暗喻 (àn yù) — metaphor | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A type of 比喻 where the comparison is implied rather than stated with words like 像 or 好像. It is the literary/literary-analysis term for what English calls a 'metaphor'.

noun

metaphor

Examples

暗喻，。
Zhè shǒu shī yùn yòng le àn yù, biǎo dá le duì gù xiāng de sī niàn.
This poem uses a metaphor to express longing for one's hometown.
暗喻。
Lǎo shī ràng wǒ men fēn xī zhè ge àn yù de shēn céng hán yì.
The teacher asked us to analyze the deeper meaning of this metaphor.
暗喻。
àn yù Shì shī gē zhōng cháng jiàn de xiū cí shǒu fǎ.
Metaphor is a common rhetorical device in poetry.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

暗ànhidden

喻yùmetaphor

“暗” (hidden) and “喻” (analogy) combine to mean a metaphor whose comparison is concealed.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

日音暗

Meaning part形符xíngfú

日日rìsun

Sound part声符shēngfú

音

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

暗 pairs 日 (sun) with 音, which gives the sound.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

口俞喻

Meaning part形符xíngfú

口口kǒumouth

Sound part声符shēngfú

俞

俞yú喻⁰yù

Same sound today

喻 pairs 口 (mouth) with 俞, which gives its sound.

Appears in

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