a study on english and vietnamese proverbs about educating moral qualities from cultural perspective = tục ngữ tiếng anh và tiếng việt với ý nghĩa giáo dục phấm chất đạo đức - nghiên cứu dưới góc độ văn hóa

Vietnam National University
College of foreign languages
Department of Post- graduate studies
***

PHẠM THỊ MINH





A study on English and Vietnamese proverbs
about educating moral qualities from
cultural perspective
(Tục ngữ tiếng Anh và Tiếng Việt với ý nghĩa giáo dục phẩm chất
đaọ đức - Nghiên cứu dưới góc độ văn hoá)


Minor thesis



Field: English Linguistics
Code: 60 22 15

Hanoi, 2009

Vietnam National University
College of foreign languages
Department of Post- graduate studies
***

PHẠM THỊ MINH



A study on English and Vietnamese proverbs
about educating moral qualities from
cultural perspective
(Tục ngữ tiếng Anh và Tiếng Việt với ý nghĩa giáo dục phẩm chất
đaọ đức - Nghiên cứu dưới góc độ văn hoá)

Minor thesis

Field: English Linguistics
Code: 60 22 15




Supervisor : Prof. Dr. Hoàng Văn Vân










Hanoi, 2009



iv
Table of contents

Declaration
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
ABSTRACT

TABLE OF CONTENTS


Introduction
1
1.
Rationale
1
2.
Aims of the study
2
3.
Scope of the study
3
4.
Methods of the study
3
5.
Design of the study
4




Development
5

Chapter one: Theoretical Background
5
1.1

Proverbs
5
1.1.1
Definitions
5
1.1.2
Proverbs about educating moral qualities
6
1.1.3
Some features of proverbs
7
1.1.4
Classification of proverbs
8
1.1.5
Proverbs and Idioms
9



1.2
Some characteristics of English/ Vietnamese people and culture
10
1.2.1
The relationship between language and culture
10
1.2.2
Characteristics of English people and culture
11
1.2.3

Characteristics of Vietnamese people and culture
13

v
1.3
Summary
14

Chapter Two: Comparison of syntactic and
semantic features between English and
Vietnamese proverbs about educating moral
qualities
15
2.1
Syntactic features
15
2.1.1
Similarities
15
2.1.2
Differences
17
2.2
Semantic features
18
2.2.1
Similarities
18
2.2.2
Differences

20
2.3
Summary
22

Chapter three: Comparison of cultural
features between English and Vietnamese
proverbs about Educating Moral Qualities
23
3.1
Universal moral qualities
23
3.2
Moral qualities in the family
27
3.2.1
Women’s moral qualities
27
3.2.2
Moral qualities in love
28
3.2.3
Moral qualities in the husband-wife relationship
29
3.2.4
The duty of the children towards their parents
30
3.3
In the society
31

3.3.1
Moral qualities in friendship and neighborhood
31
3.3.2
The attitudes towards the elderly people and the teachers
32
3.3.3
The attitude towards Law
33
3.3.4
The attitude towards money
34
3.3.5
About Honor
35
3.4
Summary
36

vi

Conclusion
37
1
Recapitulation
37
2
Implications
37
2.1

For EFL Teaching and Learning
37
2.2
For Translation
39
3
Suggestions for Further Studies
41

APPENDIX


REFERENCES



1

Introduction

1. Rationale
It is clear that communicators in their own native language environment find it
natural to speak in the way they normally speak and behave according to their
presupposed social norms and conventions. However, in our cross-cultural
communication, that is communication between individuals from different cultural
backgrounds, many difficulties may arise. Each nation’s language lies in itself similar and
different cultural concepts on many fields of life such as humane values, behaviour
standards, religious beliefs, etc. Therefore, it would be difficult for foreign language
learners to communicate successfully with native speakers if they have poor
understanding of the language itself and the language in relation with culture.

Among many favorite languages such as French, Chinese etc, English has still
played its decisive role in international communication and has been learned by a large
number of people in the world. All foreign learners of English desire to master English as
the native speakers but they usually face many difficulties that prevent them from gaining
successful conversations. One of the reasons for these problems lies in the way people
perceive and use proverbs.
For many years, English proverbs have often been neglected in learning and
teaching because it is a difficult area of English, but nobody can deny that proverbs are
really important in communication, “a proverbs in the hand is often worth a thousand
words” (Horace Reynolds, 1959)
Firstly, proverbs as traditional wisdom are never absent from our daily speech.
They are a main part of each nation’s culture, which reflects all aspects of the life. People
epitomize their way of thinking and their ideas through proverbs. We can use them to
solve our daily conflicts or support our arguments. Proverbs are the mirrors that reflect
human culture. As Dr Malik Elzaki (2002) states: “If we want to understand the culture in
a given society, we have to study its proverbs as any nation has its own characteristics
that reflect their lives and environmental surroundings”. Hence, it can be said that

2
proverbs can help learners know more about social and cultural characteristics of that
language.
Secondly, proverbs are used to express ideas in figurative way. It brings the
vividness and richness for the speaker’s speech. Anyone who much concerns proverbs
owns a very attractive manner of speaking. Especially, they can do provide users with a
whole new way of expressing concepts linguistically. Without them, it can be stated that
English might lose its color and vitality.
Studying English proverbs in comparison with Vietnamese ones, we can find the
similarities and differences in two languages and cultures, which therefore, help learners
of English to understand and have a better use of English proverbs and Vietnamese ones.
This can also help learners to have better communication in the cross-cultural

communication.
Professor Denis Brutus (Pittsburgh University, America, 1995) stated the practical
effect of learning proverbs: “Through proverbs I know your points of view, the attitudes
of your ancestors. Each time I know a new Vietnamese proverb, I become Vietnamese a
little. I believe when we know all proverbs of each other, we are brothers”
Being interested in proverbs for a long time, I choose proverbs as my thesis topic
as both English and Vietnamese are especially rich in proverbs. Many of them are
corresponding in meaning or close enough to make comparison interesting and
rewarding. However, due to the limited time and knowledge, I just focus on a small part
of the huge proverbial treasure “A study on English and Vietnamese proverbs about
educating moral qualities from cultural perspective”.
Hopefully, the study may be an interesting and helpful material for learners,
teachers of English and for people who are interested in cultural pattern in
communication and cross-cultural communication.

2. Aims of the study
The study aims to:
 Investigate the general syntactic, semantic and especially cultural features
of English and Vietnamese proverbs about educating moral qualities.
 Explore the similarities and differences between English and Vietnamese

3
proverbs about educating moral qualities from the cultural perspective.
 Provide some suggestions for the teaching/learning and translation of the
English proverbs about educating moral qualities in particular.

3. Scope of the study
Proverbs about educating moral qualities are a large part in both English and
Vietnamese proverbs, so it is impossible for the author to carry out an exhaustive study
on them; just from the cultural perspective.

In this study, syntactic and semantic features of English proverbs about educating
moral qualities are discussed briefly; cultural features are extensively analyzed and
discussed when English proverbs are compared with Vietnamese ones.
All English and Vietnamese proverbs are collected from dictionaries and books,
so this research may not cover all proverbs about educating moral qualities; just those of
common use.

4. Methods of the study
The study uses the two methods: quantitative and qualitative. By virtue of the quantitative
method, the study has collected data for the study, including both English and
Vietnamese proverbs about educating moral qualities. The qualitative method is
employed to describe and analyze the data of the study. The steps of the study are in the
order as follows:
 Collect English and Vietnamese proverbs about educating moral qualities
from several dictionaries and books (e.g., English proverbs and sayings, The Oxford
Dictionary of concise Proverbs; Từ điển Thành ngữ và tục ngữ Việt Nam by Nguyễn Lân,
Từ điển Tục ngữ Việt-Anh, Anh-Việt thông dụng by Vũ Thế Ngọc, Tục ngữ so sánh (838
Tục Ngữ Việt-3000 Tục ngữ Anh-Pháp- Espanto) by Phạm Văn Vĩnh, Tục ngữ Ca dao
Dân ca Việt Nam by Vũ Ngọc Phan… and then sort them out.
 Investigate and analyze the syntactic, semantic and cultural features of
English and Vietnamese proverbs about educating moral qualities.
 Compare and find the similarities and differences between English and
Vietnamese about educating moral qualities.

4
5. Design of the study
The study consists of three parts. The first part “INTRODUCTION” outlines the
background of the study. In this part, a brief account of relevant information is provided
about the rationale, aims, scopes, method, and design of the study.
The main part of the study comprises three chapters.

Chapter one, as implied by the title: “Theoretical Background”, covers a series of
proverb-related concepts ranging from definitions of proverbs, features of proverbs, types
of proverbs, proverbs in comparison with idioms. Chapters two and three make up the
more specifically focused part of the study. Chapter two is concerned with a
“Comparison of syntactic and semantic features of English and Vietnamese
proverbs about educating moral qualities” whereas chapter three deals with a
“Comparison of cultural features of English and Vietnamese proverbs about
educating moral qualities”.
The final part is the “CONCLUSION”, which provides the recapitulation, implications
for the EFL teaching and learning and for the translation, and suggestions for further
studies. The study ends with the “REFERENCES”.















5
Development
Chapter one: Theoretical Background
1.1. Proverbs

1.1.1 Definitions of Proverbs
As there is a general agreement that proverbs are widely known in all human
languages, it is very necessary to define what proverbs are. Such English expressions as
“Many men, many minds”, “Experience is the mother of wisdom”, “Poverty is no sin”,
etc. are usually described as proverbs, so “What is a proverb?”
According to The New Oxford Dictionary (1996), a proverb is “a short, pithy saying in
general use, stating a general truth or a piece of advice”. This definition is developed in
the Oxford English Dictionary (2001, on-line) which defines a proverb as “a short, pithy
saying in common and recognized use; a concise sentence, often metaphorical or
alliterative in form, which is held to express some truth ascertained by experience or
observation and familiar to all”.
Some proverbs in themselves are people’s definitions of a proverbs, like “proverbs are
the wisdom of the street”, “proverbs are the children of experience”, “All the good sense
of the world runs into proverbs”.
Wolfgang Mieder defines a proverb as “a concise statement of an apparent truth
which has currency among the people”. Mieder performed an interesting survey, asking
55 non-academics to write their definitions of a proverb. He found that from 4 to 20 times
in the collected definitions, a proverb is “a phrase, saying, truth, morals, experience,
lessons, and advice concerning life and which has been handed from generation to
generation. (Proverbs are never out of season, 1993).
Vu Ngoc Phan (2000:39) considered proverbs as “a complete saying in which it
expresses one idea of comment, experience, morality, justice or criticism”
Many other scholars continue to find their own definitions of proverbs, but it is
difficult to give one exact definition. Archer Taylor (1931) defined a proverb in more
than 200 pages, and he concluded that it was impossible to give a meaningful definition
of it. Taylor noted that “…an incommunicable quality tells us this sentence is proverbial
and that one is not” (1931:3).

6
To conclude, there are different ways of defining a proverb. However, most of the

definitions meet at a common point that they find out some features to realize a proverb
which are a short pithy saying in common, stating a general truth or giving lessons or
advice.

1.1.2. Proverbs about educating moral qualities
According to Oxford dictionary, “moral” refers to principles of right or wrong behaviour,
based on one’s sense of what is right and just, not on legal rights and obligations.
From time to time, the definition of moral quality changes by the benevolence of
public opinion and depends also on the point of view. According to Stephen N. “Moral
quality is not just a cultural and social behaviours of acting and reacting …Moral quality
should be understood as human behaviour which holds that man should concern himself
with the welfare of all humans and never seek to destroy”. (In the Book American
Hypocrisy: American Diplomacy, American Stragedy, 2007).
Thus by “proverbs about educating moral qualities” here is meant proverbs that
may be used to express a lesson about principles of behaviour.

1.3. Some typical features of proverbs
1.3.1. Semantic features
 In terms of semantic peculiarities, a great number of proverbs are
metaphors. So each of them has one literal meaning and one or more extended meanings
in the figurative sense. For example, “Dog does not eat dog” can literally mean that even
a dog does not eat another dog; whereas, the figurative meaning refers to the loyalty
between companions: A person must not attack, try to injure, or try to make profit out of
a person of his own set. However, once a reader or hearer realizes that a given expression
is a proverb, even if they are not sure of its exact meaning, they will automatically
discard the literal meaning of the expression, and seek a figurative meaning. Furthermore,
the context in which the proverb occurs also plays an important role in the reduction of
the potential ambiguity of the proverb.
 Many proverbs from different culture correspond in meaning because they

7
all share the universal human experience and wisdom to deal with the same problems and
difficulties in human life. Even when they are expressed in different ways, the meanings
still are the same because they share the same experience. For example, we all know that
children have to be taught and are taught best at an early age; the Vietnamese say “The
young bamboo is easy to bend” (Tre non dễ uốn) while English-speaking people say,
“The hot iron is easy to strike”. There are many common proverbs all over the world in
general and in English in particular, for examples:
- Out of sight, out of mind (Xa mặt cách lòng ).
- Walls have ears ( Tường vách có tai).
- Cheapest is he dearest ( hám rẻ mua đắt).
- There is no smoke without fire (Không có lửa làm sao có khói).
 Paradox proverbs: As the proverbs are often so pithy and short, some
proverbs only states or imply one side of the issue. The contrastive proverbs are
considered as the exception for the general or normal moral lessons. Another explanation
for this phenomenon in proverbs is that because the life is so various, complicated, it also
has paradoxes, good points and bad points. Thus, in each specific situation people must
have the suitable behavior. We cannot follow only one model of behavior. We can find
many paradox proverbs both in English and Vietnamese, for examples:
- Necessity is the mother of invention (Cái khó ló cái khôn).
And - Poverty obstructs the road to virtue (Cái khó bó cái khôn).

1.3.2. Syntactic features
According to Vu The Ngoc (2000), brevity is an essential formal characteristic of
proverbs of any country. The common purpose is to make them easier to memorize. So
often, their popularity has been enhanced by the use of such devices as rhythm, rhyme,
assonance, alliteration and antithesis.
Proverbs must have the clause or sentence structure (not word) to express one
idea of comment, morality or criticism. Sometimes subject or predicate can be hidden in
proverbs such as: “To fish in troubled waers”, “Uống nước nhớ nguồn”…

8
All the components of a proverb are very important and interdependent. As a rule,
a proverbs does not contain long and complicated constructions, homogeneous parts,
more than one subordinate clause, and such components as might be omitted without
affecting the meaning of the proverbs. All these characteristics contribute to the brevity
of proverbs.
Proverbs are not ad hoc pieces of language, but are pre-formulated and pre-
fabricated generalized statements. They are therefore unalterable in their style and
structure. As such, they may neither need to be adapted to a given textual context nor do
they require a specific textual surrounding to be comprehensible.

1.4. Classification of proverbs
It is claimed that the exercise of categorizing the proverb genre is just difficult as
defining it. Despite the foregoing constraint, scholars have attempted to classify he
proverbs. There exists many different ways of proverb classification among linguists who
have based on different categories as origin, meaning, function….
S impson/ Speake in the Oxford Concise Dictionary of Proverbs (1998) postulate
in its introductory remarks the classification of Proverbs. They states that proverbs can be
divided into three main categories. Those of the first type take the form of abstract
statements expressing general truths, such as Absence makes the heart grow fonder….
Proverbs of the second type, which include many of the more colourful examples, use
specific observations from everyday experience to make a point which is general; for
instance, “You can take a horse to water, but you can‟t make him drink” and “Don‟t put
all your eggs in one basket”. The third type of proverb comprises sayings from particular
areas of traditional wisdom and folklore. In this category are found, for example, the
health proverbs After dinner rest a while, after supper walk a mile…In addition, there are
traditional country proverbs which relate to husbandry, the seasons, and the weather…
From my point of view, this way of classifying the proverbs is not clear and

difficult for learners to analyze. As this study mainly aims at analyzing and comparing
the English and Vietnamese cultural characteristics, I find that analyzing the proverbs
according to the classification based on the sub-topic is very an effective and interesting
way. When comparing the system of sub-topics of proverbs, it is easy to find the

9
similarities and differences between social and cultural aspects of the English and
Vietnamese communities. This kind of classification is the very popular often used in
many books. For examples, Dictionary of proverbs by Fergusson (6000 proverbs, 188
subjects) and Tuc ngu Viet Nam (Hanoi, 1993) by Chu Xuan Dien (4100 proverbs, 73
subjects)

1.5. Proverbs and idioms
It is affirmed that all languages have systems of proverbs. However, besides
proverbs there also have idioms, which share many things in common with proverbs. For
better understanding proverbs, setting distinction between proverbs and idioms is highly
essential.
According to Hornby (1995) in his Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, an
idiom is “a phrase or sentence whose meaning is not clear from the meaning of its
individual words and which must be learnt as a whole unit”. Idiom is a fixed group of
words which is firm in terms of structure, complete and figurative in terms of meaning,
and is widely used in daily speaking (Hoang Van Hanh, 1994:21). Some examples of
idioms are: “bury the hatcher”, “come up smelling like a rose”, “have second thoughts”,
“let the cat out of the bad”…
It is easy to find that proverbs and idioms have many in common and it comes as
no surprise that they are traditionally studied together. The first one is that both proverbs
and idioms are ready-made. They are products of people, culture and process of hard
working and learning. They are mainly orally handed down from generation to generation
and naturally accepted in daily life. Secondly, any substitution in any component of a
proverb or an idiom may result in unacceptable changes in the meaning of the whole

group as both proverbs and idioms are se-expressions with stable and insubstituted
components. Apart from this, most proverbs and idioms use language in a metaphorical
and figurative meaning. So we cannot discover their meanings by looking up the
individual words in a dictionary; their meanings must be understood metaphorically.
However, proverbs and idioms also have some typical features that distinguish
one from the other. The first and most obvious difference lies in the grammar. Proverbs
are considered as complete sentences or phrases expressing the whole idea and can stand

10
alone. Meanwhile, idioms are phrases which are parts of a sentence and thus, they are
equivalent to words only. Moreover proverbs and idioms are also different in terms of
functions. Proverbs are short well-known sentences or phrases that express a judgment,
state a general truth about life or advice; they are claimed to contain three main literature
functions which are perceptive function, aesthetic function and education function.
For example, the proverb “Money is the root of all evil” demonstrates a remark as well as
a criticism about the negative side of money in the society. Its perceptive function is to
make people aware of the bad effect of money which can lead people to the evil road.
The educational function is to criticize the negative of money and urges people to be
aware of its ill effect. And its aesthetic function is to exaggerate in a picturesque way to
help readers understand the proverb easily. In contrast, idioms do not have functions of
perception and education but only the aesthetic function. For example, the idiom “a dirty
pig” merely describes somebody who is dirty in his or her personal or domestic habits in
figurative and imaginary way and does not point out any educational lesson or knowledge
of life.
To conclude, beside some common things, proverbs and idioms also have
differences in their structure and functions.

1.2. Language and Culture
1.2.1. The relationship between language and culture
In any culture or region, language is much more than semantics, much more than

what the written or the system word can contain. It has been seen that language of a
community is a part of or a manifestation of its culture. Culture and language are closely
related and interact between themselves. This specially becomes clear when studying a
foreign language and learning the ways of a particular culture. According to Kramsch
(2003:3), language is the principle means whereby we conduct our social lives. When it is
used in contexts of communication, it is bound up with culture in multiple and complex
ways.
Kramsch argued that the word people utter express facts, ideas or events that are
communicable. Words also reflect their authors’ attitudes and beliefs, their points of view
that are also those of others. In both cases, language expresses cultural reality.

11
In addition, we find that language embodies cultural reality through all its verbal
and nonverbal aspects. The way in which people use the spoken, written or visual
medium itself creates meanings that are understandable to the group they belong to, for
example, through a speaker’s tone of voice, accent, conversational style, gestures and
expressions.
Finally, language is a system of signs that is seen as having itself a cultural value.
Speakers identify themselves and others through their use of language as a symbol of
their social identity. The prohibition of its use is often perceived by its speakers as a
rejection of their social group and their culture. Thus, we can say that language
symbolizes cultural identity.
Especially, in Sapir’s view (1970, p.207), “language doesn‟t exist apart from
culture, that is from the socially inherited assemblage of practices and beliefs that
determines the texture of our lives”. In other words, he defines culture as “what society
does and thinks” and language is “a particular how of thought”. A culture’s language
contains everything its speakers can think about and every way they have of thinking
about thing.
To sum up, it is clear that language and culture always exist together and
reinforce each other. The relationship between them is so inextricable that we could not

understand or appreciate the one without the knowledge of the other. Anyone studying a
foreign language has to be bicultural as well as bilingual to speak the new language in a
way that it is not disparaging to the culture and its origin.

1.2.2. General characteristics of Vietnamese people and culture
Vietnam boasts an age-long and special culture. Originated from the Southeast
Asian culture, the Vietnamese river-imprinted culture deeply affects the whole spiritual
as well as material life of Vietnamese people. The culture has existed and developed in
close interaction with other cultures in Asia, particularly with Chinese culture due to the
era of Chinese domination, which lasted for almost 1000 years of the country’s early
history. As a result, the Viet people and culture were subject to constant Chinese
influence and significant attempts of assimilation.

12
In fact, Vietnam has found itself entangled in wars against foreign powers (China, France
and American) more than any other country in the region. On the positive side, the
history of war has helped shape the Vietnamese characters. Long years of fighting against
foreign intruders have served to unify the country, fostering a sense of nationalism,
patriotism and pride.
The Vietnamese culture is said to be an agricultural one which was characterized
by the village community with many of its primitive vestiges retained. Farmers’ thoughts
penetrated deeply into the Vietnamese agricultural society and had many positive aspects
that made up the typical features of the traditional Vietnamese. Living mostly on farm
created democracy and hierarchy, unity, collective spirit and independent spirit in
Vietnamese people.
Vietnamese people are greatly affected by Yin and Yang philosophy, clearly
expressed in harmony tendency between people with people and with the nature. The
village culture highly valued emotional ties and attachment to relatives and community as
well as help extended to each other especially to the less fortunate members. In this way,
it fostered the sense of collectivism

In addition, Vietnamese life was also profoundly influenced by the practice of
ancestor worship as well as native animism. Most Vietnamese people, regardless of
religious denomination, practise ancestor worship and have an ancestor altar at their
home or business, a testament to the emphasis Vietnamese culture places on filial duty.
Another feature of no less importance is the personalism in Vietnamese culture,
which is opposite with individualism in western culture. Vietnamese people are those of
various and diversified relationship and strongly controlled by such complicated
relationships. In the Viet community, to a person’s children, he is a father; to his wife, he
is a husband; to his grandparents, he is a nephew; and to his neighbors, he is also a
family’s child and a member of a larger family. Especially, the distinguishing features
when talking about Vietnamese cultural identity is the durable relationship between
individuals and their family, between families and village, and to a broader term, the
Motherland. Generally speaking, Vietnamese people are those of duty and responsibility;
and we can frequently hear such phrases as “lá lành đùm lá rách”, “Bán anh em xa mua
láng giềng gần”, “Sớm lửa tối đèn có nhau”…

13
In general, Vietnamese people are said to be very hard-working, brave and
faithful in their living and behaviors. Vietnamese culture is an undetachable part of
Southeast Asian culture space with typical features of a wet-rice civilization. Many of the
values and customs are sill up help in the Vietnamese society today, although not in its
original strict and absolute forms.

1.2.3. Characteristics of British culture and people
British customs and traditions are famous all over the world. There is a
considerable diversity of culture among British people. However, The English culture is
often considered a representative and often used to refer to the entire country’s culture of
Britain. Especially it cannot be denied that the dominant culture of Britain today is
specifically English.
Britain, the largest island of the British Isles, includes the countries of England,

Wales, Ireland and Scotland. Being an island has affected the British people’s
characteristics. British people still have an island mentally: independent, separate and on
the edge of things. British families are often criticized for the way they do things
separately, though many believe that it is good for children to learn to be independent.
According to James O’Driscoll (2000), family identity is rather week in Britain,
especially in England, in comparison with most other places in the world. In Britain, the
family unit definitely means the nuclear family. Compared to the culture value of
Vietnam, the members of a family in Britain usually do not share the same roof. There is
little sense of extended family identity, except among some racial minorities. It is unusual
for adults of different generations within the family to live together. Especially, newly
married couples rarely live with their in-laws. Elderly parents either live alone for as long
as they are able or enter a home for the aged. An adult child would oversee such an
arrangement but does not feel an obligation to take the parent into his own home.
Unlike Vietnam, Britain has a strong history of colonizing many areas of the
world. Perhaps because of the long tradition of a clear separation between individual and
the state, English people are not normally actively patriotic although many of them feel
proud to be English. When the community value is concerned, it is rare to find people

14
who have lived all their lives in one community. As a result, the British also have no the
same community value as the Vietnamese do.
It is probably true that the British, especially the English, tend to be more reserved
than the people of many other countries. It means that they don’t show their emotion very
much. They do not quickly share their deeper feelings. They find it comparatively
difficult to indicate friendship by open displays of affection. They are said to be people
who often keep certain distance to strangers, do not talk much about themselves, do not
show much emotion and seldom get excited. This fact tends to give their communicators
the impression of coldness. The English also favour individualism rather than group
orientation.
The English people specially like privacy. “An Englishman‟s house is his castle”,

This old saying sums up a fairly widespread tendency. In addition, certain information is
thought of as private. The information is normally about personal details; e.g. older
people would probably still not like being asked a direct question about their age. It is not
acceptable to ask a childless couple why they have no children. People do not like to be
asked how much money they earn, etc.
Moreover, sportsmanship is highly valued in Britain with rules showing
generosity to one’s opponent and good temper in defeat. It is also an ideal that is applied
to life in general. This is proved by the number of sporting terms used in ordinary speech.
One of the most element rules of life is “never hit a man when he‟s down”- in other
words, never take advantage of another misfortune.
In short, English culture belongs to the Western one. It is world –wide agreed that
British people are independent, separate and reserve. In addition, individualism is also the
main ego in British culture. The English people and culture are very different from
Vietnamese ones in some ways and this makes the comparison between English and
Vietnamese culture rewarding.
1.3. Summary
This chapter provides us with a basic view on proverbs in general, definitions, types and
noticeable features. Besides, chapter one also makes comparison between proverbs and
idioms. The relationship between language and culture, some characteristics of British
and Vietnamese cultures are also mentioned in this chapter.

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Chapter 2
Comparison of syntactic and semantic
features of English and Vietnamese proverbs
about educating moral qualities

2.1. Comparison of syntactic features
2.1.1. Similarities
In terms of structural organization, English and Vietnamese proverbs about

educating moral qualities have features in common. Firstly, both English and Vietnamese
proverbs are usually recognized by the fixed, often short form and is therefore quite easy
to memorize and easily retrievable from memory. Moreover, rhetorical figures such as
alliteration, rhythm… frequently occur. For examples:
Alliteration: - He laughs best who laughs last.
- Nói hay hơn hay nói.
Rhythm: - Waste not, want not.
- Long absent, soon forgotten.
- Ăn đến nơi, làm đến chốn.

On the other hand, both English and Vietnamese proverbs about educating moral
qualities also share some typical constructions.
 Parallel construction
This kind is very popular in English and Vietnamese proverbs. About 4% of English
proverbs and more than 27% of Vietnamese proverbs about educating moral qualities
belong to this kind. The proverbs of this kind often omit conjunctions, but there still
exists the meaningful relationship between two clauses. “And” or “But” in English
proverbs and “Thì” “Là” in Vietnamese proverbs are omitted. Instead, alliteration and
rhythm are used to make the sentences be well-proportioned. For examples:
- Harm set, harm get.

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- Ill gotten, ill spent.
- Cáo chết để da, người (ta) chết để tiếng.
- Chú cũng như cha, dì cũng như mẹ.
 Sentence structures omitted the subject
Both English and Vietnamese proverbs in general and English-Vietnamese proverbs
about educating moral qualities in particular use this form of sentence structure to express
the general aspects or qualities that can belong to a general person or anyone. Doing so,
the proverbs seem to stress common sense and wisdom, which have some permanent

truth applicable to all periods of time with their timeless character. Thanks to this form,
the proverbs carry the general meanings. Here are some examples:
- Think today and speak tomorrow.
- It‟s easy to bear the misfortunes of others.
- Cut your coat according to your cloth.
- Sống đục sao bằng thác trong.
- Ăn có nhai, nói có nghĩ…
This kind of proverbs is more popular in Vietnamese proverbs about educating moral
qualities than in English, 45% Vietnamese proverbs and 28% English proverbs belong to
this form.
 S-V construction
In English proverbs about educating moral qualities, the verbs “to be, to have, to make”
were often used as the main verbs in the model of S-V construction. The meanings of
such those verbs are of multiple ones. The English of this type often have the Vietnamese
equivalent ones in the form of parallel construction For examples:
Haste makes waste (Dục tốc, bất đat).
Even reckoning make long friends (Ăn cho đều, kêu cho sòng).
Every man is his own worst enemy (trách người một, trách ta mười).
40 % Vietnamese proverbs about educating moral qualities is of the form S-V
construction. For examples: “Thuyền theo lái gái theo chồng”, “Chữ trinh đáng giá ngàn
vàng”, “Chó cậy gần nhà, gà cậy gần chuồng”…
 On the other hand, in our daily speech, both the English and

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Vietnamese people often break the form of ready-made proverbs to have more
effectiveness in their speech. For examples:
- “I mean, bringing sinners to repentance is all right, but there are limits. And
does the leopard ever change his spots?” (Hoàng Đình Tứ, 100 Tục ngữ Tiếng Anh
thông dụng, p36 )
- Này chị Pha, tôi nói cho mà biết, có về bảo anh ấy đổi tên thằng bé, không có

chẳng ra gì với tôi đâu.”
Ừ đấy, cứ đặt thế đấy, nghĩa là sinh sự thì sự sinh, chứ bụt trên toà gà nào dám mổ
mắt”.(Nguyễn Công Hoan, Bước đường cùng)
- Thôi ông cứ yên tâm… Một người lấy tây cả họ được nhờ” (Vũ Trọng Phụng, Kỹ
nghệ lấy Tây)
In those examples, four proverbs were structurally broken:
- Leopard cannot change his spot.
- Sinh sự thì sự sinh.
- Bụt trên toà, gà nào mổ mắt.
- Một người làm quan cả họ được nhờ.

2.1.2. Differences
There are also a great deal differences between the English and Vietnamese proverbs
about educating moral qualities in syntactic features.
Firstly, in terms of pun, the ways of expression in English and Vietnamese proverbs
reflect the specific characteristics of English and Vietnamese language: polysyllabic and
monosyllabic. English proverbs often use alliteration in accordance with the polysyllabic
language, such as:
- Diamond cut diamond.
- He laughs best who laughs last.
However, Vietnamese proverbs about educating moral qualities have the pun of
inversion, changing from active to passive voice, for examples:
- Hại nhân nhân hại.
- Chê chồng chẳng bõ chồng chê.
- Khôn ăn người, dại người ăn.

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Another difference between English and Vietnamese proverbs about educating
moral qualities in terms of syntactic features is that rhyme is more popularly used in
Vietnamese proverbs than in English ones as Vietnamese is of monosyllabic language

meanwhile initial alliteration is more often used in English proverbs, for examples:
- Nothing for nothing.
- Handsome is as handsome does.
According to Nguyen Van Muoi (1996), rhyme has never been important in the English
literature. Even most of the famous poems are without rhyme. So it is easy to understand
why rhyme is not popular in English proverbs either.
Rhyme in Vietnamese proverbs about educating moral qualities usually appears in the
form of compound sentences such as:
- Thuận vợ thuận chồng, tát biển Đông cũng cạn.
- Không ai giàu ba họ, không ai khó ba đời.
- Đói cho sạch, rách cho thơm.
It also exists inside the form of proverbs with one clause such as: “Một giọt máu đào hơn
ao nước lã”.
Furthermore, Vietnamese proverbs in general and Vietnamese proverbs about educating
moral qualities in particular differ English ones in a way that they can be formed by
adding some words from idioms. For examples, we have the Vietnamese idioms: “có đi
có lại”, “bình chân như vại”, “hữu thuỷ vô chung”…and by adding some words
Vietnamese people could create new proverbs:
Có đi có lại mới toại lòng nhau.
Cháy nhà hàng xóm bình chân như vại.
Những người hữu thuỷ vô chung, là người tệ bạc tin dùng làm chi…

2.2. Comparison of semantic features
2.2.1. Similarities
 Universal proverbs
Many proverbs about educating moral qualities from English and Vietnamese
cultures correspond in meaning because they all share the universal human experience
and wisdom to teach the next generations how to behave in human life. Even when they

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are expressed in different ways, the meanings still are the same because they advise the
same moral qualities. For examples:
- A honeyed tongue, a heart of gall. (Khẩu Phật, tâm xà).
Both proverbs refer to someone who is warm and accommodating in speech but harsh
and ruthless in action. These proverbs also criticize this kind of characteristics.
- Harm set, harm get (Ác giả ác báo).
The proverbs warn the people who start wrong or violent actions will suffer the same
violent consequence of their actions.
 Paradox proverbs
Through this study, it is found that English-Vietnamese proverbs in general and
English- Vietnamese proverbs about educating moral qualities in particular appear some
proverbs which advised people to behave quite contrastively. For examples:
“Look before you leap” and “He who hesitates is lost”.
(“Trâu chậm uống nước đục” and “Cẩn tắc vô ưu”).
-“Silence is the best policy” and “Outspoken is the best policy”.
As the proverbs are often so pithy and short, some proverbs only states or imply one side
of the issue. The contrastive proverbs about educating moral qualities are considered as
the exception for the general or normal moral lessons. From my point of view, there is
another explanation for this phenomenon in proverbs. Because life is so various,
complicated, it also has paradoxes, good points and bad points. Thus, in each specific
situation people must have the suitable behavior. We cannot follow only one model of
behavior. Vietnamese proverbs also taught people about this way of behavior: “Ăn theo
thuả, ở theo thời” or “Đáo giang tuỳ khúc”.

 Using words denoting general people
English proverbs about educating moral qualities often have the general
determiners and predeterminers (such as: Every, each, every one, everything), the
pronounce One, and the relative pronounce Who to make the general meaning:
Everything comes to him who waits. (Ai chờ người ấy được).
Everyone must bear his own cross. (Trồng cây chua ăn quả chua, trồng

cây ngọt ăn quả ngọt).

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Vietnamese proverbs also use the words to denote the general people such
as: người, ai đứa, kẻ…For example: “Cười người hôm trước hôm sau người cười”, “Ai
giàu ba họ, ai khó ba đời”, “Giàu đâu đến kẻ ngủ trưa”…

2.2.2. Differences
When considering English and Vietnamese proverbs about educating moral
qualities, we only find few Vietnamese proverbs which are comparatively equivalent to
English ones both in meaning and structure, for examples: “A good name is better than
riches” (Tốt danh hơn lành áo). Nevertheless, it is obvious that most of English proverbs
have no Vietnamese equivalent ones in the use of words due to the differences between
English and Vietnamese cultural characteristics. “The different concepts in seeing the
natural and social phenomena as well as the different ways of thinking are reflected in
the different choices of using words in proverbs” (Nguyen Van Muoi,1996, p102). Look
at the following examples:
A rotten apple injures its neighbor (Con sâu làm rầu nồi canh).
Both the English and Vietnamese proverbs criticize an evil person can have a bad
influence on those around him but each proverb uses a different metaphorical image. The
English proverbs use the image of one rotten apple that can spoil the whole basket while
the Vietnamese one observes the phenomenon that one worm in the soup will spoil the
whole pan.
Another difference in semantic features between English and Vietnamese
proverbs about educating moral qualities is that Vietnamese ones often have hyperbole.
In contrast, English proverbs rarely use hyperbole as they often express the meaning in
serious and model way.
Many Vietnamese proverbs use exaggerated images with a view to emphasize their
figurative meaning. This feature of Vietnamese proverbs reflected the common
Vietnamese popular thoughts that were rich in imaginary and satire. Some examples are:

- Chẳng phải dạy đĩ vén váy (Don‟t teach fishes to swim).
- Chồng người vì nước xông pha, chồng em ở nhà gà đá gãy chân.
- Được voi, đòi tiên (Give him an inch and he‟ll take an ell).