Learn Chinese Weekly

To add interest to our speech, we often employ figures of speech, such as similies and metaphors. The exaggeration spices up the image that we wish to convey. For example, saying “He snores like a pig.” depicts the condition much more effectively than simply stating that he snores. Also, “my mother-bear instinct surged” immediately brings up the picture of a mother bear defending her cubs with a sudden intensive protectiveness. Now, which one of the above statements employs a simile, and which one employs a metaphor? If you’ve ever been confused by the difference between these two figures of speech, just remember that with a simile, you’d be making an explicit comparison between two things by using such words as “like” or “as”. On the other hand, with a metaphor, you’d simply state or imply that one thing is the other, without using such words as “like” or “as”. As you can see below, comparisons work the same way in Chinese.

Similes:

Many similes involve personification of animals:

像云雀一样快乐 (xiàng yúnquè yīyàng kuàilè) happy as a lark

像狗一样忠实 ((xiàng gǒu yīyàng zhōngshí) loyal as a dog

像牛一样强壮 (xiàng niú yīyàng qiángzhuàng) strong as an ox

像骡一样顽固 (xiàng luó yīyàng wángù) stubborn as a mule

像小绵羊一样温顺 (xiàng xiǎo miányáng yīyàng wēnshùn) gentle and submissive as a lamb

像蜗牛一样慢 (xiàng wōniú yīyàng màn) slow as a snail

像狮子一样勇敢 (xiàng shīzi yīyàng yǒnggǎn) brave as a lion

像老虎一样凶猛 (xiàng lǎohǔ yīyàng xiōngměng) ferocious as a tiger

像骆驼一样勤劳 (xiàng luòtuó yīyàng qínláo) hardworking as a camel

像蛇一样聪明 (xiàng shé yīyàng cōngmíng) wise and intelligent as the serpents

像热锅上的蚂蚁 (xiàng rè guō shàng de mǎyǐ) like an ant on a hot pot (very anxious)

In formal Chinese speech and writing we use 如 (rú), 若 (ruò) and 似 (sì) for the English prepositions “like”, “as” and “similar to”. Following are a few common examples:

骨瘦如柴 (gǔshòurúchái) skinny as a thin stick of firewood

呆若木鸡 (dāiruòmùjī) dumb as a wooden chicken; dumbstruck

如魚得水 (rúyúdéshuǐ) like fish in water (in one’s elements)

如坐針氈 (rúzuòzhēnzhān) like sitting on pins and needles

艳若桃李 (yàn ruò táolǐ) beautiful as peach and plum blossoms

冷若冰霜 (lěngruòbīngshuāng) cold as ice

如花似玉 (rúhuā sì yù) beautiful as flowers and jade

前途似锦 (qiántú sì jǐn) a bright future like a shiny brocade

Here are a few sample sentences that make use of similes:

他做事像蜗牛一样慢.
Tā zuòshì xiàng wōniú yīyàng màn.
He works at a snail’s pace.

我们焦急地等待着, 如坐针毡.
Wǒmen jiāojí de děngdàizhuó, rúzuòzhēnzhān.
We waited anxiously, like sitting on pins and needles.

她妹妹确实是艳若桃李, 冷若冰霜.
Tā mèimei quèshí shì yàn ruò táolǐ, lěngruòbīngshuāng.
Her younger sister is indeed as beautiful as a peach and as cold as ice.

In Chapter 10 of “Learn Chinese through Songs and Rhymes“, in which we discuss the song “Lift Your Veil”, you will find a whole bunch of similes that are used for comparing a pretty girl’s facial features to other objects.

Metaphors:

忙碌的蜜蜂 (mánglù de mìfēng) busy bee

狡猾的狐狸 (jiǎohuá de húlí) sly fox (cunning fox)

尽责的公鸡 (jìnzé de gōngjī) dutiful rooster

贪吃的猪 (tān chī de zhū) gluttonous pig

呆头鹅 (dāi tóu é) goofy goose

饿狼 (èláng) hungry wolf

狼吞虎嚥 (lángtūnhǔyàn) devour (wolf down)

懒猫 (lǎn māo) lazy cat

夜猫子 (yèmāozǐ) owl (a person who goes to bed late)

酸葡萄 (suān pútáo) sour grape

花蝴蝶 (huā húdié) or 社交花 (shèjiāo huā) social butterfly

母老虎 (Mǔ lǎohǔ) tigress

待宰的羔羊 (dài zǎi de gāoyáng) lamb to the slaughter

眼中钉 (yǎnzhōngdīng) thorn in one’s side (nail in one’s eye)

鹰钩鼻(yīng gōu bí) hooked nose (like the beaks of a hawk)

出气筒 (chūqìtǒng) punching bag

癞蛤蟆想吃天鵝肉 (làihámá xiǎng chī tiān’é ròu) toad wants to eat swan meat (to crave for something one is not worthy of)

The above metaphor is often used to describe a man trying to marry a woman far above his social standing or looks.

Here are a few sample sentences that make use of metaphors:

我们这些待宰的羔羊，静静地等待着检测结果的公布。
Wǒmen zhèxiē dài zǎi de gāoyáng, jìng jìng de děngdàizhuó jiǎncè jiéguǒ de gōngbù.
We, the lambs to the slaughter, waited quietly for our test result to be announced.

每个人都害怕他家里的母老虎.
Měi gèrén dōu hàipà tā jiālǐ de mǔ lǎohǔ.
Everyone is afraid of the tigress in his family.

别把我当出气筒.
Bié bǎ wǒ dāng chūqìtǒng.
Don’t use me a s a punching bag.

Many of the four-character Chinese idioms contain metaphors.

斩钉截铁 (zhǎndīngjiétiě) means decisively, resolutely or categorically, like chopping nails and cutting iron.

“蜻蜓点水”(qīng tíng diǎn shuǐ) depicts how a dragonfly skims the surface of the water to lay eggs. This expression is often used as a metaphor to describe the superficial or cursory manner in which something is done.

狐假虎威 (hújiǎhǔwēi) means to bully people by virtue of someone else’s authority. Click on this link to watch a video illustrating this Chinese idiom.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJI1JdvCQKc

火上加油 (huǒshàngjiāyóu) is to pour oil on the flame to make things much worse.

钻牛角尖 (zuānniújiǎojiān) means to split hairs, to be bogged down in trivialities or to be pedantic. When some unfortunate thing happens (such as being dumped by a lover), some people are able to get over it in a reasonably short time, while others might keep mulling over all the bits of details. The latter are said to 钻牛角尖 (zuānniújiǎojiān) or 想不开 (xiǎngbùkāi take things too hard).

Review the Chinese idioms that you’ve learned so far, and see if you can identify a few that could serve as similes or metaphors that enliven your speech or writing.