MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAING
HANOI OPEN UNIVERSITY
----------------------------

NGUYỄN VĂN TÁM

FOOD EXPRESSIONS IN ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE
EQUIVALENTS FROM A CULTURAL PERSPECTIVE
(THÀNH NGỮ LIÊN QUAN ĐẾN ĐỒ ĂN VÀ CÁCH DIỄN ĐẠT TƯƠNG
ĐƯƠNG TRONG TIẾNG VIỆT TỪ KHÍA CẠNH VĂN HÓA)

M.A THESIS
Field: English Language
Code: 8220201

Ha Noi, 2018


MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAING
HANOI OPEN UNIVERSITY
----------------------------

NGUYỄN VĂN TÁM
FOOD EXPRESSIONS IN ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE
EQUIVALENTS FROM A CULTURAL PERSPECTIVE
(THÀNH NGỮ LIÊN QUAN ĐẾN ĐỒ ĂN VÀ CÁCH DIỄN ĐẠT TƯƠNG
ĐƯƠNG TRONG TIẾNG VIỆT TỪ KHÍA CẠNH VĂN HÓA)

M.A THESIS
Field: English Language
Code: 8220201


Rationale for the study ........................................................................................ 5

1.2.

Aim and objectives .............................................................................................. 7

1.3.

Research Question ............................................................................................... 7

1.4.

Scope of the study ............................................................................................... 7

1.5.

Significance of the study ..................................................................................... 7

1.6.

Design of the study.............................................................................................. 8

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW ......................................................................... 9
2.1.

Previous studies ................................................................................................... 9

2.2.



CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHOLODOGY ........................................................... 31
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3.1. Research approach .................................................................................................. 31
3.2. Research Methods ................................................................................................... 31
3.3. Data collection and data analysis ............................................................................ 31
3.4 Summary .................................................................................................................. 33
CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS .............................................................................................. 34
4.1. Cultural Perspectives behind the food Expressions ................................................ 34
4.1.1. To express manner of an action ..................................................................... 34
4.1.2. To express characteristics of a person ........................................................... 35
4.1.3. To express a description of something or someone ...................................... 37
4.1.4. The Source Meanings .................................................................................... 51
4.2. Comparison between Vietnamese Equivalence. ..................................................... 67
4.3. Implication of using, translating and teaching drink and food idioms. ............ 70
CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION ....................................................................................... 74
5.1. Summary of Findings .............................................................................................. 74
5.1.1. Findings of cultural features .......................................................................... 74
5.1.2. Findings of semantics .................................................................................... 75
5.1.3. The findings of problem in use ..................................................................... 76
5.2. Summary of the chapter .......................................................................................... 77
5.3. Limitations of the study .......................................................................................... 78

3


Abstract
Idioms are everyday words of the people that contain both the depth of thinking

names of foods between languages is not an easy task (Terestyenyi, 2011). Also, in
English food is used in idiomatic expressions in a very different way from Vietnamese,
leading to EFL learners‟ inability to understand their meanings easily without any
reference some cultural dimensions. It is because L2 idiomatic expressions are “one of
the most difficult aspects due to the fact they are conventionalized expressions peculiar
to a language community and they are usually frozen in form and often unpredictable
in meaning.” (Liu, 2017)
Idioms have a variety of philosophical perspectives that are diverse and rich, with
views that bear the spirit of human life, not only linguistic but also cultural as stated in
Newmark (1988) & Munday (2016). When analyzing idioms from the source language
(SL) into the target language (TL), the learners needs various techniques and skills, as
well as take into consideration many principles to achieve the goal such as retaining
source meaning and get readers closer to the exact understanding of the texts.
Understanding the linguistic patterns and cultural meanings of the dioms in the
SL to translate into the TL has been an interesting, but difficult job, which normally
requires much linguistic and cultural experience (Terestyenyi, 2011).
In addition, many authors also studied and proposed some methods to improve
the use of idioms for foreign language learners, (Thuy, 1996) methods of teaching
idioms to foreign learners, (Ngan, 1996). The above results are significant for teaching
- learning foreign languages.
All of this motivated the researcher to conduct this small-scale descriptive
qualitative research to open highlights of translating English food idiomatic
expressions which usually causes troubles to EFL teachers and learners.
The analysis and comparison of equivalence of the idioms in the two languages
to find the cultural perspective and semantics of literal and figurative meaning. It helps
5


identify the similarities and differences of the two languages and using cultural
characteristics in two or more cultures to analyze the meaning of idioms in English and

The aim of the study is to investigate the cultural semantic features of English food
expressions and their Vietnamese equivalents in order to help the Vietnamese learners
use and translate these expressions in English effectively.
The objectives of the study are.
To discribe the cultural semantic features of English food expressions.
To make a comparison between English food expressions and their Vietnamese
equivalents.
To give implications for using and translating English food expressions into
Vietnamese effectively.
1.3.

Research Question
(1) What are the cultural semantic features of English food expressions.
(2) What are the similarities and differences between English food expressions
and their Vietnamese equivalents.
(3) What are implications for using and translating English food expressions into
Vietnamese effectively.

1.4.

Scope of the study
The study was done in 2018, Researcher chooses 35 idioms of food by chance.

This study examines how English food expression is translated into Vietnamese in
terms of product rather than process. That is, this study focuses on the equivalents
rather than what the translator thought and how she made decisions when translating an
English idioms into Vietnamese.
1.5.

Significance of the study

idiomatic expression theories raise definition and

classification.
Chapter 3 presents methodology of the study in which there are some main
points discussed including research design, research instrument, data collection and
analysis for the findings.
Chapter 4, in this chapter finds the results of the study by analyzing and
contrasting the idioms of the two languages in terms of semantics and culture.
Therefore, we can find out the distinctive features of English and Vietnamese cultures
about the “food” lying behind the similarities and differences between English and
Vietnamese idioms containing the word “ food”. The Conclusion summaries the issues
discussed in the thesis.

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CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1.

Previous studies

It can be said that in recent years, idioms have been studied extensively and
from different angles. Especially, if we talk about comparative studies, it can be said
that the tune of some "European languages" has been compared in comparison with
Vietnamese. Master's degree at the University of Foreign Languages - Hanoi National
University since the master's degree course (1992), it can be seen in a series of
dissertations study comparative idioms, such as: only Russian animals in comparison
with English and Vietnamese (Ngo Minh Thuy, 1996), idioms from the human part of
the body in Russian and Vietnamese (Do Hoang Nana, 1996), Russian idioms have
natural counterparts from comparable idioms in English and Vietnamese; Idioms with

Besides, idioms are also nationalistic: color and thinking. The same concept,
two different languages will use different idioms to express that concept. The term
bread and butter refers to the normal needs of life - food, clothing, and habitat. If in the
English language (he would surely be the librarian), perhaps the concept of butter and
bread is typical of the normal needs of life, the equivalent of the concept of rice. In
Vietnamese, or as a tiger, it will become eat like a horse in English. However,
sometimes the expression is of similar value, but the value of the content is different,
for example, as hot as fire in Vietnamese refers to temperament, but in English used to
talk about temperature.
In short, idioms as a unit of language, a semantic structure. This body has all the
qualities, colors of cultural thought, and the nation. With those qualities, a careful study
of the idioms will lead to positive results in the learning and teaching of the language,
especially in a language that is as obtuse as English.
The author Pham Thi Tuoi studied the thesis of “A Study on English and
Vietnamese Idioms which Contain Words Denoting Time” in 2012. There are obvious
differences between English and Vietnamese in conformity with parallel structure and
noun phrases. In conformity with the features of syntax, idioms in both of English and
Vietnamese are sundered into seven types of noun phrases, verb phrases, adjective
10


phrases, preposition phrases, adverb phrases, sentence structures and parallel structures
(Tuoi, 2012).
On afterthought, the study discovered that no conflict between the mentioned
definitions of idioms is the findings. Irrespective of the clear difference in expression
that cross at a time: Idioms are a meaningful fixed expressed that cannot be made by
combining the literal meanings of individual words. Language props play an important
role in improving language skills. The learners find it difficult to describe their ideas
and feel that they cannot speak fluently or write an absolute essay.
In spite of my limited knowledge as well as the study time stopping here, the

The ability to use idioms for foreign language learners (Ngo Minh Thuy, Pham The
Minh), teaching methods for foreign language learners (Do Hoang Ngan, To Thi Ngan
Anh, Dinh Trong Nghia, Nguyen Van Hoa). The above results are significant in
teaching - learning foreign languages, with the translation as well as with the
compilation of bilingual dictionary.
2.2.

Concepts of Idioms

Idioms are types of vocabulary that exist in every language. To study the idioms
and idioms of comparisons, we find it necessary to clarify the connotation of idioms,
because there are different understandings of this name in the world, (Mäntylä, 2004).
Idiom is one of the basic units of language in the system of language units. It is
a specific type of linguistic unit, in which the essence of the culture of a people is
expressed in a genuine and extremely rich world view, different cultures, (Wardhaugh,
2006). Therefore, the study of tufa, especially the study of the comparison of pairs of
idioms of two or more languages, will find unique features in the culture of each nation,
co-found have the similarities and differences between one culture and another.
The idiomatic term has two contents. The first is the particular type of unit that
lies within the linguistic system, namely the general vocabulary of a nation, a country,
or even a region, (Krauss, Columbia University). Secondly, in terms of syntax, idiom is
a phrase whose meaning is not simply a "plus" that simply means the words of a
12


member. This shows that we can know the meaning of each word, but when they are
combined, they are very angry or meaningless. For example, the give way, give up ...
With these idioms, we are only allowed to understand their meaning in terms of the
whole phrase. Give way is to compromise, give up, discount, or give up is to quit
something, (Riehemann, 2001).

identifying units - the idiom is a subtype. Derivative units are born to meet the needs of
human identity. Derivative identifiers are units that are morphologically more complex
than the original, symbolic (in metaphorical or metaphorical form). Derivative
identifiers are created in two ways: (1) By the semantic path, it is possible to multiply
the original identifier (s); (2) By way of morphology - syntax, it is possible to create a
series of identification units with different morphological and structural features,
including the process of making words based on the original unit copying, graffiti, etc.,
and idiom, (Brink, 2007).
2.3.

Translation
2.3.1. Definitions

Newmark (1988) defined translation in his book, entitled A Textbook of
Translation, as the act of transferring written text in one language into another. This
definition is the simplest; however, Newmark (1988) stressed that the act of translation
includes many tensions, namely sound and sense, naturalness, emphasis, the figurative
and the literal, neatness and comprehensiveness, concision and accuracy. Translation is
also related to the transmission of cultures that the languages belong to.
Translation is restated in Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied
Linguistics as “the process of rendering written language that was produced in one
language (the source language) into another (the target language), or the target
language version that results from this process.” (Richards & Schmidt, 2002)
According to Munday (2016), the term translation is currently understood in
three different ways. It can be a general school subject. It can also be the product. It
can be the process of changing original written text in a source language into another
language.
14




of actual translation as they all could deal with: “stock and dead metaphor, normal
collocations, technical terms, slang, colloquialisms, standard notices, phaticisms, and
ordinary language.” In such kinds the act of translation tends to borrow a neutral or
third cultural value between languages.
Richards & Schmidt (2002) added a type of translation in contemporary
language teaching and learning- Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT).
2.3.3. Principles of translation
According to Newham (1988), the act of translation needs to follow some
principles.
First, each translator has to respect the theories of translation and understand
language functions.
Second, the translator needs to understand the textual level and its referential
level. That is, the translator has to see its purposes, its readers, its writer, and all its
contexts.
Third, the cohesive level should be judged, comprising of the cohesive
structures and mood. The former is shown via conjunctions, enumerations, reiterations,
definite article, general words, referential synonyms, and punctuation marks These are
used to connect known information (theme) to new one (rheme)- proposition,
opposition, continuation, reiteration, conclusion, or thesis, antithesis, and synthesis.
The latter is presented via the use of nouns, adjectives, or any qualities to indicate
feelings or tone: positive, negative, or neutral.
Fourth, the level of naturalness should be taken into consideration. This feature
is grounded from not only grammatical levels but also lexical ones and connectives.
The translator has to determine the level of formality or informality of a translation in
terms of their contexts.
Newham (1988) also recommended that there should be a combination of all
four principles into the act of translation. Meanwhile, the actual translation remains

16

The second type is one-to-many equivalence. In this case, more than one TL
expression is equivalent to a single SL expression.
For example, ”bamboo” is equivalent to “tre”, “nứa”, “trúc”, “mai”, and “vầu”.
Next is one-to-part-of-one equivalence. In this kind of equivalence, a TL expression is
equivalent to part of a concept in the SL.
The last type is nil equivalence. In this kind of equivalence, no TL expression is
equivalent to a SL expression, and hence loaned/borrowed equivalents should be used.
18


For example, “the Internet” is equivalent to “mạng Internet”.
Koller (1979) offers five types of translation equivalents: (a) Denotative
equivalence: Equivalence relations are considered to be directed towards realism
beyond language; (b) Connotative equivalence: This equivalence is related to
categories such as style, geography, society; (c) Text-normative equivalence: Words in
the target language are used in the same context as are the words in the source
language; (d) Pragmatic equivalence: Equivalence involves the recipient of the text; (e)
Formal equivalence: related to the form and aesthetics of the text, includes word plays
and the individual stylistic features of the ST.
No Author

Types

of Theories

The Defects

equivalence
1


closely as possible the

part of the reader

formal elements like
grammatical units,
consistency in word usage,
meanings in terms of the
source context, just to name
some
Dynamic

A dynamic equivalence is

Linguistic restrictions,

equivalence

to reproduce "in the

cultural restrictions and

receptor language the

diglot publication that

19


closest natural equivalence



Communicative Communicative translation

Communicative

translation

attempts to produce on its

translation addresses

readers an effect as close as

itself solely to readers in

possible to that obtained on

the target language, who

the readers of the original

do not anticipate

semantic translation is

difficulties or obscurities

basically focused on the



is social, concentrates on

passages should be

the message and the main

corrected

force of the text and serves
a large readership.
3

Koller

Denotative

The equivalent elements in

Translational

(1989)

equivalence

the SL and TL refer to the

equivalence as an

same thing in the real

both languages.

Since translational
equivalence was seen as

Text-normative

The equivalent elements in

equivalence

the SL and the TL are used
in same or similar contexts
in their respective
languages

Pragmatic

The equivalent elements in

equivalence

the SL and the TL create
the same effect on their
respective readers and

Formal

the equivalent elements in



equivalence

refers to the diversity of

across languages may

grammatical categories

differ, which lead to

across languages, focusing

some problems in

on five categories the

finding a direct

translators often encounters

correspondence in the

problems, they are number,

TL

gender, person, tense and
aspect, and voice.
Textual

Translator is recognizing

equivalent

looks at how texts are used

the implied meaning of

in communicating situations SL text, and then
that involve variables such

reproducing it in a way

as writers, reader, and

that readers of the TL

cultural context. It refers to

can comprehend clearly

implication of the TL text

without any
misunderstanding
culturally

Table 2. 1: The types of equivalents that have been suggested by researchers
There are many kinds of equivalent for researcher to use. In which, Formal
equivalence tries to remain as close to the original text as possible, without adding the