比喻 (bǐ yù) — to liken; to compare metaphorically; metaphor;…

Definition

比喻 is the noun for a 'metaphor/analogy' and the verb for 'to liken/compare figuratively.' As a verb, it pairs with 把: 比喻成 / 比喻为. 比方 is the everyday verb 'to use an analogy'; 好比 is a more literary 'to be like.'

to likento compare metaphoricallymetaphoranalogyfigure of speech

Examples

比喻。
Rén men cháng bǎ rén shēng bǐ yù chéng yì chǎng lǚ xíng.
People often liken life to a journey.
比喻，。
Zhè ge bǐ yù fēi cháng xíng xiàng, wǒ yí xià jiù dǒng le.
This metaphor is very vivid; I understood it right away.
比喻？
Nǐ néng yòng bǐ yù lái jiě shì zhè ge dào lǐ ma?
Can you use an analogy to explain this principle?

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

比bǐcompare

喻yùindicate or explain

比 means to compare, 喻 means to indicate or explain; together they express likening one thing to another.

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.

匕匕bǐ
匕匕bǐ

比 is two 匕 placed side by side. Chu Wan-li treats both as sound parts, while an old reading takes the side-by-side arrangement as putting things next to each other.

Open 比 →

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.

Open 喻 →

Appears in