Vietnam national university - Hanoi
university of languages and InTERNATIONAL STUDIES
Department of Post-graduate studies

TRẦN THẾ KHOA A Study on Family-Related English and
Vietnamese Proverbs
(From a Lingual-Cultural Perspective)

NGHIÊN CỨU CÁC TỤC NGỮ LIÊN QUAN ĐẾN MỐI QUAN HỆ
GIA ĐÌNH TRONG TIẾNG ANH VÀ TIẾNG VIỆT
(NHÌN TỪ GÓC ĐỘ NGÔN NGỮ VÀ VĂN HOÁ)

M.A. MINOR THESIS
Major: English Linguistics
Code: 60 22 15

(NHÌN TỪ GÓC ĐỘ NGÔN NGỮ VÀ VĂN HOÁ)

M.A. MINOR THESIS
Major: English Linguistics
Code: 60 22 15
Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyễn Văn Độ
HÀ NỘI, 8/2009 iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECLARATION……………………………………………………………………….i
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS…………………………………………………………….ii
ABSTRACT……………………………………………………………………………iii
INTRODUCTION
1. Rationale…………………………………………………………………………….1
2. Aims of the Study……………………………………………… ………………….2
3. Scopes of the Study…………………………………………… ……………… 2
4. Methods of the Study…………………………………………….…………………3
5. Design of the Study……………………………………… ……………………… 3

DEVELOPMENT


2.2.1.1. Attitudes towards Women in Family-Related Vietnamese Proverbs
2.2.1.2. Attitudes towards Women in Family-Related English Proverbs
2.2.2. Love ……………………………………………………………………….18
2.2.2.1. Love in Family-Related Vietnamese Proverbs……………………… 18
2.2.2.2. Love in Family-Related English Proverbs………………… ……….19
2.2.3. Marriage
2.2.3.1. Marriage in Family-Related Vietnamese Proverbs…………… ……19
2.2.3.2. Marriage in Family-Related English Proverbs……………………… 21
2.2.4. Choosing Mates
2.2.4.1. Choosing Mates in Family-Related Vietnamese Proverbs……………22
2.2.4.2. Choosing Mates in Family-Related English Proverbs……………… 23
2.2.5. Husband-Wife Relationship……………………………………………….24
2.2.5.1. Husband-Wife Relationship in Family-Related Vietnamese Proverbs
2.2.5.2. Husband-Wife Relationship in Family-Related English Proverbs
2.2.6. Divorce, Remarriage and Polygamy……………………………… …….26
2.2.6.1. Divorce, Remarriage and Polygamy in Family-Related Vietnamese
Proverbs
2.2.6.2. Divorce, Remarriage and Polygamy in Family-Related English
Proverbs
2.2.7. Parentage……………………………………………………….………….28
2.2.7.1. Parents-Offspring Relationship in Family-Related Vietnamese Proverbs
2.2.7.2. Parents-Offspring Relationship in Family-Related English Proverbs
2.2.7.3. Parents’ Attitudes towards Offspring
2.2.7.4. Offspring’s Duties towards Parents

vi
2.2.8. Brotherhood and Sisterhood, and the Relationship between Mother-in-law
and Daughter-in-law……………………………………………………….31
2.2.8.1. Brotherhood and Sisterhood
2.2.8.2. Mother-in-law and Daughter-in-law Relationship

Moreover, we understand one another via customs, traditions, lifestyles, etc. We become
friendly as a result. Dr. Denis Brutus, a Literature professor at the University of
Pittsburgh, the USA, specified and extended the reality of the research of proverbs. He
said, “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.” Somalian people said, “Proverbs put
spice into speech.” Yobura people in South Africa consider the proverb to be an animal
which nods its head when climbing uphill. They said, “The proverb is the horse of
conversation, when the conversation drops, the proverb picks it up”. Vietnamese people
regard the proverb as a pearl of academic thinking or a twinkling mist in literature.
In Vietnam, more and more people are eager to learn English and the need for learning
English is becoming very urgent. Most of the learners complain about the difficulties that
prevent them from succeeding in conversations. One of the main reasons is that they are
not good enough at perceiving and using idioms, especially proverbs.
The usage of proverbs is to express ideas in a figurative way, draw good lessons via
them and bring vividness and richness to the speaker’s conversation. If a speaker uses
proverbs skillfully, he/she can establish a good communicative relationship. In terms of 2
teaching English, lessons will be more interesting and effective if the teacher knows how
to apply proverbs to designing different activities in an English class: quizzes, games, role-
play, etc.
Moreover, family-related English and Vietnamese proverbs interest me most because
via these proverbs, I can draw very good lessons and know how to behave and treat others.
Each family is a social cell. We will have a fair society if all the families are values-
oriented. Moreover, family relationships play a very important role in educating children,
the future generation.
For the above-mentioned reasons, I have decided to choose this theme for my minor
thesis.

4. Methods of the Study
Contrastive Analysis is the main research approach used in my M.A. minor thesis.
Quantitative and qualitative methods are used. By virtue of the quantitative method, data
have been collected for the study including both English and Vietnamese proverbs
denoting family relationships. The qualitative method is applied to describe and analyze
the data of the study. Using statistics and deduction can help the author of this minor thesis
to improve his teaching. This can be applied to English teaching and learning at Quang
Ninh Center for Continuing Education and Cadre Training.

5. Design of the Study
This minor thesis consists of three main parts. In addition to the Introduction and
Conclusion, the study is organized around two chapters.
The Introduction raises the issue of English and Vietnamese proverbs in family setting.
Chapter 1 deals with the relationship between language and culture, the comparison
between two cultures, several definitions of proverbs, main features of proverbs, the
differences among proverbs, idioms, sayings, conventional phrases and phrasal verbs.
Chapter 2 is concerned with the classification and comparison between English and
Vietnamese proverbs within family setting.
The Conclusion sums up the main issues discussed in the thesis. The author also raises
his own opinion on the topic and suggests several ideas for further studies.
Development
Chapter 1: Theoretical background 4
1.1. The Relationship between Language and Culture
1.1.1. Culture


5
According to Kramsch (2000: 3), language is the principle means whereby we
conduct our social lives. When it is used in communication, it is bound up with culture in
multiple and complex ways.
Kramsch, one of the most important recent researchers within the field of language,
culture and learning, says in her book Language and Culture (1998a: 30 that:
+ language expresses cultural reality;
+ language embodies cultural reality;
+ language symbolises cultural reality.
Kramsch’s presentation moves the view of the relationship between language and
culture in a post-structuralist direction, even though she herself does not use this term in
her 1998 book. The first point: “language expresses cultural reality” Kramsch explains in
the following way:
The words people utter refer to common experience. They express facts, ideas or
events that are communicable because they refer to a stock of knowledge about the world
that other people share. Words also reflect their author’s attitudes and beliefs, their point of
view, as well as those of others. In both cases, language expresses cultural reality.
(Kramsch, 1998a: 3)
The second point: “language embodies cultural reality” she explains as follows:
But members of a community or social group … also create experience through
language. They give meaning to it through the medium they choose to communicate with
one another, for example, speaking in the telephone or face to face, writing a letter or
sending an e-mail message, reading the newspaper or interpreting a graph or a chart. 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 facial expressions. Through all its verbal
and non-verbal aspects, language embodies cultural reality. (Kramsch, 1998a: 3)
The third point: “language symbolises cultural reality” is described as follows:
… language is a system of signs that is seen as having itself a cultural value.

the culture of their origin and they must be used accordingly.
In conclusion, language and culture always exist together and reinforce each other.
The relationship between them is so inextricable that we could not understand and
appreciate the one without the knowledge of the other.
1.2. Comparison between two Cultures
If the native culture habits are transferred when learning a foreign culture, it is obvious
that, by comparing the two culture systems, we can predict what the trouble spots will be.
Obviously this is a huge undertaking, and we will present a few examples that may
facilitate cultural analysis and comparison. 7
1.2.1. Same Form, Different Meaning
We will expect trouble when the same form has different classification or meaning
in the two cultures.
A form in culture B, identified by an observer from culture A as the same form as
one in his own culture, actually has a different meaning.
Example: Drinking milk at meals is a standard practice in the United States. It has a
primary meaning of food and drink, at meal time. It does not have any special connotation
of social class, national group, religious group, age group, or economic stratum. In France,
milk at meals is not the standard drink. Some children may drink milk, some adults may
drink milk for special reasons, some individuals or families or groups may drink milk
because of special cultural contacts.
1.2.2. Same Meaning, Different Form
We can expect another kind of trouble spot when the same meaning in two cultures
is associated with different forms. The alien observer seeking to act in the culture being
learned will select his own form to achieve the meaning, and he may miss altogether the
fact that a different form is required.
Example: When foreign visitors from areas where coffee is served very black and
very strong taste American coffee, they do not say that it is different; they say that

experience which is used to further a social end”. (www.questia.com). In other words, it is
a short well-known expression that states a general truth or advice.
According to Albig (1931: 529), “The proverb is a social definition of a situation.”
(www.questia.com)
Neal R. Norrick (20; 51– 55) defined proverbs in “How Proverbs Mean: Semantic
Studies in English” as follows: “The proverb is typically spoken, conversational form with
didactic function and not associated with any particular source.”
Up till now, there have been lots of definitions of proverbs in the world as well as
in Vietnam. However, no definition has been considered as a standard one which can be
applied to the all-aspect research of proverbs. Western researchers gave out 55 definitions
of proverbs. If the most popular words appearing in these 55 definitions are used and
combined, a proverb can be defined as a short sentence of wisdom. Nevertheless, this
definition has not yet been considered as a standard one.
According to Vu Ngoc Phan, Vietnam, the proverb is a sentence which itself
expresses a complete idea, a remark, an experience, a theory, a truth, maybe a criticism.
(Vu Ngoc Phan, Tuc ngu, Ca dao, Dan ca Viet Nam: 11)
Even though there are different definitions of proverbs, they have something in
common. Accordingly, proverbs are selected with meaningful sentences which play an
important role in building people’s characters as well as educating people, especially 9
children so as to draw useful moral lessons. We come to a conclusion that proverbs are
educational sentences of wisdom.
1.3.2. Family Proverbs
Family proverbs are adages, stories (Stone, 1988; Page & Washington, 1987),
words of wisdom (Pasteur & Toldson, 1982) or religious instruction reflecting a family’s
attitudinal or belief structure. Proverbs provide images of physical, psychological,
emotional and spiritual beliefs. Often poetic, prosaic and emotionally powerful, they allow
for free expression with a natural rhythm. They have a meaning and simplicity that

worms” is an idiom meaning “die’, which is not systematically determinable from the
meanings of “become food” and “for worms”. This idiom or phrasal lexeme is formally
identical with the phrase “To become food for worms” whose meaning is systematically
determinable on the basis of the meaning of the lexemes of which it is composed – “To
stop living and to be buried underground so as to become food for worms which live
underground”.
Besides being colloquial expressions, idioms can appear in a formal style and in slang.
They can appear in poetry or in the language of the journalist, the writer and the Bible.
How can we give a definition to idioms? According to Seidl and McMordie (1988), “an
idiom is a number of words which, taken together, meaning something different from the
individual words of the idiom when they stand alone. The way in which the words are put
together is often odd, illogical or even grammatically incorrect”.
Idioms are composed of more than one word: their constituents show to some extent
the sort of internal cohesion that we expect of single words. An idiom typically resists
interruption and re-ordering of its constituents.
According to Palmer (1990), idioms are consequences of words whose meaning cannot
be predicted from the meaning of the words themselves. Semantically, idioms are single
units, but they are not single grammatical units like words. He also printed out some
restriction in syntactic features and noted that the problem of idioms was involved with the
much wider issue of word formation, by which what would appear to be new and more
complex lexemes can be formed from single ones.
1.5. Proverbs versus Idioms, Sayings, Conventional Phrases and
Phrasal Verbs
Proverbs are short well-known statements that give advice or express something that is
generally true. They have been defined as short, repeated, witty statements or sets of
statements of wisdom, truth and experience which are used to further a social end.



1.6. Main Features of Proverbs from a Language-Cultural Perspective
1.6.1. National Features 12
Different natural and social conditions create different properties of nationalism. In
addition, different cultures make different proverbs. However, proverbs are not only
cultural events but also symbolic systems of recording and expressing cultural events.
According to psychologists and anthropologists, proverbs reflect cultural and social reality
of a nation. Edward A. Westermarck confirms that proverbs of a nation are a precious
source of materials associated with characters, personalities, points of view, feelings,
attitudes, customs and traditions of that nation.
1.6.2. Meanings of Proverbs
The meanings of proverbs are all contents which are informed for the speaker and
listener. They contain both literal and non-literal meanings. Literal meanings are also
considered to be pragmatic meanings of the proverb which has only one meaning. This
meaning is expressed directly. E.g. “Like father, like son.”, “One who teaches you for one
day will be your father all your life.”
Proverbs which have lots of meanings (multi-meanings) and whose meanings are
figurative are often expressed via the following five methods: Synecdoche, Metaphor,
Metonymy, Hyperbole and Paradox. The following are two methods which are used in
popularity.
1.6.2.1. Synecdoche
Synecdoche is a type of meaning transformation associated with metonymy and the
meaning can be guessed via the figurative meanings of key words in the proverb.
e.g. “The early bird catches the worm.” means “Arriving early gives one an advantage.” or
“Coming late, one may lose everything.” In Vietnamese, we often say “The late buffalo
drinks dirty water.” which means the same.
1.6.2.2. Metaphor
chapter 2
tentative Classification and comparison of family-related
English and Vietnamese proverbs
2.1. Tentative Classification of Family-Related English and Vietnamese
Proverbs 14
Based on the family relationships in both Vietnamese and British societies, we can
tentatively classify family-related proverbs into six main types:
+ Attitudes towards women in the family and society
+ Love and marriage
+ Choosing mates and marital relationship
+ Parentage (Parents-offspring relationship)
+ Brotherhood and sisterhood
+ The relationship between the mother-in-law and her daughter-in-law
In terms of attitudes towards women, the author focuses on women’s characters,
behaviours, the quality of women’s souls, their role in the society and family. Through
English and Vietnamese proverbs, we can understand more about women in the previous
days and in modern times. Moreover, we can see clearly the similarities and differences
between the two cultures.
British people regard financial security as an important factor in love and marriage.
Vietnamese young people are too timid to talk about finance when they are in love.
Faithfulness is regarded as a very important factor for Vietnamese people whereas it is not
for British people. Hence, English and Vietnamese proverbs are expressed in different

also in merit and characters, e.g. “Trai thì mạnh, gái thì mềm.” (Boys are heroic; girls are
gentle.)
Vietnamese proverbs also refer to women’s slim figure, their beauty and merit.
Therefore, we have: “Vẻ đẹp đánh vào ánh mắt, phẩm giá chinh phục tâm hồn.” (Beauty
strikes the sight, but merit wins the soul.), “Tốt gỗ hơn tốt nước sơn.”, (“Handsome is that
handsome does.”) “Cái nết đánh chết cái đẹp.” (“Prettiness dies first.”) Moreover,
women’s honour is staying a virgin. “Chữ trinh đáng giá ngàn vàng.”, “Hoa mất nhị lấy gì
làm thơm.”, “Con gái chửa hoang, các vàng không lấy.”
Even though women’s beauty in appearance is paid considerable attention, the quality
of women’s souls is more highly appreciated. Since they were babies, women have been
educated by adults concerned with attitudes, behaviours, morals, virtue and ways of
communicating.
“Con gái cửa cài then đóng.”, “Đi cúi mặt xuống đất, về cất mặt lên trời.”, “Hỏi hãy
nói, gọi hãy thưa.” (Girls must close the door, speak when asked.) Opinions on Vietnamese
women’s behaviours in general are considered to be conservative and quite backward.
However, in modern times, such proverbs do not work very well since the way girls
communicate is quite different. They are more active in daily communication.
The role of Vietnamese women in their family and society in the old days was to look
after their husbands and children, do the housework such as shopping, cooking, cleaning, 16
etc. Nevertheless, in modern times, their husbands also sometimes help them with the
domestic work. “Xem trong bếp biết nết đàn bà.”; “Vắng đàn ông quạnh nhà, vắng đàn bà
quạnh bếp.” (Judge a woman by looking at the kitchen; It is quiet and lonely when the man
is absent from home, the kitchen is quiet and cold when the woman is not present.)
Vietnamese women were not encouraged to take part in social activities, except for war
times. Then they needed to defend the country and their homeland. Women were taught to
become good wives and kind mothers. Women who had two husbands or more than two
boyfriends were very bad ones. The woman must love her husband even though he was not

Vietnamese proverbs reflect this. There goes a proverb: “Men make houses; women make
homes”. (Đàn ông xây nhà, đàn bà xây tổ ấm.”
The role of British women in their family and society formerly was not clearly
reflected and expressed in proverbs. Although their role was highly appreciated in their
family, there are no proverbs referring to specific functions and duties in the family as
shown in Vietnamese proverbs due to the difference between the two cultures. There are
some English proverbs referring to the important role of British women in their family:
“Men make houses, women make homes.” (“Đàn ông xây nhà, đàn bà xây tổ ấm.”)
“Women must have the last word.” (Phụ nữ phải có tiếng nói quyết định.)
“Women see deep, men see far.” (Đàn bà thấy sâu, đàn ông thấy xa.)
However, British women are also criticized and sneered at for their weak points:
“All women are good, either good for something, or good for nothing.” (Tất cả phụ nữ
đều hay, hay về một điều gì đó, hoặc chẳng hay về việc gì cả.)
“Women in state affairs are like monkeys in glass shops.” (Nữ quan chức thì giống như
khỉ trong tủ kính cửa hiệu.)
“Women can conceal all what they know not.” (Phụ nữ có thể giữ bí mật tất cả những
gì mà họ không biết.) (Phụ nữ ruột để ngoài da.)
“Three women and a goose make a market.” (Ba người phụ nữ và một con ngỗng hợp
thành một cái chợ.)
“Two women in one house will not agree long.” (Hai phụ nữ chung một nhà không hoà
thuận với nhau lâu.)
The role of women in having a happy family is also expressed in both Vietnamese and
English proverbs. However, there is a big difference between them. The role of
Vietnamese women in their family is more important and more highly appreciated in
comparison with British women.
2.2.2. Love
2.2.2.1. Love in Family-Related Vietnamese Proverbs 18

happily. “Râu tôm nấu với ruột bầu, chồng chan vợ húp gật đầu khen ngon.” (Although the
food is not good, the husband and the wife nod their heads and say that it is delicious.) 19
2.2.2.2. Love in Family-Related English Proverbs
British people think that love is power. “Love conquers all.” goes an English
proverb. They regard financial security as an important factor in love. In British culture,
young people often raise questions such as “Is he a wealthy man?”; “Can he support
himself and his own family?” They are courageous enough to talk about finance when they
propose their love.
Love expressed by British people is more commercial and financial. They know
“The love of money is the root of all evil.” However, they consider money to be an
important factor in ensuring love and happiness.
“When poverty comes in at the door, love flies out of the window.”
(Khi cái nghèo đi vào cửa chính thì tình yêu bay ra khỏi cửa sổ.)
“Love lasts as long as the money endures.” (Còn tiền còn bạc còn tình yêu.)
“Love does much but money does all.”
(Tình yêu giải quyết được nhiều việc, nhưng tiền làm nên tất cả.)
We are living in modern times and the integration process is inevitable.
Accordingly, young Vietnamese people’s lifestyle is greatly influenced by Western culture
in general and British culture in particular. That explains why some of them are leading a
modern life in which money is highly appreciated. Therefore, their love seems more and
more practical. Apparently, money is a means of living, but it is not everything. So we,
teachers and researchers, must do something to make young people aware of the value of
money as well as the value of morals in love.
2.2.3. Marriage
2.2.3.1. Marriage in Family-Related Vietnamese Proverbs
Common people’s opinion on marriage in the old days was something quite sacred
and lofty. The relationship and harmony between the boy and the girl were not in the sense

neck.)
“Trai có vợ như rợ buộc chân.” (He that has a wife has a rope tied round his leg.)
“Chồng con là cái nợ nần; Thà rằng ở vậy nuôi thân béo mầm.”
“Có con phải khổ về con; Có chồng phải gánh giang sơn nhà chồng.”
Such proverbs prove that getting married is hard work which causes lots of trouble.
However, most people preferred getting married to staying single. They were aware that
even though they had to cope with lots of difficulties, it was certainly a great honour to get
married. They also found this very interesting.
“Tình thương quán cũng như nhà; Lều tranh có nghĩa hơn toà ngói xây.” (A
thatched house is cosier than a brick house with a tiled roof if the husband and the wife
love each other.)