INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS
ISSN(p in ): 2643-9840, ISSN(online): 2643-9875
Volume 08 Issue 10 Oc obe 2025
DOI: 10.47191/ijm a/ 8-i10-15, Impac Fac o : 8.266
Page No. 5620-5626
IJMRA, Volume 08 Issue 10 Oc obe 2025 www.ijm a.in Page 5620
A Cogni i e-Seman ic S udy o Exp essions Associa ed wi h “黑暗/Da kness” in
Chinese and Vie namese
Mai Thi Ngoc Anh1, Nguyen Minh Thu2
1Thai Nguyen Uni e si y o Sciences, Vie nam
2School o Fo eign Languages -Thai Nguyen Uni e si y
ABSTRACT: Da kness is a amilia na u al phenomenon, and i is also he ounda ion o many symbols and me apho s in language.
Howe e , compa a i e s udies o pe cep ual me apho s ela ed o "黑暗/da kness" in Chinese and Vie namese a e s ill limi ed.
Based on he heo y o pe cep ual me apho s, his s udy analyzed and compa ed he usage o "黑暗/da kness" in he wo
languages. The esul s show ha , in addi ion o he o iginal meaning o he phenomenon o lack o ligh , bo h gene alize
"da kness" in o many abs ac concep ual domains; Chinese o en leans owa ds socio-poli ical con ex s, while Vie namese
emphasizes images ich in emo ions, associa ed wi h pe sonal expe iences. These indings no only complemen he me apho ical
s udy o pe cep ion bu also con ibu e o elucida ing he cohesi e ela ionship be ween language, cul u e, and how people
pe cei e he wo ld.
KEYWORDS: 黑暗; da kness; concep ual me apho ; mapping; embodimen
1. INTRODUCTION
"Da kness" is a amilia na u al phenomenon in human li e. Howe e , beyond i s o iginal meaning as a s a e o sho age
o ligh , "da kness" has long been a ounda ional concep o many symbols and me apho s in language, li e a u e, and cul u al
hough . The isual expe ience o being blinded by da kness, combined wi h eelings o insecu i y and ea , has led o he concep
being equen ly gene alized o abs ac concep ual domains such as cogni ion, emo ion, socie y, o mo ali y. Thus, he s udy o
"da kness" is no only meaning ul in linguis ics bu also shows how humans, h ough language, c ea e and e lec wo ld iews.
Ba celona (2000) discusses he me apho ical concep ualiza ion o “ligh ,” which necessa ily implies a con as wi h
“da kness.” Howe e , he no ion o “da kness” i sel is only men ioned and has no been analyzed in dep h. Deignan, A. (2005)
sys ema ically su eys he "da k" in English, iden i ying h ee basic maps: (1) he unknown is da k, (2) unhappiness is da k, and (3)
e il is da k. Howe e , hese esul s a e s ill gene al, equi ing mo e ex ensi e esea ch. No ably, Qin, X. G., & Huang, X. Y. (覃修
桂、黄兴云, 2008) in hei s udy Compa a i e Compa ison o he Concep o "Da kness" be ween English and Chinese indica e
ha al hough English and Chinese ha e many simila i ies in he me apho ical maps o "da kness", di e ences also exis . English
ends o use "da kness" o pe cei e mo e abs ac concep s, while Chinese exp esses a balance be ween "da kness" and "ligh ".
Howe e , o da e, he e is s ill a lack o compa a i e s udies on "黑暗/da kness" be ween Chinese and Vie namese. This
poses an academic gap ha needs o be illed. The su ey and compa ison o he pe cep ual me apho o he wo d "黑暗
/da kness" in Chinese and Vie namese no only helps o cla i y he simila i ies and di e ences in he way o pe cei ing he wo ld,
bu also con ibu es o a i ming he connec ion be ween he language, hinking, and cul u e o he wo peoples.
2. THEORY OF PERCEPTUAL METAPHORS
Me apho is o en seen as a deco a i e he o ical measu e o discou se. Howe e , an impo an u ning poin came
when Lako , G., & Johnson, M. (1980) published Me apho s We Li e By, which laid he ounda ions o he heo y o pe cep ual
me apho s, wi h me apho ical hesis ubiqui ous in e e yday li e. A he co e o me apho is he mapping om one amilia domain
o expe ience (sou ce domain) o ano he domain o expe ience ( a ge domain), h ough which people can pe cei e and
emphasize he cha ac e is ics o abs ac concep s on he basis o expe ience.
Inhe i ing and de eloping his app oach, Ba celona, A. (2000; p. 356) emphasizes ha i is he ela ionship be ween he
sou ce domain and he a ge domain ha allows he concep ual s uc u e and a ibu e cha ac e is ics o he sou ce domain o
A Cogni i e-Seman ic S udy o Exp essions Associa ed wi h “黑暗/Da kness” in Chinese and Vie namese
IJMRA, Volume 08 Issue 10 Oc obe 2025 www.ijm a.in Page 5621
be selec i ely ans e ed o he a ge domain, p o iding he basis o he o ma ion and exp ession o abs ac concep s. F om
ano he pe spec i e, Shu, D. F. (束定芳, 2000; pp.30-31) a gues ha "me apho is no me ely a linguis ic phenomenon, bu also
a powe ul cogni i e ool, helping people o sys ema ically eo ganize hei knowledge and in e p e he objec i e wo ld".
An impo an basis o his heo y is he heo y o embodimen , de eloped by Lako , G., & Johnson, M. (1999) in
Philosophy in he Flesh. Embodimen asse s ha he en i e human concep ual sys em is based on bodily expe ience, so ha he
pe cep ual me apho can ope a e h ough he mapping be ween expe ien ial domains, allowing o he isualiza ion and
exp ession o abs ac concep s by conc e e expe iences in li e.
3. RESEARCH METHODS
This esea ch is ca ied ou on he basis o he heo y o pe cep ual me apho , which conside s me apho as he mapping
om a speci ic sou ce domain o an abs ac a ge domain in he hough p ocess. Language ma e ials a e collec ed om many
sou ces: (1) classical and mode n li e a y wo ks in Chinese and Vie namese, (2) Chinese and Vie namese dic iona ies o de e mine
he o iginal and ex ended meanings, (3) jou nalis ic language, and e e yday wo ds o e lec mode n usage, including 140 cases
o "黑暗" in Chinese and 126 cases o "da kness" in Vie namese.
The s udy combines h ee main me hods: (1) cogni i e seman ic analysis o iden i y and classi y pe cep ual me apho s
ela ed o "黑暗/da kness"; (2) compa ison me hods o de e mine he simila i ies and di e ences be ween he wo languages;
(3) s a is ical me hods o de e mine he dis ibu ion a e, he eby cla i ying he uni e sali y and speci ici y in linguis ic and cul u al
hinking.
OVERVIEW OF THE WORD "黑暗/DARKNESS" IN CHINESE AND VIETNAMESE
In Chinese, he wo d "黑暗" (da kness) is composed o wo elemen s, "黑" (black) and "暗" (da k), bo h o which a e
di ec ly ela ed o he absence o ligh . The wo d "黑" (black) appea s e y ea ly in he O acle Bone Sc ip (甲骨文), wi h he
o iginal shape esembling he ash o smoke le a e he objec was bu ned. In Shuowen Jiezi (说文解字), "黑" (black) is
in e p e ed as "玄也", which means da k, non- anslucen colo . 暗" (da k, gloomy) is no lis ed sepa a ely in he Exegesis, bu in
la e ex s, he wo d is synonymous wi h "光" (ligh ), which e e s o a weak, unclea s a e o ligh .
In e ms o meaning, "黑暗" (da kness) is i s used o desc ibe physical phenomena such as da k nigh , og, da k clouds,
e c., because hey all ha e he common cha ac e is ics o obscu ing ision, obs uc ing ligh , c ea ing a sense o ambigui y,
mys icism, and e en ea . Howe e , besides he li e al meaning, "黑暗" (da kness) is also equen ly ex ended o he igu a i e
meaning. Acco ding o he Dic iona y o Mode n Chinese (2012) and he Dic iona y o Mode n P agma ic Chinese (2001), "黑暗"
(da kness) is also used o e e o nega i e phenomena in socie y, such as "腐败" (co up ion), "黑暗势力" (da k o ces), o "黑暗
统治" (opp essi e egime, un ai ). This e lec s he endency o associa e "黑暗" (da kness) wi h nega i e poli ical and social
concep s. In Vie namese, he Vie namese Dic iona y (2003) de ines "da kness" mainly li e ally, as he pa o space wi hou ligh ,
and a ely ex ends o socio-poli ical igu a i es.
In sho , compa ed o Vie namese, Chinese emphasizes he mul i-meaning na u e o "黑暗" (da kness), especially he
laye s o meanings ha ca y nega i e social and poli ical colo s. On he con a y, "da kness" in Vie namese is s ill mo e li e ally
associa ed wi h na u al phenomena, less associa ed wi h he social plane. This e lec s he di e ences in pe cep ion and cul u e
o he wo languages: i Chinese exploi s "黑暗" (da kness) as a me apho o c i ique injus ice, e il, and dep a i y, Vie namese is
mo e abou exp essing physical s a es, some imes ex ending o psycho-spi i ual meanings, bu no emphasizing socio-poli ical
nuances.
A Cogni i e-Seman ic S udy o Exp essions Associa ed wi h “黑暗/Da kness” in Chinese and Vie namese
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4. Analysis o me apho ical mapping pa e ns o wo ds ela ed o "黑暗" (da kness) in Chinese and Vie namese
Sou ce Domain
Ta ge domain
4.1. The sou ce domain "黑暗/da kness" mapped o he a ge domain indica es unce ain y, ambigui y in pe cep ion, and a e
In bo h Chinese and Vie namese, "da kness" is a na u al phenomenon, and he lack o ligh makes i impossible o people
o see o dis inguish hings. F om his expe ience, "da kness" is gene alized in o a me apho o unce ain y, ambigui y in
pe cep ion and a e, whe e people all in o a s a e o diso ien a ion and helplessness be o e he u u e.
In Chinese li e a u e, images such as "漆黑" (black), "暗无天日" (da kness wi hou seeing he sun), "前途黑暗" (da k
u u e), "黑暗中摸索" (g oping in he da k) o en exp ess he ambiguous and insecu e s a e o li e. Example:
(1) 夜色沉沉,四下一片漆黑。 (《红楼梦》)(Gloomy nigh , ou su aces and one solid black) (A D eam o Red
Mansions).
He e, "漆黑" (black black) no only depic s he scene y bu also p edic s agedy and an unknown a e.
In Vie namese li e a u e, exp essions simila o "Tối mị mùng” (boundless da kness), "đen như mực” (black as ink), and
"mị mù” (blindness) a e also associa ed wi h he ambigui y and unce ain y o a e. Fo example:
(2) “T ời ối mị mùng, ăng sao mờ nhạ / Mộ mảnh hồn đau giữa bóng ối mênh mang.” (The sky is pi ch-da k, he
moon and s a s a e ain / A agmen o a soul in he as da kness.) (Nguyen Du, The Tale o Kieu).
He e, he da kness symbolizes he su e ing and obscu i y o human li e.
In addi ion, bo h languages use "da kness" as a me apho o an unce ain u u e:
(3) 在命运的黑暗中，我们只能一步一步地往前走。 （余华，《活着》）
(In he da kness o a e, we can only mo e o wa d s ep by s ep) (Yu Hua, Mus li e).
(4) My pe son a ha ime seemed o be h own in o a dense a ea o da kness, wi hou an exi ." (Yuan Hong, "The as
o people").
Thus, bo h Chinese and Vie namese a e based on he expe ience o "da kness = loss o ision" o o m a me apho o
he unknown, ambigui y, and hopelessness. Howe e , Chinese ends o use many gene alized ixed ph ases such as "前途黑暗"
(da k u u e), "黑暗中摸索" (g oping in he da k), while Vie namese o en exploi s exp essions ich in images and pe sonal
emo ions such as "inky black" and "no exi ". This di e ence e lec s he unique cha ac e is ics o he concep ualiza ion and
exp ession o he wo languages.
4.2. The sou ce domain "black" maps o he a ge domain, indica ing igno ance, and lack o knowledge
F om he expe ience o ambigui y and unce ain y, "da kness" in bo h Chinese and Vie namese con inues o be
concep ualized as a me apho o igno ance, lack o knowledge. When he e is a lack o ligh , people canno pe cei e hings clea ly,
om which he "da k" image is expanded o indica e a s a e o blu ed pe cep ion and poo in ellec .
In Chinese, exp essions wi h "melancholy" a e e y ich, o en combined wi h he elemen s "暗" (da k) and "昏" (lose
consciousness) o dis inguish a ious le els o igno ance "暗昧" (s upid, blind), "暗弱" (s upid, weak), "昏庸" (igno ance), "昏头
昏脑" (blu ed mind), "愚昧黑暗" (da k s upidi y), "黑暗无知" (da k and inanima e). Fo example:
(5) 尽思量不若不思量，尽言语不如不言语；总是来回地想着，来回地说着，也只是无知暗昧。 (冰心, 《冰心全
集第一卷》) (The mo e you hink, he mo e you alk, he mo e you alk is no he same as silence; you keep hinking o e and o e
again, alking o e and o e again, and in he end, you a e jus igno an .) (Bing Xin, The Comple e Collec ion o Bing Hea , ol. 1).
"黑暗" (da kness)
unce ain y, ambigui y
igno an
nega i i y, melancholy,
despai
unjus
c ime
conspi acies, sec e s
Helplessness, ea
Mapping
A Cogni i e-Seman ic S udy o Exp essions Associa ed wi h “黑暗/Da kness” in Chinese and Vie namese
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In Vie namese, many exp essions also associa e "da kness" wi h igno ance, such as: "u ối” (dim), " ối dạ (slow-minded),
“mờ mị ”(obscu e), "mù quáng”(i a ional), "dố ná ối ăm”(u e igno ance), “mị mờ í uệ” (obscu ed wisdom), "đen ối ô i
(dim awea ness). Example:
(6) “Mẹ ôi bị dày ò ong sự ối ăm, không hiểu gì ề cuộc sống bên ngoài, chỉ biế phục ùng mà không dám phản
kháng” (My mo he was o men ed in da kness, did no unde s and any hing abou li e ou side, and only knew how o obey wi hou
da ing o esis .) (Nguyen Hong, Red Ribbon)
(7) “Bà cụ Mịch đã già yếu, đầu óc mờ mị , không còn biế đâu là phải ái nữa “ (M s. Mich is old and weak, he mind is
blu y, and she no longe knows wha is igh and le ). (Ngo Ta To, Land).
In sho , in bo h Chinese and Vie namese, "da kness" is concep ualized as a me apho o igno ance and igno ance,
e lec ing he uni e sal connec ion be ween lack o ligh and lack o knowledge. The di e ence lies in he ac ha he Chinese
language de elops many sys ema ic wo d combina ions, such as "暗昧", "昏庸", "愚昧黑暗", c ea ing a clea , nuanced
s a i ica ion in exp ession. Meanwhile, he Vie namese o en use adjec i es and ad e bs ich in images and emo ions, such as
"da k", "blu y ", "dim", emphasizing pe sonal, speci ic, and associa ed wi h daily li e. This di e ence e lec s he linguis ic and
cul u al cha ac e is ics o each communi y.
4.3. The sou ce domain "da kness" maps o he a ge domain o nega i e, melancholy, and despe a e emo ions
The psychological s a e o people is o en s ongly in luenced by he na u al en i onmen , especially he wea he . Da k
days and p olonged hea y ain o en e oke eelings o sadness, hea iness, and can easily lead o nega i e hough s. F om ha
eeling expe ience, bo h Chinese and Vie namese de eloped he use o "da kness" as a me apho o symbolize eelings o
pessimism, melancholy, and despai .
In Chinese, exp essions such as "黑暗的日子" (da k days), "最黑暗的时光" (da kes momen s), "心灵的黑暗" (da kness
in he soul), o "黑暗笼罩" (encompassing da kness) a e o en used o desc ibe nega i e men al s a es. Mode n li e a u e has
many p oo s:
(8) 黑暗的日子里，他甚至忘记了微笑。 （余华，《在细雨中呼喊》）
(In da k days, he e en o ge s how o smile) (Yu Hua, Calling in he Rain)
(9) 那是一段最黑暗的时光，整日愁云惨雾，连阳光都透不进心底。 （张爱玲，《红玫瑰与白玫瑰》）
(I was he da kes ime; all day long, he clouds we e gloomy, and e en he sun could no pene a e he bo om o he
hea . Zhang Ai Ling, Red Rose and Whi e Rose)
In Vie namese, simila exp essions a e also e y ich, o en associa ed wi h wo ds such as "da k", "gloomy", "dim",
"obscu e", o isually e oca i e images such as "inky da k". Example:
(10) “Bầu ời u ám như âm ạng ôi, không mộ ia hy ọng” (The sky was as gloomy as my mood, wi hou a glimme
o hope.) (Nguyen Thi, Child en in he amily)
Acco ding o Ngo Ta To, he "da kness" is ho oughly exploi ed as a me apho ical image e lec ing he despe a e
si ua ion o Ms. Dau:
(11) “Buông ay, chị ội choàng dậy, mở cửa chạy é a sân. T ời ối như mực à như cái iền đồ của chị.” (Le ing go, she
hu iedly go up, opened he doo , and ell in o he ya d. I was as da k as ink and like he o e unne .” (Ngo Ta To, Tu n o he
ligh s)
The abo e examples show ha bo h Chinese and Vie namese a e based on he expe ience o "da kness" as a space ha
lacks ligh , e oking ea and insecu i y, o gene alize in o a me apho o eelings o pessimism, melancholy, and despai . Howe e ,
Chinese ends o emphasize abs ac ion, while Vie namese a o s exp essions ich in images and pe sonal emo ions, such as "da k
as ink", "o e cas sky", "wi hou a ay o hope", closely ied o he speci ic expe ience o daily li e.
4.4. The sou ce domain "da kness" maps o he a ge domain o an unjus socie y and opp essi e egime
In bo h Chinese and Vie namese, "da kness" no only e okes a physical lack o ligh , bu is also o en used as a me apho
o e lec injus ice, opp ession, and aliena ion in social li e. The human expe ience in he da kness wi h limi ed ision, eelings o
su oca ion, insecu i y, and ea a e shi ed o he social plane, whe e au ho i a ian powe and unjus mechanisms cause people
o all in o he same s a e.
In Chinese, exp essions such as "黑暗统治" (da k egime), "黑暗时代" (da k age), o "黑暗势力" (da k o ces) a e o en
used o c i icize unjus and y annical egimes. Example:
(12) ......或表现为反抗黑暗统治、反对反动暴政，减轻或解除本国、本民族人民的苦难。 (... o mani es ed in he
esis ance o he da k egime, agains eac iona y y anny o alle ia e he su e ing o he people.) (People's Daily Newspape ,
1990).
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In Vie namese, co esponding exp essions also appea wi h high equency, such as "chế độ đen ối” (da k egime), “ hời
kỳ ăm ối”(da k pe iod), “mộ ương lai đen ối” (a da k u u e), associa ed wi h social and poli ical con ex s. Example:
(13) “Tôi xin kính cẩn nghiêng mình ưởng nhớ linh hồn của hàng iệu đồng bào, các chiến hữu… đã hy sinh ong sứ
mệnh quốc ế giải phóng Campuchia hoá khỏi chế độ đen ối này.” (I espec ully bow o emembe he souls o millions o
compa io s and com ades... sac i iced in he in e na ional mission o libe a e Cambodia om his da k egime.) (You h o he
Capi al Newspape , 2024).
(14) “Những cuộc chiến anh liên miên… ở hành bóng ối bao ùm đấ nước Is ael. (Báo Dân T í, 2018)” (Cons an
wa s... became he da kness ha emb aced he whole na ion o Is ael.” (Dan T i Newspape , 2018).
By compa ison, i can be seen ha bo h languages use "da kness" as a me apho o e e o unjus socie ies and
opp essi e egimes. Howe e , in Chinese, hese ph ases o en appea in he o m o ixed idioms o ph ases, ich in gene ali y and
wi h clea socio-poli ical c i icism, while Vie namese, in addi ion o he poli ical le el, also expands o he cul u al-his o ical le el,
emphasizing he exp essi eness and sense o "emb aced" o opp ession.
4.5. The sou ce domain "da kness" maps o he a ge domain o c imes and illegal ac s
In bo h Chinese and Vie namese, "da kness" is o en used as a me apho o c ime, e il, and illegal ac s. The expe ience
o da kness, whe e i is di icul o humans o see, e e y hing is hidden, and po en ially dange ous, has been concep ualized in o
he image o he unde wo ld, whe e e il and illegal ac s exis .
In Chinese, wo d combina ions con aining "黑" (black) and "暗" (da k) a e ich, e lec ing he connec ion be ween
"da kness" and e il. Fo example: "黑心" (da k hea ), "黑手" (black hand), "黑帮" (gangs e ), "黑市" (black ma ke ), "黑钱" (di y
money), "黑幕" (black cu ain), "黑社会" (gangs e ), "黑道" (black line), "黑吃黑" ( e e s o dispu es be ween unde g ound
powe s). Example:
(15) 这一场官商勾结的黑幕，最终被媒体揭露。 (The da k eil o he collusion wi h he businessman was inally
exposed by he media.)
In Vie namese, simila exp essions a e also widely used, such as "xã hội đen” (gangs e ), "chợ đen” (black ma ke ), " iền
đen” (di y/black money), "công y ma” (shell company), and "hợp đồng ngầm” (hidden con ac ). Example:
(16) “Vấn nạn doanh nghiệp ‘ma’: Thách hức đối ới kinh ế à pháp luậ .” (The P oblem o 'Shell' En e p ises: Challenges
o Economics and Law.) (Law Newspape , 2025).
(17) “Công khai mua bán xe không giấy ờ ên chợ mạng: Kẽ hở cho kẻ xấu phạm ội” (Publicly buying and selling ca s
wi hou licenses on he online ma ke : A loophole o gangs e s o commi c imes.” (People's Police Newspape , 2024).
(18) “Nhận diện 7 hủ đoạn ‘ ửa iền’ được ội phạm sử dụng ong giai đoạn hiện nay.” (Iden i y 7 'money launde ing'
icks used by c iminals in he cu en pe iod.) (Legal Re iew, 2025).
Th ough compa ison, i can be seen ha he Chinese language ends o associa e "黑/暗" wi h a se ies o ixed compound
wo ds o desc ibe c iminal beha io s and unde g ound o ces, o ming a gene al and s able ocabula y sys em. Meanwhile,
al hough Vie namese does no c ea e as many ixed compound wo ds as Chinese, i is lexible in combining wi h "black", "shell",
and "unde g ound/hidden" o c ea e exp essions close o social eali y, e lec ing di ec ly on daily li e.
No ably, om a achmen o e il and illegal beha io , "da kness" is also expanded o he ield o "sec e s and
conspi acies". The essence o his connec ion lies in he expe ience o eeling ha da kness always hides hings, making hem
di icul o iden i y, jus as illegal ac i i ies o conspi acies o en lu k in he da k.
4.6. The sou ce domain "black" maps o he a ge domain o conspi acies, sec e s, and concealmen
In bo h Chinese and Vie namese, "da kness" is no only associa ed wi h unce ain y o c ime, bu is also o en used as a
me apho o in igue and concealmen . This is a gene aliza ion based on human cogni i e expe ience. In he da k, people a e
di icul o obse e, and beha io s a e easily obscu ed, he eby c ea ing associa ions wi h insidious and shady ac i i ies.
In Chinese, his phenomenon is e lec ed in many symbolic wo ds such as "暗号" (innuendo), "暗中/暗里" (in he da k,
in sec e ), "暗线" (unde g ound line), "暗探" (spy), "阴谋" (conspi acy), o he idiom "明争暗斗" ( igh ing openly bu implici ly
ha ming). Example:
(18) 他们通过暗线联系，不敢在公开场合露面。 (They communica ed h ough an unde g ound line, no da ing o
appea publicly).
(19) 宫廷里明争暗斗，充满了各种阴谋。 (In he palace, he e was bo h open s uggle and insidious igh ing, ull o
conspi acies).
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In Vie namese, he e a e also many co esponding exp essions such as "mậ hiệu” (codename), "ngấm ngầm/ lén lú ”
(insidious/s eal hy), "đường dây ngầm” (unde g ound line), "âm hầm” (silen ), "mậ hám”(sec e spy), " iệc khuấ ấ ” (hiding),
" hư nặc danh” (anonymous le e ). This usage is qui e common, o example:
(20) “Nhận diện âm mưu, hủ đoạn chiến anh âm lý hời kỳ mới.” (Iden i ying conspi acies and ac ics o psychological
wa a e in he new e a.) (People's Police Newspape , 2024).
(21) “Nhận diện hoạ động ngân hàng ngầm ại Việ Nam” (Iden i ica ion o unde g ound banking ac i i ies in Vie nam.)
(Jou nal o Banking Science & T aining, 2015).
(22) “Xử lý nghiêm hành i lợi dụng đơn hư nặc danh để ố cáo sai sự hậ .” (S ic ly handle ac s o aking ad an age o
anonymous le e s o make alse denuncia ions.) (People's A my Newspape , 2025).
Th ough he abo e compa ison, i can be seen ha he Chinese language ends o sys ema ize "ligh and da k" opposi ion,
o ming many ixed combina ions associa ed wi h powe ela ions and unde g ound s uggle. Meanwhile, he Vie namese o en
exploi "da kness" o emphasize concealmen in social and pe sonal li e, e lec ing he shady, icke y, and unp edic abili y o
co e ac s.
4.7. The "da kness" sou ce domain maps o he a ge domain o helplessness and ea
In bo h Chinese and Vie namese, "da kness" is gene alized as a me apho o helplessness and ea . The expe ience o
pe cep ion in a da k en i onmen , limi ed ision, hinde ed ac ion, and loss o con ol ha e o med he basis o he o ma ion o
his concep . The e o e, da kness o en symbolizes a s a e o con usion, anxie y, and ea o he unknown.
In Chinese li e a u e, images such as "黑暗吞噬意志" (da kness swallows he will) o "黑暗包围" (en eloping da kness)
a e o en associa ed wi h helplessness and ea , o example:
(22) 我挣扎着想要爬起来,可是黑暗吞噬了我的意志, 让我动弹不得。 (I s uggled o ge up, bu he da kness
de ou ed my will and made i impossible o me o mo e.) (Lu Xun, Sc eam).
(23) 夜深了,他蜷缩在角落,黑暗包围着他,让他无比恐惧。 (La e a nigh , he cowe ed in a co ne , he da kness ha
en eloped him was ex emely a aid.) (Yu Hua, Mus li e).
In Vie namese li e a u e, he e a e also many simila usages, such as “bóng ối đặc quánh” (dense da kness), " ối như
mực” (da k as ink), associa ed wi h a s a e o anxie y and hopelessness, o example:
(24) “Mỗi đêm, ôi lại sợ bóng ối à những iếng động lạ, như hể có ai đó đang heo dõi mình.” (E e y nigh I was a aid
o he da k and s ange noises, as i someone we e wa ching me.) (Bao Ninh, The sadness o wa ).
(25) “Con người ôi khi ấy như bị quẳng ào mộ ùng bóng ối đặc quánh, không có lấy mộ lối a.” (My pe son a ha
ime was h own in o a dense a ea o da kness, wi h no way ou .) (Nguyen Hong, The as o people).
In addi ion o ea , "da kness" in bo h languages is associa ed wi h he spi i ual wo ld and dea h. In Chinese, he wo ds "
暗阴" (gloomy), "幽暗" (da k, gloomy), "阴森" (dim) a e o en used o e e o he unde wo ld o demon gods, o example:
(26) 这片古老的森林...一到夜晚，便陷入彻底的暗阴之中，传说是鬼魂栖息的地方。 (This ancien o es ... a nigh ,
i is plunged in o da kness, which is said o be he place whe e he soul esides.) (Bo Tung Linh, S ange Tales om Liaozhai ).
In Vie namese, he wo ds "gloomy", "da k", and "dim" a e also o en used o desc ibe spooky spaces:
(27) “Bóng ối dày đặc bao ùm nghĩa ang, chỉ có iếng cú kêu hê lương giữa đêm khuya.” (Thick da kness en eloped
he ceme e y, and he only sound o an owl c ying in he middle o he nigh .) " (Nam Cao, Chi Pheo).
Thus, bo h Chinese and Vie namese use "da kness" as a me apho o helplessness, ea , and belie in he mys ical wo ld.
Howe e , Chinese is mo e abou codi ica ion in he language, while Vie namese exploi s emo ional images, e lec ing di e ences
in how he same expe ience is concep ualized and exp essed.
5. DISTRIBUTION OF COGNITIVE METAPHOR GROUPS OF "黑暗 / DARKNESS" IN CHINESE AND VIETNAMESE
The able below p esen s he equency o occu ence o se en g oups o pe cep ual me apho s ela ed o "黑暗
/da kness" in Chinese and Vie namese li e a u e. The da a we e compiled om li e a y wo ks, jou nalism, dic iona ies, and
e e yday language, he eby e lec ing how he wo languages exploi ed he phenomenon o "da kness" in di e en concep ual
domains.
A Cogni i e-Seman ic S udy o Exp essions Associa ed wi h “黑暗/Da kness” in Chinese and Vie namese
IJMRA, Volume 08 Issue 10 Oc obe 2025 www.ijm a.in Page 5626
Table 1: Dis ibu ion o cogni i e me apho g oups o "黑暗/da kness" in Chinese and Vie namese
STT
Me apho ical G oup
Chinese
(numbe o cases)
Ra e (%)
Vie namese
(numbe o cases)
Ra e (%)
1
Unce ain y, ambigui y in
pe cep ion/ a e
28
20%
22
18%
2
Igno an , lack o knowledge
24
17%
26
21%
3
Nega i e emo ions, hopelessness
30
22%
35
28%
4
An unjus and opp essi e socie y
25
18%
15
12%
5
C imes and illegal ac s
18
13%
12
10%
6
Conspi acies, sec e s, concealmen
9
7%
8
6%
7
Fea , helplessness, supe na u al
6
3%
8
5%
To al
140
100%
126
100%
F om he able abo e, i can be seen ha "黑暗/da kness" is gene alized in o many abs ac concep ual domains.
Howe e , he di e ence is also qui e ob ious, Chinese ocuses mo e on socio-poli ical ields such as unjus socie y (18%) and c ime
and illegal beha io (13%), while Vie namese is mo e inclined o meaning ields associa ed wi h pe sonal pe cep ions and
emo ions, such as nega i e emo ions, despe a ion (28%) and igno an and igno ance (21%). No ably, he g oup o nega i e
emo ions was p ominen in bo h languages (22% and 28%), sugges ing ha "da kness" was i s associa ed wi h a pessimis ic
men al s a e, while g oups such as conspi acies, sec e s, o ea s, and he supe na u al accoun ed o a lowe p opo ion, e lec ing
a na ow ange o use. These indings no only shed ligh on he uni e sali y and speci ici y o he pe cep ual me apho bu also
demons a e he di e ence in des ina ion be ween he wo languages, wi h Chinese emphasizing social c i icism and Vie namese
emphasizing pe sonal emo ions. The eby showing he close connec ion be ween language, cul u e, and hinking.
6. CONCLUSION
Th ough compa a i e analysis on he basis o he heo y o pe cep ual me apho s, i can be seen ha "黑暗/da kness" in Chinese
and "da kness" in Vie namese no only s op a he o iginal meaning o he na u al phenomenon o lack o ligh , bu a e also
gene alized in o many laye s o ich me apho ical meanings. The esul s o he s udy show ha bo h languages use "da kness" o
exp ess abs ac concep s associa ed wi h cogni ion, emo ions, and socie y, including unce ain y and ambigui y, igno ance and
igno ance, nega i e emo ions, unjus a es, c ime, e c, Sec e conspi acies, as well as helplessness and ea .
Th ough esea ch, i can be a i med ha he concep ual me apho is no only a linguis ic ool bu also a means o
hinking, e lec ing he wo ld iew and cul u al alues o he communi y. A he same ime, he compa ison also shows he
di e ence in he o ien a ion o pe cep ion be ween he wo peoples. Chinese ocuses on social c i icism, while Vie namese is
mo e abou exp essing pe sonal moods. The esea ch con ibu es o illing he academic gap in he ield o cogni i e linguis ics
while cla i ying he connec ion be ween language, cul u e, and how people cons uc ideas om li e expe iences.
REFERENCES
English
1) Ba celona, A. (2000). Me apho and Me onymy a he C oss oads: A Cogni i e Pe spec i e. Be lin: Mou on de G uy e :
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3) Lako , G., & Johnson, M. (1980). Me apho s We Li e By, Chicago: Uni e si y o Chicago P ess.
4) Lako , G., & Johnson, M. (1999). Philosophy in he Flesh: The Embodied Mind and I s Challenge o Wes e n Though . New
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Chinese
1) Qin, X. G., & Huang, X. Y. (2008). Concep ual Me apho s o "Da kness": A Co pus-Based Compa a i e S udy o English and
Chinese. Jou nal o Xi’an In e na ional S udies Uni e si y, 16(4).
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