比喻 (bǐyù) — metaphor; to use a metaphor
HSK 5 | n/v | a rhetorical comparison; to describe something by likening it to something else
比喻 (bǐyù)
比喻 is the umbrella term in Chinese for figurative comparison, covering both simile (明喻, míngyù) and metaphor (暗喻, ànyù). As a verb it means to describe or explain something by comparing it to something else; as a noun it refers to the comparison itself. It is a fundamental rhetorical device taught in Chinese language education and appears frequently in literary analysis and everyday speech.
Meanings
- [n] metaphor; simile; figurative comparison
- [v] to use a metaphor; to compare figuratively; to liken
Example Sentences
老师用"时间是金钱"这个比喻来强调珍惜时间的重要性。 Lǎoshī yòng "shíjiān shì jīnqián" zhège bǐyù lái qiángdiào zhēnxī shíjiān de zhòngyàoxìng. The teacher used the metaphor "time is money" to emphasize the importance of valuing time.
这首诗充满了生动的比喻，把悲伤比作一片汪洋大海。 Zhè shǒu shī chōngmǎn le shēngdòng de bǐyù, bǎ bēishāng bǐzuò yī piàn wāngyáng dàhǎi. This poem is full of vivid metaphors, likening grief to a vast ocean.
用比喻来解释抽象概念能让听众更容易理解。 Yòng bǐyù lái jiěshì chōuxiàng gàiniàn néng ràng tīngzhòng gèng róngyì lǐjiě. Using metaphors to explain abstract concepts makes it easier for the audience to understand.
他善用比喻，总能把复杂的道理说得浅显易懂。 Tā shàn yòng bǐyù, zǒng néng bǎ fùzá de dàolǐ shuō de qiǎnxiǎn yì dǒng. He is good at using metaphors, and can always make complex ideas easy to understand.
分析这篇文章时，找出所有的比喻并解释其含义。 Fēnxī zhè piān wénzhāng shí, zhǎochū suǒyǒu de bǐyù bìng jiěshì qí hányì. When analyzing this essay, identify all metaphors and explain their meanings.
"人生是一场旅途"是汉语中非常常见的一个比喻。 "Rénshēng shì yī chǎng lǚtú" shì Hànyǔ zhōng fēicháng chángjiàn de yī gè bǐyù. "Life is a journey" is a very common metaphor in Chinese.
Collocations
| Collocation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 运用比喻 | to employ metaphor |
| 生动的比喻 | a vivid metaphor |
| 比喻手法 | figurative technique |
| 用…比喻… | to use X to describe Y figuratively |
| 比喻义 | figurative meaning |
Usage Notes
In Chinese rhetoric education, 比喻 is classified into subtypes: 明喻 (simile, using 像/如/好比), 暗喻 (metaphor, using 是/成为), and 借喻 (implied metaphor, where the tenor is absent). When writing essays, students are often asked to 运用比喻 (use metaphor) to make their writing more vivid.
In everyday speech, 打个比方 (dǎ gè bǐfāng) — "let me give you an analogy" — is more colloquial than 打个比喻. However, 比喻 itself is understood by all speakers and appears in casual conversation when someone says 这只是个比喻 ("it's just a figure of speech").
Memory Hook
比 means to compare; 喻 means to explain by analogy — 比喻 is "comparing to explain," the essence of metaphor.