INTRODUCTION
RATIONALE FOR THE STUDY
Language is essential for expressing a country's culture, customs, and beliefs, making it the soul of the nation To truly explore and understand a country, proficiency in its language is crucial However, learners often encounter challenges, particularly with idioms and proverbs, which reflect cultural characteristics and enrich the language Mastering these elements not only enhances language skills but also deepens our connection to the essence of the culture.
Idioms and proverbs are prevalent in various forms of communication, yet understanding and using them, particularly those related to "face," can be challenging Studying these expressions is beneficial for language learners, as it enhances their ability to use language naturally Despite the interest in idioms and proverbs, there is a lack of research on those concerning face at the Vietnam National University of Agricultural This gap prompted my BA thesis titled "A study on English idioms and proverbs concerning face with reference to the Vietnamese equivalents." The aim of this study is to assist multilingual communicators, including Vietnamese learners of English and foreigners learning Vietnamese, in improving their comprehension and effective use of idioms and proverbs, while minimizing translation errors.
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The study is aimed at finding the similarities and differences between English and Vietnamese idioms and proverbs concerning face in terms of the syntactic and semantic features
- Describing the syntactic and semantic features of IPCF in English and Vietnamese
- Comparing and contrasting syntactic and semantic features of IPCF in English with reference to the Vietnamese equivalents.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1 What are the syntactic and semantic features of IPCF in English and Vietnamese?
2 What are the similarities and differences between English and Vietnamese IPCF in terms of the syntactic and semantic features?
SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The study primarily examines the English and Vietnamese Idiomatic Phrases Containing Face (IPCF) found in various dictionaries of both languages It highlights English IPCF that include terms like "eye," "ear," "face," "cheek," "chin," "lip," "mouth," and "nose," alongside Vietnamese IPCF featuring words such as "mắt," "tai," "mặt," "má," and "cằm."
"môi", "miệng/mồm" are considered Data source is from idioms and proverbs dictionary in English and Vietnamese like Oxford Dictionary of Idioms (Judith
Siefring, 2004), Cambridge International Dictionary of Idioms (Cambridge
University Press, 1988), Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs (John Simpson, Jennifer Speake, 2003) and Từ điển thành ngữ tục ngữ Việt Nam (Nguyễn Lân, 2016).
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
This study aims to provide valuable insights for English teachers, learners, and translators in understanding and utilizing idioms and proverbs, particularly IPCF By enhancing their fluency in IPCF, the study will facilitate more effective communication and comprehension.
3 naturally, but also avoid common mistakes in teaching and learning and especially in the translation process.
DESIGN OF THE STUDY
For a logical structure, my graduation paper is divided into three main parts:
PART 1 - INTRODUCTION presents rationale of the study, aims and objectives of the study, research questions, scope of the study, significance of the study and design of the study to help readers have an overview of the study.
DEVELOPMENT
Chapter 1 - Literature Review presents a comprehensive examination of prior research both domestically and internationally, alongside the theoretical framework relevant to the study's topic It includes definitions of idioms and proverbs, particularly those related to the concept of "face," an overview of their structural characteristics, and a comparative analysis of face idioms and proverbs in English and Vietnamese, culminating in a summary of the findings.
CHAPTER 2 - METHODOLOGY gives three methods that are used in this study including statistical method, analytical method, comparison-contrastive method
CHAPTER 3 - FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION reports and discusses the findings of the study
In conclusion, this study addresses key issues and highlights its implications while acknowledging unresolved limitations It also offers recommendations for future research to further explore these topics.
LITERATURE REVIEW
REVIEW OF THE PREVIOUS STUDIES
During the past decades, there has been a lot of research by linguists studying idioms and proverbs
Research on English idioms and proverbs related to human body parts is extensive A notable study is "Body Parts Idioms: A Cross-Cultural Significance" by Lina Laith Younis, conducted at Baghdad College of Education for Women in 2009 This research aimed to investigate the syntactic relevance of body part idioms for Iraqi learners of English as a foreign language However, a significant limitation of the study was that half of the participants struggled to correctly interpret and use these idioms in context.
In 2013, Martina Němcová conducted a study at Masaryk University Brno titled "Comparative Analysis of English and French Body Idioms," which examines a selected group of idioms related to the body organs: hand, head, and foot However, the study has limitations, including a restricted number of idioms and a lack of focus on the cultural differences between the two languages Similarly, research on Vietnamese idioms and proverbs is abundant, with notable works such as Nguyen Thi Thu Huong's 2019 study at Haiphong Private University, which aims to clarify the meanings of English idiomatic expressions related to body parts and assist learners in using them appropriately in various contexts.
Another study also related to the English idiom of human body parts is the study
The research article titled "The Use of English Idioms Related to Parts of the Human Body by Third-Year Students at the Faculty of English, Hanoi Open University" by Dang Thuy Duong, conducted in 2015, investigates the common errors made by third-year students in their use of English idioms The study aims to identify the challenges these students face when incorporating idiomatic expressions related to human anatomy into their language use.
This article explores five idioms that reference human body parts, offering solutions to assist third-year students in overcoming common errors By understanding and effectively using these idioms, students can enhance their English language skills and communicate more fluently The focus is on practical applications of these expressions to improve both comprehension and usage in everyday conversations.
In 2019, Nguyen Thu Hanh and Nguyen Tien Long conducted a study titled "English Idioms Containing Human-Body Parts and Their Vietnamese Equivalents: A Case Study of Two English Novels and Their Vietnamese Translation Versions." This research examines the semantic and syntactic characteristics of idioms featuring human body parts in the English novels "The Godfather" and "To Kill A Mockingbird," along with their Vietnamese translations The findings highlight both equivalent and non-equivalent references of idioms related to human body parts in the analyzed texts.
There is a scarcity of research papers that focus on English and Vietnamese IPCF in both languages This gap motivates my in-depth study of English IPCF, comparing it with Vietnamese equivalents to explore the similarities and differences in their syntactic and semantic features.
REVIEW OF THEORETICAL BACKGROUND
Makkai (1972) defines idioms as polylexonic lexemes composed of multiple minimal free forms of words, where each lexeme can also appear in different contexts as a realization of a monoloxonic lexeme.
Some researchers such as Michael McCarthy Felicity O‘Dell, writers of English
Idioms In use (2017) considers idioms as expressions which have meaning that is not obvious from the individual words
According to A.N.C Odu's study (2009, p 9), idioms are unique expressions specific to a language, making literal translation into other languages typically unfeasible.
According to Hoang Van Hanh (2004), idioms are fixed and stable phrases that possess complete and nuanced meanings, and they are widely utilized in everyday communication, particularly in spoken language.
According to Vu Ngoc Phan (2005, p 27 and 28), an idiom is a familiar component of a sentence that is widely recognized, yet it does not convey a complete thought on its own.
According to the Vietnamese Dictionary (2002, p 915), idioms are described as a collection of commonly used fixed expressions whose meanings are often not easily understood through the individual meanings of the words that compose them.
This study defines idioms as expressions whose meanings are not immediately clear from the individual words, following the definition proposed by O'Dell (2017).
Proverbs are timeless expressions of wisdom and cultural values, as noted by Mieder (1993, p 5), who defines a proverb as a concise, widely recognized statement that encapsulates truth, morals, and traditional beliefs in a memorable and metaphorical way, passed down through generations.
Moreover, according to Galperin I.R (1971, p 179), proverbs are defined as
"brief statements showing in condensed form the accumulated life experience of the community and serving as conventional practical symbols for abstract ideas They are usually didactic and image bearing"
In Vietnamese, according to Từ điển tiếng Việt (Hoàng Phê, 2002, p 1062),
Proverbs are concise, often rhymed expressions that encapsulate the wisdom, life experiences, and practical ethics of a community.
According to Vu Ngoc Phan (2005, p 27), a proverb is a complete sentence that conveys an idea, observation, experience, moral, truth, or even criticism.
This study defines a proverb as a concise and widely recognized expression that encapsulates wisdom, truth, morals, and traditional beliefs in a metaphorical and memorable format, as proposed by Mieder (1993) Proverbs are passed down through generations, reflecting the collective knowledge and values of a culture.
1.2.3 Overview of structures of idioms and proverbs in English and Vietnamese
Idioms and proverbs are distinct linguistic units, yet both are fixed expressions whose meanings cannot be derived simply from the meanings of their individual components This study will utilize the term "idioms and proverbs" to examine their syntactic features, including phrase and sentence structures, as well as their semantic features, such as figures of speech and semantic fields.
According to Hornby (2010), phrase is a small group of words (usually without a finite verb) that together have a particular meaning and that typically form part of a sentence
This study analyses syntactic features of idioms in English and Vietnamese that function as a noun phrase, verb phrase, adjective phrase, adverb phrase and prepositional phrase in a sentence
A noun phrase is centered around a head, which can be a noun, pronoun, nominal adjective, or numeral, as noted by Greenbaum (1996) This head can be accompanied by one or more determiners and can also be enhanced by various premodifiers and postmodifiers.
Ex 1: "We've had a fantastic response!" he said, grinning from ear to ear
Meaning: to look extremely happy
Ex 2: Cô ta trở nên nghèo khổ vì chỉ ăn chơi mà không chịu làm gì cả Đúng là miệng ăn núi lở
Meaning: to describe a person who only eats but does not work b Verb phrases
According to Greenbaum (1996), a verb phrase has as its head a main (or lexical) verb The main verb may be preceded by up to four auxiliaries (or auxiliary verbs)
Ex 3: I took the offer at face value I didn't think they might be trying to trick me
Meaning: to accept something as it appears to be rather than studying it more closely
Ex 4: Tôi quý anh Hai là bậc can trường, nên mới dám chọn mặt gửi vàng
Meaning: to choose a trusted person to give the important, the precious c Adjective phrases
Greenbaum (1996) also defines an adjective phrase as a phrase that has as its head an adjective, which may be preceded by premodifies and followed by post modifiers
Ex 5: Why are you always bad-mouthing the medical profession?
Meaning: to say unpleasant things about someone or sth
Ex 6: Sau khi nghe Mai nói rõ đầu đuôi câu chuyện, Thắng ngồi câm miệng hến, không dám nói câu nào
Meaning: silently, without saying a word d Adverb phrases
An adverb phrase is defined by Greenbaum (1996) as a phrase that has as its head an adverb, which may be preceded by premodifiers and (less commonly) followed by postmodifiers
Ex 7: My phone was stolen from right under my nose
Meaning: (of an action) committed openly and boldly, but without someone noticing or noticing in time to prevent it e Prepositional phrase
According to Greenbaum (1996) in The Oxford English Grammar, a prepositional phrase is made up of a preposition and its complement, which can include noun phrases, -ing participle clauses, and wh-clauses.
Ex 8: Software that would do lots of boring calculations in the blink of an eye
According to Greenbaum (1996), a canonical sentence is made up of one or more grammatically complete clauses, each containing essential constituents such as a subject, verb, and verb complements In imperative sentences, the understood subject "you" is typically omitted Simple sentences exemplify this structure.
According to Quirk and Greenbaum (1985), a simple sentence is a sentence that consists of the only one clause The clause patterns of simple sentences are correspondent to the seven clause types
Ex 9: When she saw the amount written on the cheque, her eyes nearly popped out of her head
Meaning: a way of describing the way you look when you are extremely surprised to see something or someone
In Vietnamese, Từ điển bách khoa Việt Nam (1995, p 383) defines a simple sentence as a sentence with a core consisting of two components subject and
A predicate can consist of a single word or phrase that serves as the core element, fulfilling the roles of announcement and expression This definition highlights the essential components of a sentence, which include a subject and a predicate, or a core element that conveys meaning effectively.
Ex 10: Thờn bơn méo miệng chê chai lệch mồm
Meaning: to refer to people who do not see their weaknesses but also criticize others b Compound sentences
SUMMARY
This chapter provides a comprehensive review of the theories surrounding idioms and proverbs, along with previous studies in this area It covers essential aspects such as definitions, key characteristics, classifications, and an overview of the structures of idioms and proverbs in both English and Vietnamese The insights presented here will serve as a foundational basis for the subsequent chapters, particularly Chapter 3, which will focus on findings and discussions.
METHODOLOGY
RESEARCH METHODS
This study analyzes and contrasts the syntactic and semantic characteristics of IPCF in both English and Vietnamese, highlighting their similarities and differences To accomplish its goals, the research employs a blend of methods, including statistical, analytical, descriptive, and comparison-contrast techniques.
Firstly, the statistical method is used to list all the IPCF in English and Vietnamese equivalents in order to document the research submission
Secondly, the analytical method is used to analyse the syntactic and semantic features of IPCF expressions in English and idioms and proverbs with equivalents in Vietnamese
The descriptive method is employed to detail the syntactic and semantic characteristics of English and Vietnamese IPCF sourced from dictionaries Additionally, the comparison-contrast method is utilized to identify the similarities and differences in these features between the two languages According to Fisiak (1981), contrastive analysis is a branch of linguistics that focuses on comparing two or more languages or their subsystems to uncover both their differences and similarities.
These methods are used throughout the study In addition, this research will use English as the target language and Vietnamese as the source language.
DATA COLLECTION
This research compiles idioms and proverbs related to the concept of "face" in English, utilizing resources such as the "Oxford Dictionary of Idioms" (Siefring, 2004), the "Cambridge International Dictionary of Idioms" (1998), and the "Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs."
(Simpson & Speake, 2008) For the statistics of Vietnamese idioms concerning face in Vietnamese, this research uses dictionaries of reputable authors such as
"Từ điển thành ngữ và tục ngữ Việt Nam" (Nguyễn Lân, 2016), “Tuyển tập thành ngữ, tục ngữ, ca dao Việt-Anh thông dụng” (Nguyễn Đình Hùng, 2007)
I have meticulously compiled a total of 293 IPCF in English, which includes 38 noun phrases, 184 phrasal verbs, 7 adjective phrases, 7 adverb phrases, 21 prepositional phrases, 25 simple sentences, 3 compound sentences, 3 complex sentences, and 5 comparative sentences Additionally, I gathered 216 IPCF in Vietnamese, comprising 52 noun phrases, 46 verb phrases, 30 adjective phrases, 30 simple sentences, 25 compound sentences, 3 complex sentences, and 30 comparative sentences All data has been carefully selected for this study.
RESEARCH PROCEDURES
Based on Lado's theory of comparative analysis (Lado, 1957), this study is divided into description, selection, contrast and prediction stages
In the description stage, I learned an overview of IPCF in English and Vietnamese
In the selection stage, I selected resources in English and Vietnamese and then selected and synthesized IPCF in the above documents
In the contrast stage, I examined the IPCF within the specified documents by focusing on both syntactic and semantic features, ultimately identifying the similarities and differences among these characteristics.
Finally, in the prediction stage, I pointed out similarities and differences between them in terms of the syntactic and semantic features.
ANALYTICAL FRAMEWORK
In this research paper, I have studied under three analytical frameworks including syntactic, figures of speech and semantic field analysis
Structures English IPCF Vietnamese IPCF
―The new man will get a worm's- eye view of the corporate structure.‖
―Trông cô ấy yếu đuối vậy thôi, chứ thực ra cô ấy là loại người mặt sứa gan lim đấy.‖
Verb phrase ―I took the offer at face value I didn't think they might be trying to
―Những người nông dân quanh năm lam lũ, chân lấm tay bùn, bán mặt cho đất,
21 trick me.‖ bán lƣng cho trời cũng không đủ gạo ăn.‖
"He arrived bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at the studio."
Mẹ tôi luôn giữ quan điểm rằng chỉ tin vào những gì mình thấy, trong khi anh em chúng tôi lại không ngừng khen ngợi món ăn ngon Bà thường nói rằng khuất mắt thì không thể coi, thể hiện sự thận trọng và thực tế trong cách nhìn nhận cuộc sống.
Adverb phrase "My phone was stolen from right under my nose."
"Whatever he tells me seems to go in one ear and out the other."
―Your secret is safe with me: my lips are sealed.‖
―Thờn bơn méo miệng chê chai lệch mồm‖
―Fields have eyes, and woods have ears.‖
―Người khôn con mắt đen sì, người dại con mắt nửa chì nửa thau‖
―He's such an experience performer, he could do a show like this with his eyes shut.‖
―Những người cưa sừng xẻ tai, chẳng long tai thì gãy cuống.‖
“The eye of a master does more work than both his hands.‖ ―Một mặt người bằng mười mặt của.‖
(Sources: Oxford Dictionary of Idioms, Cambridge International Dictionary of Idioms, Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs and Từ điển thành ngữ tục ngữ Việt Nam)
Table 2.2 Figures of speech analytical framework
Metaphor ―She led with the chin and got her own way most of the time.‖
―Anh ta bỏ ngoài tai tất cả lời khuyên của gia đình và bạn bè để đi theo cô người yêu.‖
Metonymy ―We count noses at Church conventions.‖
―Cháu bà thế mà cũng hỏng Chƣa chi đã chiều vợ thế Sau nó cũng lại xỏ chân lỗ mũi.‖
Simile ―She saw the child looking at her with eyes like saucers.‖
―Miệng bà đồng nhƣ lồng chim khướu.‖
Hyperbole ―We've had a fantastic response!‖ he said, grinning from ear to ear
―Miệng hoả lò ăn hết cơ nghiệp.‖
Personification ―Miệng tồ lô làm khổ chân tay.‖
Antithesis ―There is always one who kisses, and one who turns the cheek.‖
―Tay làm hàm nhai, tay quai miệng trễ.‖
(Sources: Oxford Dictionary of Idioms, Cambridge International Dictionary of Idioms, Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs and Từ điển thành ngữ tục ngữ Việt Nam)
Table 2.3 Semantic field analytical framework
―He was taught to keep a stiff upper lip, whatever happens.‖
―Sau khi nghe Mai nói rõ đầu đuôi câu chuyện, Thắng ngồi câm miệng hến, không dám nói câu nào.‖
Appearance ―You're a sight for sore eyes!‖ ―Mắt phƣợng mày ngài‖
―He has never worked hard for anything because he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth His parents brought everything to him instead.‖
―Khách mời tham dự đám cưới đều là những ông tai to mặt lớn, có chức có quyền.‖
Love affairs, marriage and sexuality
―There is always one who kisses, and one who turns the cheek.‖ “Mặt làm thinh, tình đã ƣng”
―I'm about to give you some important instructions, so cock your ear.‖
―Vừa bước xuống xe, cô ta đã hùng hổ xông tới, nói như tát nước vào mặt người đi đường.‖
―Dad is going to have steam coming out of his ears when he sees that huge dent you put in his car door.‖
―The authoritarian regime has the wolf by the ear with the way it treats the population.‖
―Những người nông dân quanh năm lam lũ, chân lấm tay bùn, bán mặt cho đất, bán lƣng cho trời cũng không đủ gạo ăn.‖
Equality “Mũi dại, lái chịu đòn”
―The problem that managers may favor their blue-eyed boys.‖
―Quạ không bao giờ mổ mắt quạ.‖
Life Experience and life style
While visiting a museum, my five-year-old pointed out to a man, "Hey, mister! No touching! Can't you read the sign?" It's a humorous reminder of how children can express important messages in their own innocent way.
―Máy mắt ăn xôi, máy môi ăn thịt.‖
―A shut mouth catches no flies.‖ ―Rạ đồng chiêm, ai có liềm thì cắt; rạ đồng mùa có mắt thì trông.‖
―Don't put your head in the lion's mouth by driving in such horrible conditions.‖
Work ―Thơm tay, may miệng‖
Desire ―Dollar signs in sb’s eye.‖
Ability ―She has a good nose for a bargain.‖
(Sources: Oxford Dictionary of Idioms, Cambridge International Dictionary of Idioms, Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs and Từ điển thành ngữ tục ngữ Việt Nam)
SUMMARY
In summary, this chapter has reviewed research methods, sources for data collection, stages of the research process, and three analytical frameworks of the study
FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS
SYNTACTIC FEATURES
A detailed analysis of the syntactic features of over 500 IPCF in English and Vietnamese reveals the frequency of these features in both languages, as illustrated in the table below.
Table 3.1 Occurrence of structures in English and Vietnamese IPCF
Table 3.1 illustrates the distribution of structures in IPCF for both English and Vietnamese In English, phrase structures dominate, comprising 87.9% (257 out of 293), with verb phrases being the most prevalent at 63% (184 out of 293) Conversely, sentence structures represent a minor segment at 12.1% (36 out of 293) In Vietnamese, phrase structures also hold a significant share at 59.1% (127 out of 215), surpassing sentence structures, which account for 40.9% Notably, noun phrase structures in Vietnamese constitute the largest proportion at 23.7% (51 out of 215).
In the following sections, the study is analysed in detail
3.1.1 English and Vietnamese idioms and proverbs concerning face with phrase structures a English and Vietnamese idioms and proverbs concerning face with noun phrase structures
In this pattern, the noun or noun phrase serves as the head in the majority of noun phrase idioms and proverbs The following is a structural analysis of the noun phrase IPCF.
Table 3.2 English and Vietnamese IPCF with noun phrase structures
[1] (ART)+N+PRE+(ART)+N/NP [1] N+PRE+N
[2] N/NP+(ART)+N/NP [2] N/NP+N/NP
None [3] ―chẳng phải‖+N+‖lại phải‖ +N
There are 38 IPCF with noun phrase structures (13%) in English and 51 IPCF of this structures (23,7%) in Vietnamese
From Table 3.2, we see that there is a structure of noun phrases appearing in both English and Vietnamese IPCF
Ex 59: ―I was just being friendly And I don't care if he likes me or not, your friend in there with the bedroom eyes.‖
Meaning: used to describe when a person looks at another with sexual longing
Ex 60: ―Trông cô ấy yếu đuối vậy thôi, chứ thực ra cô ấy là loại người mặt sứa gan lim đấy.‖
Meaning: people who appear to be soft and docile on the outside, are actually very stubborn and stubborn
Ex 61: ―The houses were packed cheek by jowl along the coast.‖
Meaning: close together; side by side
Ex 62: ―Anh ta đứng mặt đối mặt với cô ấy.‖
Meaning: in front of each other in a hostile position
Table 3.2 also shows some structures of noun phrases that only appear in English IPCF but not in Vietnamese
Ex 63: ―He presents himself as the acceptable face of gambling.‖
Meaning: the tolerable or attractive manifestation or aspect of
Ex 64: "We've had a fantastic response!" he said, grinning from ear to ear
Meaning: to look extremely happy
Ex 65: ―The new man will get a worm's-eye view of the corporate structure.‖
Meaning: a perspective seen from below or from a low or inferior position
Ex 66: ―We were all eyes as the celebrity guests emerged from the car.‖
Meaning: to watch someone or something with a lot of interest
In addition, there are also some structures of noun phrases that do not appear in English IPCF but appear in Vietnamese
Ex 67: ―Cần phải ba mặt một lời để làm sáng tỏ sự việc.‖
Meaning: there are enough witnesses to the word
Ex 68: ―Người lái xe vẫn bình an vô sự trong khi vụ tai nạn lại khiến một người đi đường thiệt mạng Đúng là chẳng phải đầu lại phải tai.‖
Meaning: the insiders are not affected, but the outsiders suffer
Ex 69: ―Cô ta trở nên nghèo khổ vì chỉ ăn chơi mà không chịu làm gì cả Đúng là miệng ăn núi lở.‖
Meaning: to describe a person who only eats but does not work
Ex 70: ―Cô ta là loại người miệng thơn thớt, dạ ớt ngâm, bên ngoài thì nói cười vui vẻ nhưng bên trong thì độc ác vô cùng.‖
Meaning: velvet paws hide sharp claws
Ex 71: ―Cô ta suốt ngày chỉ biết đi kể lể chuyện riêng của người khác Đúng là mồm loa miệng chảo, mách lẻo đôi co!‖
Meaning: to description a person who talks loudly, a lot, one person's private talk to others leads to quarrels
Ex 72: ―Do nhà nghèo nên bé Hoa phải nghỉ học giữa chừng Ấy vậy mà mấy bà hàng xóm lại đồn nhau rằng bé Hoa ăn chơi lêu lổng với đám trẻ hƣ nên mới bỏ học Đúng là miệng thế gian chẳng ít thì nhiều!‖
The world's tongue is often likened to a venomous snake, poised to unleash harmful words that can silently destroy the hopes and aspirations of many individuals This concept is reflected in various English and Vietnamese idioms and proverbs that emphasize the impact of words on one's reputation and well-being.
In both Vietnamese and English, idiomatic phrases containing verb phrases are prevalent, with English exhibiting 184 instances (63%) compared to 46 instances (21.4%) in Vietnamese These structures typically feature a verb as the head of the phrase, accompanied by an adverb, preposition, or noun This article provides an analysis of the structure of verb phrase idioms and proverbs.
Table 3.3 English and Vietnamese IPCF with verb phrase structures
[3] V+(ART)+N/NP+PRE+(ART)+N/NP None
[11] V+PRE+(ART)+N/NP+PRE+(ART)+(N) None
[16] V+N+ADV+PRE+ART+N+PRE+N None
Table 3.3 shows some structures of phrasal verbs that appear in both English and Vietnamese IPCF
Ex 73: ―You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.‖
Meaning: used to mean that you cannot make something good out of something that is naturally bad
Ex 74: ―bớt bát mát mặt‖
Meaning: eat less and spend less, less worry and trouble
Not only that, from the table above, we can also see some structures that only appear in English IPCF but do not appear in Vietnamese
Ex 75: ―She threw all his failures back in his face.‖
Meaning: to say unkind things about someone's behaviour in the past during an argument
Ex 76: ―I took the offer at face value I didn't think they might be trying to trick me.‖
Meaning: to accept something as it appears to be rather than studying it more closely
Ex 77: "she had been up in court and was so ashamed she could hardly show her face."
Meaning: to appear in public
V+(ART)+N/NP+PRE+(ART)+N/NP
Ex 78: ―We can't make a decision yet Let's just play it by ear.‖
Meaning: to decide how to deal with a situation as it develops, rather than acting according to plans made earlier
Ex 79: "keep your chin up, we're not lost yet."
Meaning: to remain cheerful in difficult circumstances
Ex 80: "she led with the chin and got her own way most of the time."
Meaning: to behave or speak incautiously
Ex 81: ―I'm still unpacking, so I am up to my chin in boxes.‖
Meaning: to have too much of sth, especially work
Ex 82: ―You brought this down about your ears all by yourself—I had no role in your failure.‖
Meaning: To cause negative consequences for one
Ex 83: "they paid through the nose for one-to-one intensive tuition."
Meaning: to pay much more than a fair price
Ex 84: "that man has got money coming out of his ears."
Meaning: to have a substantial or excessive amount of something
V+PRE+(ART)+N/NP+PRE+(ART)+(N)
Ex 85: ―I am up to my eyes in homework this week.‖
Meaning: to be very busy doing something
Ex 86: ―Her paintings are very easy on the eye.‖
Meaning: pleasant to look at/listen to
Ex 87: "visitors should keep their eyes peeled for lions."
Meaning: be on the alert; watch carefully or vigilantly for something
Ex 88: ―The Newport back division dropped the ball 30 metres out and Hughes pinned back his ears and raced to the line.‖
Meaning: to listen carefully to what someone is saying
Ex 89: ―A young kid came asking for money but I sent him away with a flea in his ear.‖
Meaning: to angrily tell someone to go away
Ex 90: "This blonde was giving me the eye."
Meaning: to look at someone in a way that clearly indicates one's sexual interest in them
Ex 91: "you need to have eyes in the back of your head to cope with a two-year-old."
Meaning: to observe everything that is happening even when this is apparently impossible
Ex 92: ―She has the job most of us would give our eye teeth for.‖
Meaning: to go to any lengths in order to obtain sth
Ex 93: ―I won't forget this insult You'd better start sleeping with one eye open, because I'll get my revenge.‖
Meaning: To stay awake or sleep very lightly so as to remain very wary, cautious, or alert
Ex 94: "we were all pie-eyed from the wine."
Meaning: to be very drunk
Ex 95: ―Keep an eye on your brother while I‘m out, please.‖
Meaning: to watch someone or something or stay informed about the person‘s behavior
Ex 96: "they found words such as ―heroic‖ turn to ashes in their mouths during the scandal.‖
Meaning: to become bitterly disappointing or worthless
Ex 97: ―Tommy looked as if butter wouldn't melt in his mouth.‖
Meaning: used when someone looks as if they would never do anything wrong, although you feel they might
Ex 98: ―The government might be obliged to put its money where its mouth is to prove its commitment.‖
Meaning: to show by your actions and not just your words that you support or believe in something
Ex 99: ―We all know that you've been speaking out of both sides of your mouth about the merger, so please, just tell us the truth Will there be layoffs or not?‖
Meaning: to give completely different advice or opinions about something in different situations
Ex 100: "He tried to keep his nose clean with socially useful work."
Meaning: to stay out of trouble
Ex 101: ―Would you cast an eye over our work so far?‖
Meaning: to look at something quickly, often in order to give your opinion about it
Ex 102: ―Please your eye and plague your heart.‖
Meaning: those who choose their husbands, wives, or lovers on the basis of good looks alone may suffer for their choice
In contrast, Vietnamese IPCF also appear structures that English IPCF do not have
Ex 103: ―Những người nông dân quanh năm lam lũ, chân lấm tay bùn, bán mặt cho đất, bán lƣng cho trời cũng không đủ gạo ăn.‖
Meaning: scenes of hard work and floods of farmers
Ex 104: "Tôi quý anh Hai là bậc can trường, nên mới dám chọn mặt gửi vàng."
Meaning: to choose a trusted person to give the important, the precious
Ex 105: ―Cháu bà thế mà cũng hỏng Chƣa chi đã chiều vợ thế Sau nó cũng lại xỏ chân lỗ mũi.‖
Meaning: to take advantage of emotions to make people follow their will
Ex 106: ―Thành công và giàu có chắc chắn sẽ không đến với kẻ lười biếng, những người chỉ biết há miệng chờ sung.‖
Meaning: to refer to a lazy attitude, not willing to work, just ready to eat by praying for luck
Ex 107: ―Đời người có lúc giàu lúc nghèo, lúc sướng lúc khổ Vậy nên đừng coi người bằng nửa con mắt.‖
Meaning: conceited, arrogant and contemptuous of others
Ex 108: ―Làm biếng lấy miệng mà đƣa‖
Meaning: lazy people often brag and lie
Ex 109: ―Làm thầy nuôi vợ, làm thợ nuôi miệng‖
Meaning: to encourage the spirit of learning, upholding the tradition of studiousness c English and Vietnamese idioms and proverbs concerning face with adjective phrase structures
Among the collected data, adjective phrase idioms and proverbs account for only a small part The following is a structural analysis of adjective phrase idioms and proverbs
Table 3.4 English and Vietnamese IPCF with adjective phrase structures
None [2] NUM+AP//NUM+AP
There are 7 IPCF with adjective phrase structures (2,4%) in English and 30 IPCF of this structures (14%) in Vietnamese
Table 3.4 shows that there are some adjective structures of IPCF that appear in both English and Vietnamese
Ex 110: ―Why are you always bad-mouthing the medical profession?‖
Meaning: to say unpleasant things about someone or sth
Ex 111: ―Sau khi nghe Mai nói rõ đầu đuôi câu chuyện, Thắng ngồi câm miệng hến, không dám nói câu nào.‖
Meaning: silently, without saying a word
In addition, there are also structures that only appear in English IPCF but do not appear in Vietnamese
Ex 112: ―You boys can't enlist for the army, you aren't even dry behind the ears yet!‖
Meaning: well experienced in some situation or for some role
Ex 113: "A charming village that is easy on the eye"
Meaning: pleasant to look at
Ex 114: "He arrived bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at the studio."
Meaning: alert and lively; eager
On the contrary, there are also structures that only appear in Vietnamese IPCF that English does not have
Ex 115: ―Với những cặp đôi yêu xa, cách mặt xa lòng là nguyên nhân dẫn đến sự chia ly của nhiều cặp đôi.‖
Meaning: out of sight, out of mind
Mẹ tôi luôn giữ quan điểm rằng chỉ tin vào những gì mình thấy, trong khi anh em tôi lại không ngừng khen ngợi món ăn ngon Bà bình thản nhắc nhở rằng "khuất mắt khôn coi".
Meaning: not to believe because you haven't seen it with your own eyes
Khi cần giúp đỡ, Kiên thường tỏ ra quan tâm đến hàng xóm, điều mà bình thường anh không làm Sự thay đổi này khiến mọi người nhận ra rằng, chỉ khi có việc cần nhờ vả, Kiên mới chủ động chào hỏi và giao tiếp với mọi người xung quanh.
Meaning: to refer to people who only know how to ask for help from others when they are in trouble, but normally do not care about others
Ex 118: ―Thứ nhất đau mắt, thứ nhì nhức răng‖
Meaning: eye pain and toothache cause the most discomfort d English and Vietnamese idioms and proverbs concerning face with adverb phrase structures
IPCF with adverb phrase structure is unique to English, as this specific structure does not exist in the analyzed Vietnamese data This article provides an analysis of the IPCF structure that incorporates adverbial phrases.
Table 3.5 English and Vietnamese IPCF with adverb phrase structures
[3]ADV+ PRE+ART+N+PRE+N None
There are 7 IPCF with adverb phrase structures (2,4%) in English
Ex 119: "My phone was stolen from right under my nose."
Meaning: (of an action) committed openly and boldly, but without someone noticing or noticing in time to prevent it
Ex 120: "When he told me what he'd done, I didn't bat an eye."
Meaning: show no emotional or other reaction
Ex 121: ―Ms Cunningham said that the First Minister had failed to deal with the matter, and accused him of being all mouth and no trousers.‖
Meaning: they talk a lot about doing sth but they never do it
Ex 122: ―So we're in the museum and my five-year-old says to this guy,
"Hey, mister! No touching! Can't you read the sign?" Out of the mouths of babes, huh?‖
Meaning: Children, though inexperienced, are capable of saying wise, insightful, or mature things
Ex 123: ―Never look a gift horse in the mouth‖
Meaning: said to advise someone not to refuse something good that is being offered e English and Vietnamese idioms and proverbs concerning face with prepositional phrase structures
IPCF exhibits a prepositional phrase structure similar to that of adverb phrases, which is unique to English In total, there are 21 IPCF with this structure, accounting for 7.1% of the data in English Notably, no IPCF with a prepositional phrase structure is found in the Vietnamese data The following analysis delves into the specifics of IPCF with prepositional phrase structures.
Table 3.6 English and Vietnamese IPCF with prepositional phrase structures
[1] PRE+NUM+N+CONJUNCTION+PRE+ART+N None
[2] PRE+ART+N+PRE+(ART)+N None
From the above summary table, the following is the specific analysis
PRE+NUM+N+CONJUNCTION+PRE+ART+N
Ex 124: "Whatever he tells me seems to go in one ear and out the other."
Meaning: heard but disregarded or quickly forgotten
Ex 125: "software that would do lots of boring calculations in the blink of an eye."
Ex 126: ―Will you keep your eye on my suitcase while I go to get the tickets?‖
Meaning: to watch or take care of something or someone
Ex 127: ―I could do that journey with my eyes shut.‖
Meaning: without having to make much effort
Ex 128: ―In my mind's eye, she is still a little girl of six, although she's actually a grown woman.‖
Meaning: in your imagination or memory
Ex 129: ―I ate my lunch with half an eye on the clock to make sure I didn‘t miss my train.‖
Meaning: to watch something or someone without giving them all your attention
Ex 130: "first over the line was Shemaka, but only by a nose"
Meaning: (of a victory) by a very narrow margin
3.1.2 English and Vietnamese idioms and proverbs concerning face with sentence structures a Simple sentences
Among the collected data, IPCF with simple sentence structure account for only a small part compared to other structures Below is a structural analysis of IPCF with a simple sentence structure
Table 3.7 English and Vietnamese IPCF with simple sentence structures
There are 25 IPCF with simple sentence structures (8,5%) in English and 30 IPCF of this structures (14%) in Vietnamese
Table 3.7 shows that there are some simple sentence structures of IPCF appearing in both English and Vietnamese
Ex 131: ―Your secret is safe with me: my lips are sealed.‖
Meaning: used to say that someone will not tell secret information to anyone
Ex 132: ―Rậm râu sâu mắt, đắt tiền cũng mua‖
Meaning: the general is fierce, strong, defiant, can do heavy and great work
Ex 133: ―When she saw the amount written on the cheque, her eyes nearly popped out of her head.‖
Meaning: a way of describing the way you look when you are extremely surprised to see something or someone
Ex 134: ―Thờn bơn méo miệng chê chai lệch mồm‖
Meaning: to refer to people who do not see their weaknesses but also criticize others
Ex 135: ―The eyes are the window of the soul.‖
Meaning: if you want to know a person's character or inner person, look into their eyes
Ex 136: ―Năng nỏ mất cả ngõ lẫn mồm‖
Meaning: to refer to people with a sharp, sour personality, everyone hates, doesn't want to be close, chat, and have relationships
In addition, there are also structures that only appear in English IPCF that Vietnamese does not have
Ex 137: ―There wasn’t a dry eye in the house‖
Meaning: (with reference to a play, film, or similar event) everyone in the audience was moved to tears
Ex 138: ―The scales fall from someone’s eyes‖
Meaning: If the scales fall from your eyes, you suddenly know and understand the truth
Ex 139: ―That girl's pretty enough, but her face just doesn't fit for a couture ad campaign.‖
Meaning: one's physical appearance or behavior is not well-suited for a specific job or task
Ex 140: ―In the country of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.‖
Meaning: said about a difficult situation in which someone with only a few skills is in a better position and more successful than those people who have none
Ex 141: ―Out of the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks‖
Meaning: used to refer to people who say and do bad things, they are also evil inside
On the contrary, there are also structures that only appear in Vietnamese IPCF but do not appear in English
Ex 142: ―Miệng kẻ sang có gang có thép.‖
Meaning: those who are rich and powerful are arrogant b Compound sentences
Compound sentence structure also account for a part of idioms and proverbs in both languages Below is an analysis of compound sentence structure of IPCF
Table 3.8 English and Vietnamese IPCF with compound sentence structures
There are 3 IPCF with compound sentence structures (1%) in English and 25 IPCF of this structures (11,6%) in Vietnamese
Table 3.8 shows that there are some compound sentence structures of IPCF appearing in both English and Vietnamese
Ex 143: ―FIELDS have eyes, and woods have ears.‖
Meaning: even though you are outside in an apparently empty landscape, someone may be eavesdropping on you
Ex 144: “Ai ăn trầu thì nấy đỏ môi.‖
Meaning: not to be jealous or envious of others because they are better than you
In addition, there are also structures that only appear in Vietnamese IPCF but do not appear in English
Ex 145: ―chuyện mắt thấy tai nghe hẳn hoi.‖
Meaning: directly see and hear
Ex 146: ―Mèo lành ai nỡ cắt tai‖
Meaning: no one wants to treat good people badly
Ex 147: ―Tưởng là chị ngã em nÂng, ai ngờ chị ngã em bưng miệng cười‖
Meaning: family members do not know how to help each other
Ex 148: ―Người khôn con mắt đen sì, người dại con mắt nửa chì nửa thau‖
Meaning: how to judge people through their eyes
Ex 149: ―Nhà có ngạch, vách có tai‖
Meaning: fields have eyes, and woods have ears
Ex 150: ―Lấp sông lấp giếng, ai lấp đƣợc miệng thiên hạ‖
Meaning: you can't stop people from talking bad about you
Ex 151: ―Đánh bạc quen tay, ngủ ngày quen mắt, ăn vặt quen mồm‖
Meaning: the damage of bad habits
Ex 152: ―Miệng chào rơi, bụng khấn trời đừng ăn‖
Meaning: fake attitude, not sincere
Ex 153: ―Tay làm hàm nhai, tay quai miệng trễ‖
Meaning: you should be independent, self-supporting, do not rely on anyone
Ex 154: ―Bụt trên toà, gà nào mổ mắt‖
Meaning: if you don't do anything wrong, no one dares to harass, oppose, or harm you c Complex Sentences
Complex sentence structures represent a minimal portion of IPCF in both English and Vietnamese, with only 1% of IPCF in English and 1.3% in Vietnamese exhibiting this complexity.
The following is an analysis of IPCF with complex sentence structures
Table 3.9 English and Vietnamese IPCF with complex sentence structures
Table 3.9 shows that there are also structures that only appear in Vietnamese but do not appear in English
Ex 155: ―Ai biết uốn câu cho vừa miệng cá‖
Meaning: it is not possible to please everyone and everything cannot be foreseen
Ex 156: ―Những người cưa sừng xẻ tai, chẳng long tai thì gãy cuống.‖
Meaning: if the form is not good then surely the inside is not good either
In contrast, there are also structures that only appear in English idioms that
Ex 157: ―He's such an experience performer, he could do a show like this with his eyes shut.‖
Meaning: if you say someone could do something with their eyes closed or with their eyes shut, you mean they can do it very easily
Ex 158: ―When Robbie cracked his mother's favorite vase, he simply turned the cracked side toward the wall "What the eye doesn't see, the heart doesn't grieve over," he thought.‖
Meaning: you cannot be upset by something you do not know about
Ex 159: ―A sow may whistle, though it has an ill mouth for it.‖
Meaning: said of someone struggling to do something to which he not well suited
Ex 160: ―There is always one who kisses, and one who turns the cheek.‖
Meaning: one always loves more; in every pair, one is reaching to offer and one is deciding whether or not to accept
Comparative sentence structures are found in IPCF in both English and Vietnamese In English, there are 5 IPCF with comparative structures, accounting for 1.6%, while Vietnamese has 30 IPCF of this type, representing 14% The following analysis examines the structural aspects of idioms and proverbs featuring comparative sentence structures in both languages.
Table 3.10 English and Vietnamese IPCF with comparative sentence structures
None [2] To the same degree
[1] To a higher degree [3] To a higher degree
From the above summary table, the following is the specific analysis
Table 3.10 shows that both English and Vietnamese contain idioms with higher degree of comparative sentence structure
Ex 161: “The EYE of a master does more work than both his hands.‖ (Benjamin Franklin)
Ex 161: ―Cô ta nói mà không hề suy nghĩ gì cả Cô ta không biết rằng sẩy chân còn hơn sẩy miệng à!‖
Meaning: you should think before you speak if you don't want to cause consequences
Ex 163: ―Có mỗi đôi khuyên tai này mà đã đắt bằng cả tháng tiền lương rồi Đúng là lại mặt còn hơn ăn cưới!‖
Meaning: side work that costs more than the main job
In addition, in Vietnamese, there are idioms with lower degree and the same degree of comparative sentence structure
Ex 164: ―Tai nghe không bằng mắt thấy.‖
Meaning: hearing rumors or listening to people speak is not as trustworthy as you see it with your own eyes
Ex 165: ―Vắt mũi không đủ đút miệng.‖
Meaning: people who are poor have to find ways to live through the day but still not have enough to eat
Ex 166: ―Mắt nhƣ mắt lợn luộc‖
Meaning: used to describe a person's appearance
Ex 167: ―Một mặt người bằng mười mặt của‖
Meaning: to refer to a person who values people more than money and material things
Ex 168: ―Trở mặt nhƣ trở bàn tay‖
Meaning: to refer to a person who has the ability to change facial expression and attitude quickly and easily
Ex 169: ―Trông thấy con suýt chút bị điện giật, chị Nga hoảng sợ vô cùng, mặt tái nhƣ gà cắt tiết.‖
Meaning: state of extreme panic
Ex 170: ―Cú va chạm, mặc dù không bị thương tích nhưng đã khiến cô gái hoảng sợ, mặt nhƣ chàm đổ.‖
Meaning: state of extreme panic
Ex 171: ―Tức giận mà không làm gì đƣợc, trông mặt cô ta nặng nhƣ đeo đá.‖
Meaning: state of anger but not speaking out
Ex 172: ―Trông dáng vẻ lì lợm, mặt rắn nhƣ sành của cô ta mà chẳng ai ƣa nổi.‖
Meaning: to refer to a person with a stubborn face, difficult to teach
Ex 173: ―Trông tướng mặt bằng ngón tay chéo của cô ta đã biết là người lòng dạ hẹp hòi rồi.‖
Meaning: to refer to a person who has a narrow, unhappy appearance
Ex 174: ―Vừa bước xuống xe, cô ta đã hùng hổ xông tới, nói như tát nước vào mặt người đi đường.‖
Meaning: someone who speaks loudly, harshly, not allowing people to explain
Ex 175: ―Bị mẹ mắng mà mặt nó cứ lì nhƣ tiền chì hai mặt, không hóc một tiếng nào.‖
Meaning: used to refer to a person with a stubborn face, difficult to teach
Ex 176: ―mắt sắc nhƣ dao‖
Meaning: a person with sharp eyes
Ex 177: ―Hai anh em họ cứ nhƣ môi với răng, lúc nào cũng thân thiết với nhau.‖
Meaning: close relationships between people
Ex 178: ―cô ta nói cứ nhƣ rót vào tai của mấy gã đàn ông ngồi đối diện.‖
Meaning: sweet talk to entice and seduce others
Ex 179: ―Lời nói của anh ta nhƣ sét đánh bên tai, khiến cô ấy vô cùng sốc.‖
Meaning: to indicate the state of a person who is very shocked
Ex 180: ―Bà ta nói cứ như đấm vào tai người khác ấy.‖
Meaning: speaking in a gruff, rude way makes it difficult for the listener to accept
Ex 181: ―Nhìn mặt anh ta tiu nghỉu nhƣ mèo mất tai thế này chắc là vừa bị người yêu đá đây.‖
Meaning: state of sadness and disappointment.
SEMANTIC FEATURES
3.2.1 Figures of speech of idioms and proverbs concerning face
Below is a summary of figures of speech used in English and Vietnamese IPCF
Table 3.11 Figures of speech of IPCF
Table 3.11 illustrates the occurrence rates of various figures of speech in IPCF, revealing that metaphor and metonymy dominate in English with percentages of 57.7% and 39.8%, respectively Conversely, multiplication and opposites are the least represented, with a mere 0.4% Notably, there is also a sentence in English that embodies dual meanings, thereby incorporating two figures of speech.
Vietnamese, metaphor accounts for the highest rate of 61.9%, while overstatement accounts for the lowest rate of 0.9%
3.2.2 Semantic Fields of English and Vietnamese idioms and proverbs concerning face
In this subsection, we have so far analysed the semantic fields of IPCF in English and Vietnamese which frequently could be illustrated in Table 3.12
Table 3.12 Frequency of semantic features of English and Vietnamese IPCF
[4] Love affairs, marriage and sexuality 9 3,1 3 1,4
[10] Life Experience and life style 1 0,3 21 9,8
Table 3.12 illustrates the occurrence rates of various semantic fields in IPCF In English, idioms and proverbs related to the "Action" semantic field dominate, comprising 33.7%, while those pertaining to "Richness and Poverty" (1%), "Advice" (0.7%), "Place" (0.7%), and "Life Experience and Lifestyle" (0.3%) are the least represented Notably, there are no idioms or proverbs in the "Equality" and "Work" fields Additionally, one English sentence encompasses two meanings, reflecting two semantic fields In contrast, Vietnamese idioms and proverbs are predominantly found in the "Personality" field at 21.4%, with the lowest percentages in "Work" (2.7%), "Equality" (2.3%), and "Love Affairs, Marriage, and Sexuality" (1.4%).
In Vietnamese, there are no idioms or proverbs belonging to the "Place",
SIMILARITIES
From Table 1 (appendix 1), I find out that both English and Vietnamese own a system of IPCF in certain structure groups such as noun phrases, verb phrases and adjective phrases
In the structure of noun phrases, IPCF in English and Vietnamese share such common structures as Noun/Noun phrase + (Article) + Noun/Noun phrase
IPCF, represented by verb phrases, is prevalent in both English and Vietnamese, as evidenced by numerous examples found in the corpus Consequently, there are notable similarities in sentence structures between the two languages, including patterns such as Verb + (Article) + Noun/Noun phrase and Verb + Noun + (Article) + Noun/Noun phrase.
The structure of adjective phrases, specifically the Adjective + Noun format, is evident in both English and Vietnamese In these languages, the adjective is crucial in determining the meaning of an IPCF (Interpersonal Communication Framework).
Besides phrases, Table 1 (appendix 1) also shows that in both English and Vietnamese IPCF, there are IPCF with simple, compound, complex and comparative sentence structures
In simple sentence structure, IPCF in both English and Vietnamese apply the structures such as Subject + Verb, Subject + Verb + Objective and Subject + Verb + Objective + Objective
In compound sentence structure, IPCF in both English and Vietnamese apply the structure Subject + Verb + Objective + Coordinator + Subject + (Verb) + Objective
In comparative sentence structure, IPCF in two languages apply the structure of a higher degree
In addition, we can see that the parallel structure is used frequently in both languages in form of noun phrases, verb phrases, adjective phrases, and
50 prepositional phrase as well as sentence patterns for the desire of alliteration and rhythm in order to make speeches smoother
Table 3.1 highlights a significant similarity between IPCF in English and Vietnamese, specifically in the frequency of verb phrases and noun phrases found in the idiom database In both languages, verb phrases and noun phrases are the most frequently occurring elements.
English and Vietnamese idioms and proverbs hold significant value, showcasing a diverse range of content and forms They create a vibrant and comprehensive representation of various aspects of human life Both languages share similar semantic fields, including personality, appearance, wealth, love, marriage, sexuality, actions, conditions, property, relationships, life experiences, lifestyles, and advice Additionally, English and Vietnamese idioms and proverbs utilize figures of speech such as metaphor, metonymy, personification, and antithesis, enhancing their figurative and lively nature Notably, metaphors are the most prevalent, comprising 57.7% in English and 61.9% in Vietnamese.
DIFFERENCES
The analysis of the syntactic features of IPCF, as presented in Tables 3.1 and 1 (Appendix 1), reveals that certain syntactic structures are unique to either English or Vietnamese IPCF Notably, the collected Vietnamese IPCF lacks idioms that utilize adverb phrases or prepositional phrases.
In addition, parallel structure is more widely used in Vietnamese IPCF than in English
In English, phrasal verbs exhibit greater structural diversity compared to their Vietnamese counterparts, while Vietnamese compound sentences demonstrate a wider range of structural variations than those in English.
In English, verb phrase structures in IPCF occur with a frequency of 63%, significantly higher than in Vietnamese, where they account for only 21.4% Conversely, Vietnamese predominantly features noun phrases, which make up 23.7% of the structures used.
A notable distinction in the structure of IPCF between English and Vietnamese is the frequency of sentence structures used In English, simple sentence structures are the most prevalent, accounting for 8.5% of usage, whereas in Vietnamese, simple and comparative sentence structures are more dominant, comprising 14% of the total.
English and Vietnamese exhibit significant differences in customs, historical and cultural backgrounds, religious beliefs, and geographical environments Semantically, there are notable distinctions in idiomatic phrases (IPCF) between the two languages In English, certain idioms can have multiple meanings, with the intended interpretation depending on the context For instance, the idiom "do a person in the eye" can mean "to deceive someone" or "to humiliate someone," while the proverb "a shut mouth catches no flies" conveys the ideas of "keeping quiet" and "being vigilant and ready to seize opportunities in life."
The analysis reveals that English lacks idioms and proverbs related to equality and work, whereas Vietnamese does not have expressions pertaining to place, desire, and ability.
Table 3.12 highlights a notable distinction between IPCF in English and Vietnamese In English, IPCF predominantly falls within the action field, comprising 33.7% of the total, whereas in Vietnamese, the largest proportion, 21.4%, is attributed to the personality field.
SUMMARY
In this section, IPCF emphasizes the syntactic features present in both languages The classification of idioms into smaller units relies on the independence of semantics within IPCF, leading to the categorization of IPCF into various types.
This article explores 52 phrases and sentence types, including noun, verb, adjective, adverb, and prepositional phrases, as well as simple, compound, complex, and comparison sentences We analyze and classify these structures to provide a comprehensive understanding of their features and functions.