in Vietnamese. Similarities in appearance can be that of shape,
measurement of the identities and even color (white, red, black,). We have as
black as crow in English or en nh qu, nh mu in Vietnamese. We have
lots of similes when it comes to similarities in behaviour or actions such as to swim
like a fish, to fight like a lion, run like a cheetah, cry like a baby, ni nh so,
khc nh ma,.
Idioms of comparison.
Definition. As we can see, similes are used very popularly and brilliantly in
lots of aspects and various fields in our life. We can catch sight of them very often
in daily language, spoken language as well as in written one, especially literature
(including prose, poetry, folksongs,). Similes really help the hearers or readers
experience, imagine the intense and graphic pictures or emotions. Utilizing similes in
an effective way makes the language vividly to the point, resulting in successful

IDIOMS OF COMPARISON IN ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE

and competent communication. Interestingly, we can also find similes in idioms and
proverbs with metaphorical meanings. Specifically, idioms with similes are called
idioms of comparison or sometimes, comparative idioms. In fact, there is a large
number of idioms of comparisons in both English and Vietnamese. Some good
examples are: as fair as a rose, as poor as a church mouse, as slow as a snail,
as pretty as a picture, as sharp as a razor, to cry like a baby, to shake like a
leaf, In Vietnamese, we have cng nh , p nh tin, d nh tr bn tay,
to nh voi, r nh bo, run nh cy sy,
Features of comparative idioms. Idioms of comparison have many features
that are the same as those of idioms and similes. Firstly, a comparative idiom can be
considered to be a fixed group of words including a comparison with figurative,
symbolic meaning. It should be kept in mind that idioms of comparison are similes,
but not all similes are comparative idioms. Secondly, although they are idioms with
figurative images, its not strenuous to figure out their meanings through the
components. For instant, its extremely easy to understand these idioms of
comparison: as cold as ice (very cold, frigid), as busy as a bee (very busy, up to
the neck with work), vui nh tt ( very merry, happy, cheery), chy nh ma ui
(run very fast),
Identification of idioms of comparison. There are a few ways to identify
idioms of comparison. Below are two seemingly common ways: Identification based
on component words or phrases and based on structures, more specifically,
grammatical structures.
Based on component words and phrases. We have three smaller cases:
+ Comparisons with adjectives:
AS + Adjective + AS + (a/an/the) +Noun

IDIOMS OF COMPARISON IN ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE

For instant:

As black as midnight
As bold as a lion (very brave, courageous)
As changeable as the weather / the moon
As clear as the nose on your face (obvious and very clear)
As dry as a stick
As easy as ABC
As dumb as a fish
As innocent as a dove
As loud as thunder
As merry as a cricket
As sour as vinegar

Its beyond doubt that the point of similarity is stated out very explicitly and
lucidly. When it comes to Vietnamese, we also have this case, in stead of using
asas we usually make use of nh, for example: en nh mc, ti nh
hoa, nht nh nc c, nh nh lng hng, d nh qu,
+ Comparisons with verbs:
Verb + LIKE + a/an/the + Noun

This kind of comparison is said to be implicit, yet its not hard to interpret the
meaning of the whole comparative idioms. With simple and common verbs used in
the structure, the users draw attention to the actions or demeanor of the subjects. Its
not arduous to find comparative idioms of this kind both in English and Vietnamese.
For example: to sleep like a log, to smoke like a chimney, to spend money like

IDIOMS OF COMPARISON IN ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE

water, to sell/go like hot cakes, n nh mo, khc nh ma, run nh cy
sy,..
+ Miscellaneous comparisons
(Verb) + LIKE/ AS + clause (S +V+)
(Verb) + LIKE/ AS + noun phrase
(Verb) + LIKE/ AS + verb phrase

Examples of this are not as abundant as those of the other kinds; however,
they are employed very often in reality, such as: to be like a bull in a china shop,
to have a memory like an elephant, (to go) at a snails pace, nh hn gp ma
ro, tin vo nh kh nh gi vo nh trng, n nh rng cun, ni nh rng leo,
lm nh mo ma, bo nh chim ra rng,
There is another way to classify idioms of comparison which mainly bases on
grammatical structure. As mentioned in A study on metaphor and simile in English
idioms and Vietnamese equivalents ( Dang, 2010, p. 47), if we follow this way of
classification, there emerges three main cases:
English idioms

Vietnamese idioms

+As A as B

A nh B

Ex: as black as coal

Ex: en nh than

+Like/as B

nh B

Ex: Like two peas in a pod

Ex: nh hai git nc

+C like/as B

C nh B

Ex: To eat like a pig

Ex: n nh ln

IDIOMS OF COMPARISON IN ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE

IDIOMS OF COMPARISON IN ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE

Idioms of Comparison in English and Vietnamese: Contrastive Analysis
Similarities of Idioms of Comparison in English and Vietnamese
The general features. Whether in English and Vietnamese, idioms of
comparison have been considered to be a very engrossing topic which has intrigued
lots linguists.The number of this kind of idioms are comparatively large in both
English and Vietnamese. In estimation, there are approximately 700 of them in each
language. Comparative idioms are utilized very often in daily life, both in spoken and
written language. Generally they have structural stability. With figurative and
symbolic meanings, they add vividness, emotions, emphasis and life to the
language, making every conversation more exciting and engaging. Moreover,
through idioms of comparison, a considerable amount of culture of each country is
graciously and truthfully revealed, helping us understand a lot more about the
lifestyles and viewpoints of those people who live far way from us.
Coincidences in translation. As we have discussed in the previous parts, no
culture is completely isolated and unique. People of various cultures can sometimes
share the same ways of thinking and viewing in some matters. That may result in the
shared biological and cultural features which are usually referred as biological and
cultural universals. Thats to say, although Vietnamese culture and English culture
are remarkably different from each other, there still exists some cases in which the
ways of observing the world of the two peoples are so similar. Vietnamese people
and English people can at times express concepts and ideas in the same ways. That
reflects in language and also in idioms of comparison. In fact, many comparative
idioms in English have the exact equivalents in Vietnamese. Below are some
examples illustrating for those interesting coincidences:
Ex: Idioms of comparison in:

IDIOMS OF COMPARISON IN ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE

English

Vietnamese

As black as coal

en nh than

As black as crow

en nh qu

As bright as day

Sng nh ban ngy

As brief as a dream

Ngn nh mt gic mng

As brilliant as stars

Sng nh sao

As cold as ice

Lnh nh /bng

As fierce as a tiger

D nh cp

As firm as rock

Vng nh

As fleet as the wind

Nhanh nh gi

As fresh a rose

Ti nh hoa

As green as a leaf

Xanh nh tu l

As heavy as an elephant

Nng nh voi

As hard as a stone

Cng nh

As heavy as lead

Nng nh ch

As hot as fire

Nng nh la

As keen as a razor

Sc nh dao

As light as down

Nh nh lng hng

As light as a feather

Nh nh lng hng

As pretty as a picture

p nh tranh

As quick as lightning

Nhanh nh chp

As red as blood

nh mu

As sharp as a razor

Sc nh dao co

As sour as vinegar

Chua nh gim

As stink as a polecat

Hi nh chn

IDIOMS OF COMPARISON IN ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE

-

As swift as lightning

Nhanh nh chp

As smooth as velvet

Mt nh nhung

As slow as a snail

Chm nh c sn

As swift as an arrow

Nhanh nh tn bn

As steady as rock

Cng nh

As timid as a hare

Nht nh th

As thick as ants

Nhiu/ng nh kin

As transparent as glass

Trong sut nh thy tinh

As yellow as saffron

Vng nh ngh

As wet as a drowned mouse

t nh chut lt

As white as snow

Trng nh tuyt

As white as a sheet

Nh t giy trng

To fight like cat and dog

To stick like a leech

To cry like a baby

To follow like a shadow

Theo nh hnh vi bng

To stick like glue

Dnh nh keo

To swim like a fish

Bi nh c

Nh ch vi mo
Bm dai nh a
Khc nh a tr

.
As we can see, there are lots of English idioms of comparison which have
exact equivalents in Vietnamese language concerning not only meaning but also
vocabulary. In no uncertain terms, such coincident cases somehow make translation
a little bit easier.

IDIOMS OF COMPARISON IN ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE

Dissimilarities of Idioms of Comparison in English and Vietnamese
As we have discussed in part I, culture always has a huge amount of influence
on language, which is, on its part, much like a mirror truthfully reflecting most of
culture. English and Vietnamese cultures are not comparatively the same. In fact,
there are lots of dissimilarities between them. Differences in culture indubitably entail
differences in language, including idioms of comparison.
Images compared are different but the same meanings. We can find lots
of English and Vietnamese idioms of comparison which have similar meanings but
utilize different comparative images. Difference in culture is the major explanation.
Its been clarified that Vietnamese people have an age-old tradition of wet-rice
cultivation. Since idioms as well as idioms of comparison are generally product of
labouring people through the process of working, discovering and creating, they also
carry with them the traces of wet-rice agriculture. In everyday life, Vietnamese
people usually have to do with different tools and animals that effectively serve their
farming. Consequently and easy to understand, when making and using comparative
idioms, they often take those familiar things into comparison.
For instant, the image of buffaloes was especially familiar to Vietnamese in
the past. As a strong, laborious, amenable domesticated animal, buffaloes are
considered to be good companions of farmers and sometimes, an indication of
personal wealth. Year by year, they plough paddy fields and work very hard to assist
farmers effectively. The image of a buffalo tender sitting on a buffalos black back
and happily fluting in a breezy afternoon has become symbolic of a peaceful and
idyllic rural life. For Vietnamese people, buffalo is a symbol of strength, toil and
diligence. Thats the reason why when mentioning someone who is very muscular
and robust, Vietnamese people usually say khe nh tru. Besides that, we also

IDIOMS OF COMPARISON IN ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE

have cc nh tru, en nh tru,The image of buffaloes or tru can also be
found is many folksongs, sayings and proverbs, such as Con tru l u c nghip;
Tru khe chng lo cy tra; Tru i ta bo tru ny, tru n no c tru cy vi ta,
.
On the other hand, when talking about strength, English people, with nomadic
culture, usually say as strong as a horse. Its because that horse is much more
familiar, intimate to them. In English culture, horses are such versatile and special
animals. Being very strong, loyal and vigorous, they are used in wars, fighting, in
transportation and entertainment and even in farming work. If a person is really
sturdy and energetic, he should be likened to a horse.
Certainly, that English people use horses in comparative idioms does not
mean that buffaloes are not strong in their mind. Its just because of differences in
culture that often lead to dissimilarities in language.
Similarly, take as gentle as a lamb and hin nh c khoai into
consideration. As a matter of fact, lamb is far more familiar to English people than its
to Vietnamese people. Conversely, khoai (sweet potatoes) which are cultivated and
used as a kind of food, is one common product of every Vietnamese family.
In addition, the image of dragon is very powerful, distinct, vivid and even
sacred in Vietnamese peoples imagination. The comparison n nh rng cun is
utilized to indicate someone who eats very fast and devours a large amount of food.
On the other hand, for English people, when talking about big appetite, they would
like to mention the horse, as in to eat like a horse.
There are many other cases in which English and Vietnamese idioms, despite
having similar meaning, use different images of comparison. Below are some
illustrations:

IDIOMS OF COMPARISON IN ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE

English comparative idioms

Vietnamse comparative idioms

As dumb as a statue

Cm nh hn

As easy as ABC

D nh tr bn tay

As easy as pie

D nh tr bn tay

As easy as anything

D nh tr bn tay

As smooth as butter

Mt nh nhung

As round as a barrel

Trn nh qu bng

As pale as a ghost

Xanh nh tu l

As soft as wax

Mm nh bn

As merry as a cricket

Vui nh tt

As cheerful as the birds

Vui nh tt

As glad as a fly

Vui nh tt

As dark as midnight

Ti nh m ba mi

As lazy as a lizard

Li nh hi

As strong as a horse

Khe nh tru

As red as lipstick

nh gc

As close as herrings

Cht nh nm

As soundly as a log

Say nh cht (ng)

As cold as marble

Lnh nh tin

As cold as ice

Lnh nh tin

As dry as a bone

Kh nh ngi

As silent as the dead

Im lng nh t

As thin as finger

Gy nh b xng

As weak as a kitten

Yu nh sn

IDIOMS OF COMPARISON IN ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE

As black as the ace of spades

en nh ct nh chy

Like hot cake

t nh tm ti (bun bn)

..
Those dissimilarities are the inevitable result of different cultures, living
condition as well as ways of thinking, observing and interpreting the world. As we
can see, some concepts are obviously distinct in a certain region or culture, which
makes it easier to explain the unlikeness in language and particularly, in idioms. For
instant, in old days, ice, ABC, butter, are quite strange to Vietnamese people just
as bn, mng ti, hn, ngi, gc, tru, nhung, to people in England. This should
be paid attention when it comes to translation and teaching.
Same images of comparison but different meanings. People of different
culture can have different points of view. Some objects, animals or phenomena
sometimes can be found in both nations, both cultures, but they can be associated
with positive meanings in one culture and negative meanings in the other. That easily
explains why there are many idioms of comparison which have the same
comparative images but express different meanings in English and Vietnamese.
An excellent example is as good as gold. In English, this comparative idiom
is usually used to indicate a child or an adult who is well-behaved, decorous and
very disciplined. Differently, Vietnamese people often say Tt nh vng to mention
a thing or object which has very good quality . In fact, nobody would use tt nh
vng to talk about a person.
Another illustration is as bright as day and r nh ban ngy. In reality,
English people as bright as day to describe the good, sunshiny and cloudless
surroundings, ambience or a room which is well-ventilated and full of light. On the
other hand, Vietnamese people say r nh ban ngy to emphasize an affair which

IDIOMS OF COMPARISON IN ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE

is unsuspicious, convincing and clear (eg: Vic r nh ban ngy ri cn g). In
addition, chc nh inh ng ct is a very commonly used comparative idiom
which depicts something unchangeable, steadfast. Interestingly, in English, as hard
as nail often indicates a very strict person.
Comparative idioms with images of well-known persons. One interesting
and noteworthy point is that people often liken certain human characteristics,
qualities (whether good or bad) or appearances to those of well-known persons that
used to exist in Literature or History of their country. Distinctly, each culture, each
nation has its own characters. For example, Vietnamese people are all familiar with
Cui, Hon Th, Bt, cha Chm just as English people with Othello,
Croesus, Larry, Adam, Lazarus, Trojan,Because of that fact, each place
has very typical and unique phrases as well as comparative idioms.
In Vietnamese, when talking about someone who lies to others deftly and very
often and we have Ni di nh Cui since according to a famous anecdote, Cui
is an expert at pretending and telling lies. Another example is N nh cha Chm,
which is utilized to indicate somebody who is over head and ear in debt. According to
classic reference, Cha Chm is a person who was deeply in debt before he
became a King. Then he didnt know to whom he owed money and how to pay them
all, so he had to exempt everyone from tax for one year. There are many other
examples: Vng nh cha b anh (deserted, unvisited, empty); Ghen nh Hon
Th (bitterly and insanely jealous, green with envy), Sng nh tin ( very happy,
ecstatic); Hin nh bt ( very gentle, benign, willing to help); a nghi nh To
Tho,Similarly, in English, we can see many examples. One typical example is
as rich as Croesus. Croesus was an extremely wealthy king. He was so rich and
generous that his guests were all given the permission to take as much gold as they

IDIOMS OF COMPARISON IN ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE

could on their leaving. Besides that, we have as old as Adam; as poor as Lazarus;
as jealous as Othello; as happy as Larry; to work like Trojan ( The Trojan are
said to be laborious and hard-working people),
When taking about a furiously jealous person, Vietnamese people use ghen
nh Hon Th ( a character in Truyen Kieu) while in English, people will remember
the idiom as jealous as Othello ( a famous character in Shakespeares drama).
Certainly, the image of comparison is different but we have the same indication and
meaning. Moreover, for depicting the state of happiness and great fortune,
Vietnamese people usually use sng nh tin while it would be as happy as a
king in English language. Actually, tin or bt are powerful and benevolent ones
created by the imagination of the poor and weak people who wish to be helped and
have a better life. As we can see, when talking about happiness, English people use
a concrete, real image king who is a person having the highest status and power in
society. In contrast, Vietnamese people tend to think of tin (fairy) which is an
imaginative image.
In no uncertain terms, using idioms of comparison with images of well-known
persons is a good and even impressing way to convey an idea. However, for every
culture has its unique images, it is arduous for foreigners or language learners to
fully and correctly interpret and understand them.
The same animal images with different connotations and meanings. It
would be very exciting to spend some time taking animal images into account. In
fact, animals can be a viewed as good or bad, sacred or low in different cultures.
Because of that, the same animal image can be put in to comparison with different
meanings and indications in English and Vietnamese. Take owl as an illustrative
example, in Asian culture, particularly in Vietnam, owl is seen as a dirty, smelly or

IDIOMS OF COMPARISON IN ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE

mephitic animal and it is often associated with uncleanliness. Thats the reason why
we have the comparative idiom hi nh c.Conversely, in English culture, people
often say as wise as an owl. Obviously, the owl is viewed as a symbol of wisdom,
shrewdness or reverent sagacity. Another example is that Vietnamese people
frequently liken somebody dull, obtuse to a pig (heo) or a cow/ox (b), as in ngu
nh b, ngu nh heo,while in English people like to say as stupid as a donkey
or as stupid as an ass.
To sum up, its because of differences in culture and viewpoints that cause a
lot of interesting dissimilaries in language in general and in idioms of comparison in
particular. Obviously, by examining, pondering and comparing the images of
comparion in idioms of different languages, we can know a lot of things. Its true that
the images of comparison often take along with them the national or regional
identities which can not be totally confounded.

IDIOMS OF COMPARISON IN ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE

Solutions for Better Translation and Some Teaching Implications

Having examined some riveting and noteworthy similarities as well as
differences between English and Vietnamese idioms of comparison, here comes
some implications, suggestions that may be especially useful for language teachers
and those who work on translation.
Implications for Translation
As we can see, although idioms of comparison are just a small part of
language, there are lots of things for us to pay attention. Besides some certain
similarities, coincidences which make translation a bit easier, idioms of comparison
in English and those in Vietnamese have many striking dissimilarities. The same
comparative images can lead to different meanings and vice versa, the same
meanings can be expressed by various images. Human-related components in
comparative idioms which carry with them distinct and national identities are also
daunting impediments to interpretation and translation. Obviously, we can not
translate Harry is as good as gold today into Vietnamese as Hm nay, Harry tt
nh vng vy. Its just not right and meaningless to Vietnamese people. Similarly,
as easy as ABC shouldnt be translated as d nh l ABC or as strong as a
horse as khe nh nga ,Those clumsy and unnatural translations need to be
avoided at all cost. To make better translations, especially when it comes to idioms of
comparison, there are some points that should be taken into consideration.
Firstly, since each country has its own culture and differences in language are
usually caused by unalike cultures, a translator need to keep in mind that a good
understanding of culture is a must if he/she wants to make proper translation.
Mastering other cultures is indisputably strenuous and time-consuming. In fact, the

IDIOMS OF COMPARISON IN ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE

most important thing is that we should foster a general and keen awareness of
cultural differences, which will in some ways help us to avoid such unnatural and
maladroit translating works and improve ourselves in translation.
Additionally, encountering some unfamiliar concepts, exceptionally different
viewpoints or some idioms as well as expressions that appear hard to understand is
something we cant help shunning in translation. Its of paramount significance to
have an open-minded view to accept the thought and belief of oversea people, to
feel what they feel and to say what they say. Its also necessary to think twice and
base on the context, the circumstances or the situations in order to deduce, render
the exact meanings. Never should we firmly cling to word-by-word translation,
especially when it comes to idioms since they are separate semantic units whose
meanings generally can not be elucidated by translating all of the component words.
Moreover, we need to be flexible when translating. In many cases, a translator has to
carefully make a decision on whether he/she should keep the literal denotation or
change it if necessary to make better and the most satisfactory translations.
Last but not least, idioms as well as idioms of comparison can be seen as a
hugely intriguing and challenging part in language. In fact, they are utilized very
frequently and effectively not only in spoken but also in written forms. Thus, to
develop or advance translation ability, one should spend time investigating and
enhancing his/her knowledge of idioms, especially paying close attention to those
remarkably noteworthy dissimilarities resulting from different languages and cultures.
The more properly one can translate idiomatic expressions and structures, the better
he/she is as a skilful and competent translator.

IDIOMS OF COMPARISON IN ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE

Implications for Language Teaching
Its clear that in many cases, to learn a foreign language effectively, one
should have good knowledge of his/her own mother tongue. Therefore, ameliorating
native languages competence of students is such a significant thing to do. However,
knowledge of the first language can sometimes interfere with the foreign language
acquisition of students. In reality, they tend to make generalization or translate
language items word by word from their mother tongue into the target language
without sufficient understanding and awareness of the dissimilarities between them,
which often results in misinterpretation and clumsy rendering. Moreover, as a matter
of fact, especially when it comes to idioms and idioms of comparison, differences in
culture viewpoints as well as concepts usually cause considerable difficulties in
learning and hinder students understanding. Therefore, besides teaching linguistic
knowledge, which is always necessary, teachers should equip students with
general understanding of culture in the target language-speaking country. Moreover,
its of paramount importance to regularly raise students awareness of the cultural
and social dissimilarities between the two languages and nations.
In language teaching, its essential to pay attention to idioms of comparison
and similes as they can be utilized to better students language, kindle their creativity
and create funny, interesting activities as well as add humor to the lessons. Using
comparative idioms in teaching grammar (comparison, for instant) will surely make
grammar periods more exciting, intriguing and easier to understand. It can even
foster students vocabulary as well as structures.
Actually, learning idioms and idioms of comparison is very important step on
the arduous road to master English. Beyond doubt, teachers should help students to
acquire idioms, especially comparative ones so that they can confidently and

IDIOMS OF COMPARISON IN ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE

properly utilize them in the learning process as well as in daily life. When it comes to
teaching idioms of comparison, there are some key points that should be taken into
consideration. Firstly, teachers need to draw students attention and increase their
awareness of the similarities and differences between Vietnamese and English
idioms of comparison. Its advisable to teach exactly identical comparative idioms
first, then move on to those which are quite similar and lastly, different ones. For
each idiom, teachers should let students guess, then find the differences (if there are
any) and try explaining. That way of teaching will enhance students knowledge,
interest and help them have a better memorization. Secondly, because the number
of idioms of comparison in both English and Vietnamese is very enormous, we can
not teach students all, it is necessary to choose the appropriate ones to present,
especially those comparative idioms which are frequently utilized in English and do
not contain puzzling problems with grammatical structures or so enigmatic
vocabulary. Thirdly, to make it easier for the learning of idioms, teachers can divide,
classify them into many distinct categories, for example: comparative idioms with
verbs and those with adjectives, or idioms concerning appearance, quality, actions,

Besides the teaching of idioms of comparison, we need to encourage students

to use them in conversations as well as in writing. Teachers should be the ones who
do that first. With figurative and symbolic meanings, idioms and comparative idioms,
as we have discussed above, usually add vividness, emphasis and life to the
language, making every conversation more exciting and engaging.

IDIOMS OF COMPARISON IN ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE

Conclusion
Culture has an especially strong influence on language which on its part,
faithfully and remarkably acts as a mirror reflecting culture. There are lots of
similarities and dissimilarities between English and Vietnamese comparative idioms
which mainly result from cultural differences. The same comparative images can
sometimes lead to different meanings and vice versa, the same meanings can be
expressed by various images. Investigating idioms of comparison in the two
languages actually help to harvest a lot of useful things, some of which are the
increase in knowledge of idioms, the more understanding of culture and the
improvement of researching as well as language contrasting skills. Moreover, after
the study, there also emerges many good points that can be feasibly applied in
language teaching and translation.

IDIOMS OF COMPARISON IN ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE

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