A Contrastive Analysis Of Linguistic Features Of The Adjective Black And Đen .docx

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A CONTRASTIVE ANALYSIS OF LINGUISTIC FEATURES OF THE
ADJECTIVE “BLACK” AND “ĐEN” IN ENGLISH AND VIETNAMESE
IDIOMS
STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP
I, the undersigned, hereby certify my authority of the study project report entitled A
Contrastive Analysis of Linguistic Features of the Adjective “Black” and “Đen” in
English and Vietnamese Idioms submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for
the degree of Bachelor in English Language. Except where the reference is indicated,
no other person's work has been used without due acknowledgement in the text of the
dissertation.

Table of Contents
I. Introduction ..........................................................................................................................3
1. Rationale.........................................................................................................................3
2. Aims and objectives.........................................................................................................5
3. Research questions.............................................................................................................6
II. Literature Review ...............................................................................................................6
III. Theoretical background................................................................................................8
1. Definitions of Idiom............................................................................................................8
2. Definition of Color .............................................................................................................9
3. Basic color terms................................................................................................................9
4. Words Denoting Colors (WsDC) .....................................................................................10
IV. Research Methodology....................................................................................................10
1. Purpose of research .........................................................................................................10
2. Research methods.............................................................................................................10
V. Research findings and Discussion....................................................................................11
1. The semantics of English idioms with “black”..............................................................11
2. The semantics of Vietnamese idioms with “đen”...........................................................14
3. Semantic similarities of “Black” and “Đen” in English and Vietnamese combination
idioms...................................................................................................................................15
4. Semantic differences of “Black” and “Đen” in English and Vietnamese combination
idioms...................................................................................................................................16
5. Discussion........................................................................................................................16
5.1. Implications on teaching ...........................................................................................16
5.2. Implications on translation........................................................................................17
VI. Conclusions ......................................................................................................................18
References................................................................................................................................18

I. Introduction
Abstract: The researcher’s underlying aim in carrying out this research is to discuss the
similarities and differences of linguistic features “black” and “đen” in English and
Vietnamese idioms.
1. Rationale
Color is one of the virtual parts of life and it makes the world more beautiful and lively.
It whets much interest in linguistics because of its apparently universal character as
well. Besides, the colored rays not only affect our physical bodies but also our emotions
or mental faculties. They can provoke a range of emotions all in the space of a few
minutes. We, as human beings made up of ever-changing colors, respond to our color
actively or passively. Color has the power to convey moods and feelings, like when
people say, “I'm feeling blue” or “She was tickled pink when she got some roses.” While
people think that only vibrant colors like red, orange, yellow, etc. have many expressive
nuances, we may overlook black.
In fact, “Black” and “Đen” represent negative meanings: ideas of death, mourning,
depression, and evil, darkness or sometimes it concerns social factors: “black-thought”
(suy nghĩ đen tối),”black-market”(chợ đen), “black-Friday”(ngày hạ giá)...
It is said that mastering idioms means you're using and understanding the language more
as a native speaker would. The challenging part about using idioms effectively is that
knowing all the individual words may not help you to understand the meaning of the
phrase. For example, knowing the meaning of “pot” or “kettle” may not help you to
understand the meaning of “the pot calling the kettle black”: A situation in which a
person accuses someone of or criticizes someone for something that they are guilty of.
Theoretically, many relevant studies on Black in English and Đen in Vietnamese have
been done so far. However, researches on the linguistic features of “Black” and “Đen”
are generalized in many aspects, so this article will only focus on analyzing linguistic
features of the “Black” and “Đen” to find out their similarities and differences between
two languages have not been carried out. Idioms about "Đen" in Vietnamese such as:

đỏ tình đen bạc, dân ngu khu đen, etc.; Idioms about "Black" in English such as: be in
somebody’s black books, the pot calling the kettle black, etc.
Therefore, it is necessary to do a research on this matter to enrich characteristics of
“Black” and “Đen.” This study helps to partly corroborate the inextricable and
dialectical relationship between culture and language, ameliorate knowledge of idioms
that contains the adjectives “Black” and “Đen” and enhance… to a great extent.
Language users should be aware of this to avoid misunderstanding and cultural crashes
when communicating and using “Black” and “Đen” in idioms, then focus on its
implication and suggestions for teaching and learning set expressions containing
“Black” and “Đen.”
In terms of lexical aspect, in English, many researches have included the role of culture
factor in researching color terminologies, rather researching color terminologies in
separation. Researches by Geiger (1869); Conklin (1955); Lakoff (1987); Kay & Maffi
(1999) have influenced this current dissertation since cultural element used to be
ignored in considering the connection between color terminologies and their adoption.
In Vietnamese, Trịnh Thị Minh Hương (1999) paid more attention to lexical aspect,
mainly towards one color term or some basic color terms in Vietnamese language.
In terms of semantic viewpoint, in English, Kövecses (1986) and Lucy (1992) lay the
foundation for color categories issue developed into color prototypes that must be
performed based on the semantic features of color category. In Vietnamese, Hoàng Văn
Hành (1982), Nguyễn Hoàng Phương Linh (2014) and Lê Phương Thảo (2018) compare
and contrast the semantic values and meanings between color terms in Vietnamese and
English.
In Vietnamese, Trân Thị Lan (2001), Lê Văn Thanh (2014); Hoàng Tuyết Minh &
Nguyễn Văn Quang (2015) identify the connection between the prototypes of one basic
color and the associated objects in daily real-life situations close to one community
members' life culture and cognition related to the similarities and differences between
Vietnamese and English culture and cognition system.
The researches above, concentrating one single color term or some specific color terms
in one language only, does not provide the most wide-ranging general picture with

further detailed explanations with the subject of linguistic and cognitive system within
one native community.
The colors that nature has provided us as a means to nourish our bodies and spirits are
thought to be one of the most valuable gifts of God. Apart from that, color is a source
of energy that nourishes our whole way of living, an essential and wonderful part of our
life. As highly colorful beings, our forms are made up of ever-changing color and we
respond to our color actively or passively in all that we do. In addition, the coloured
rays not only affect our physical bodies but also our emotions, mood or mental faculties.
It has the power to convey moods and feelings, like when people say, “I'm feeling blue”
or “She was tickled pink when she got some roses.” While people think that only vibrant
colors like red, orange, yellow, etc. have many expressive nuances, they may overlook
black.
Like colors, idioms are very diverse and has multiple meanings. If colors are so diverse
in nature that it is difficult to distinguish them clearly, then in language, they are also
very rich in usage. But in fact, the irony behind this sentence. English and Vietnamese
are rich in color idioms, and their semantic and symbolic features are quite subversive.
Therefore, to know how to use semantics and context correctly, we need to understand
it. That's why I chose this topic.
2. Aims and objectives
The aim of this thesis is to make a contrastive analysis between English and Vietnamese
Idioms containg words related to Colors in terms of semantic and pragmatic features in
order to hep English users easily understand and use this kind of idiom more effectively
and confidently in various contexts. Morever, this study also aims to show the affect of
Social and Culture behaviors in using Idioms denoting words related to Color in the two
languages:
- identify and describe semantic and pragmatic feature of Idioms containing words
denoting Color in both Vietnamese and English.
- point out similarities and differences of Idioms containing words denoting Colors in
terms of semantic and pragmatic features in English versus Vietnamese.

- indicate social and cultural factors influencing on ways Vietnamese and English
people use Idioms related to Colors.
- provide Vietnamese learners of English with a practical knowledge of the field to
enable them to thoroughly understand, effectively and naturally use Idioms of Colors in
listening, speaking, writing, reading and especially, in translating.
3. Research questions
The dissertation will find the answers to the following questions:
(1) What are the semantic features of the adjective “Black” and “Đen” in English
and Vietnamese idioms?
(2) What are the semantic similarities and differences of the adjective “Black” and
“Đen” in English and Vietnamese idioms?
(3) What are the pragmatic features of the adjective “Black” and “Đen” in English
and Vietnamese idioms?
(4) What are the pragmatic similarities and differences of the adjective “Black”
and “Đen” in English and Vietnamese idioms?
II. Literature Review
It is necessary to pay attention to the study of words denoting color which has joint
effect on semantic recognition of adjectives, especially the adjective of color. In the
study by Truong Thanh Ngoc (2003), what attracts the reader is detailed mention of
semantic facets of such colors as black, white, green, red, yellow, blue, brown, grey,
orange, pink and purple. However, in other study by Mai Nguyen Dieu Khoa (2005), it
does go far in this semantic level. She focuses her attention on the study of metaphoric
meaning of such kind of adjective which includes six main colors. Taking notice of
diverse and symbolized significance similarly, in her study (2005), Nguyen Thi Dieu
Hao finds that people often tend to use Idioms denoting color words in daily
communication.
In fact, many authors make great use of adjectival characteristics in the hope of bringing
about its semantic and pragmatic recognition profoundly. Pustejovsky’s demonstration

of typical ambiguity and context dependence of adjective like fast where the adjectival
interpretation varies depending on noun being modified is remarkable.
In the Vietnamese language culture, a simple lexical item can be varied in terms of
semantic features. For instance, to describe the color states Black, Vietnamese have
dozens of different words to describe that color rigorously. In Vietnamese, we have đen
tuyền, đen óng, đen thui, and even some words that at first sight - are not related to black
as common understanding. Words like hắc, ô, mun, mực also describe “black”, but they
are used for animals or objects.
There are complications when it comes to use the right word for certain colors in
different contexts in advanced Vietnamese. Let me introduce you to the classic example
of the application of màu đen (black color). In English, whether it is a dog, a cat, or a
horse, if its fur color is black, then the term for them is black dog, black cat, black horse,
and so forth. In Vietnamese, you should simply use the word đen for the color black
but, to be more literal, you should use the correct “black” word as follows.
Indeed, the Vietnamese call chó mực, ngựa ô, mèo mun. And yet the subtlety of
language is that a color adjective is reserved for distinguishing animals. No Vietnamese
people call chó mun, mèo mực, ngựa ô.
Above, we just mentioned the richness of Vietnamese language. The same language has
brought forth a treasure of folklore with rich, concise, and lyrical nuances.
Explain why you choose 'black' and 'đen', but not 'dark', 'hắc', 'ô', 'mực' or other similar
words. Vải thâm, mèo mun, ngựa ô, chó mực, đôi mắt huyền.
 Frequency of using “đen” in Vietnamese
According to the Vietnamese Dictionary by Hoang Phe there are 3 variations of the
“đen.” The words ô, hắc, mực are often understood in their original meaning, not in the
sense in collocation: mèo mun (black cat), chó mực (black dog), ngựa ô (dark horse).
Word Literal meaning Meaning in collocation or
other context
ô an object with a round folding
frame of long, straight pieces of
1. The word used in old
literature for crow.

metal covered with material, that
you use to protect yourself from
the rain or from hot sun
1. Small compartment divided by
a large part: cabinet, drawer.
2. An interval with adjacent
squares: Checkered paper.
3. Brass utensils to hold betel nut:
Betel nut.
2. The sun, according to the
old dictionary: Bóng ô đã
xế ngang đầu
3. Has black color: Ngựa ô
(Dark Horse)
4.”Cửa ô” for short: Ô Cầu
Giấy
5. Interjections used to
express surprise: Ô hay!
Sao lại có người điêu ngoa
thế nhỉ?
mực 1. Sea creature that has a long
soft body, sometimes used for
food
2. Colored liquid for writing:
Black ink; Red ink. 2. Remove
black substance, cook with glue
used to sharpen it, draw or write:
Mực mài tròn, son mài dài
have black color: chó mực
(black dog)
The prescribed degree: cư
xử đúng chừng mực
mun Blackwood harvested from trees
of Ebenaceae (cây họ thị)
have black color: mèo mun
(black cat)
III. Theoretical background
1. Definitions of Idiom
When studying the characteristics of English and Vietnamese, one noteworthy point is
that English is a non-analytic language and Vietnamese is an analytic language. This
difference creates different ways of making words in English and Vietnamese. In other
words, English has a method of creating words that does not exist in Vietnamese, an

analytic language. There are a number of ways to form words which English does not
have.
Words denoting colors and idioms of colors have so far arrested much attentions of
reseachers. Dealing with the problems of colors, there was a remarkable thesis named
“An Investigation on the Semantics Features of Words Denoting Color- Black, White,
Blue, Green, Red, Yellow.” (Nguyen Thi Thu Suong- Hanoi, 1999). Phan Thi Le Huyen
marked a new trend with contrastive analysis on both semantic and pragmatic features
of the adjective “Black” in English and “Đen” in Vietnamese in compound words,
collocation, and idiomatic phrases.
Idioms are everywhere around us, nevertheless some people “do not feel comfortable
using idioms. They find it difficult to believe that the unusual combinations of words
can be used with the special meaning of the idiom.” (McLay, 1987:3). In general, it is
not necessary to know the idioms alone when using them. However, for using the idioms
correctly, it is important to understand the proper meaning and the right situation in
which particular idiom can be used.
2. Definition of Color
Color is the visual perceptual property corresponding in humans to the categories called
red, green, blue and others. Color categories and physical specifications of color are
also associated with objects, materials, light sources, etc., based on their physical
properties such as light absorption, reflection, or emission spectra. By defining a color
space, colors can be identified numerically by their coordinates.
3. Basic color terms
According to Brent Berlin and Paul Kay, in Their University and Evolution (1969),
these differences can be organized into a coherent hierarchy, and that there are a limited
number of universal “basic color terms” which begin to be used by individual cultures
in a relatively fixed order. Berlin and Kay based their analysis on a comparison of color
words in 98 languages around the world (20 in more detail). To be considered a basic
color term, the words had to be monolexemic (“green”, but not “light green” or “forest
green”), high-frequency, and agreed upon by speakers of that language.

4. Words Denoting Colors (WsDC)
In fact, English has a self-contained set of 11 words that can be described as “basic color
words”: black, white, red, yellow, green, blue, brown, pink, orange, purple and gray
(đen, trắng, đỏ, vàng, xanh lá cây, xanh lơ, nâu, hồng, cam, tía và xám). In Vietnam,
there are 9 words denoting color: đen, trắng, đỏ, vàng, xanh, nâu, hồng, tím và xám. We
normally mention WsDC as natural characters or in denotative meaning. However,
WsDC are also used to express different ideas, thoughts, feelings and attitude in
connotative and social meaning in daily communication.
IV. Research Methodology
1. Purpose of research
The topics of comparative study are as follows:
-Find out the similarities and differences in the combination and semantics of “Black”
and “Đen” in English and Vietnamese idioms;
-Illustrate some cultural characteristics by using “Black” and “Đen” in English and
Vietnamese idioms;
-Contribution to foreign language teaching, English-Vietnamese, Vietnamese-English
translation and translation, and dictionary compilation for scholars.
2. Research methods
In order to complete the task of the subject, the following main research methods are
adopted:
Description: This method is used to describe the combination and semantics of “Black”
and “Đen” in English and Vietnamese idioms.
-Elemental analysis method: This method is used to analyze the semantic features of
black words and their symbolic meanings in English and Vietnamese idioms, so as to
find out the meanings of these words in both languages.
-Comparison and comparison method: This is a method to find out the similarities and
differences between English and Vietnamese languages, cultures and ways of thinking
through the semantics of “Black” and “Đen” in English and Vietnamese idioms.

-Statistics and classification strategy: The purpose of this method is to make statistics
and classification of idioms and black characters in 20 English and Vietnamese idiom
dictionaries for recording research.
The “Black” and “Đen” in English and Vietnamese idioms in the literary treasures of
each language are very rich, so the article can only select a few idioms at random, based
on their popularity - that is, how often used by people in their own speech, or in the
popular literary works of each language. And best of all, article should be limited the
number of “Black” and “Đen” in English and Vietnamese idioms to 100 or less.
V. Research findings and Discussion
1. The semantics of English idioms with “black”
This topic counts the combination of 74 idioms and black words in 9 English idioms.
The word “black” appears in English idioms and has two meanings: one is literal
(referring to color), and the other is figurative (through metaphor or metonymy). When
Black changes its meaning, idioms with black words no longer mean color, but refer to
a certain state, nature, behavior, organization, opinion or attitude of people in the
direction of positive or negative evaluation.
The survey results show that there are 14 idioms with the word “Black”, whose original
meaning only describes the color of the things or phenomena in question. For example:
(As) black as pitch; (as) black as coal; (as) black as ink; (as) black as jet... These idioms
use the word as to compare the degree of “black” or to emphasize the scale of the said
color.
For idioms with transferred meanings, 60/74% of idioms have the word Black with
transferred meanings. English idioms with black phrases have many different symbolic
meanings and follow two trends of positive or negative meanings, but most of them
change according to the subtle differences of negative evaluations. In English, an idiom
with black words can represent something that is considered unclean, dirty or dark in
the symbolic meaning group with negative shadows. Black is usually not accompanied
by major clarification, and these events are usually illegal and almost have to be carried

out in the dark, such as: black market; black art; black magic, black economy, a black
list.
English idioms with black words also mean to hide, usually deliberately cover up and
not disclose facts, such as: black out, black horse (refers to a little-known candidate in
an election)...
Black is the color of darkness, evil and evil. Therefore, another symbolic meaning of
English idioms with black words is to indicate ominous signs, risks, things without
benefits, no future and no hope. For example, black mark, black spot (where accidents
often occur), black hole (referring to prisons), black Maria (referring to prisoner
trucks),… Idioms with black words refer to evil forces such as: black flag, black shirt,
black sheep, black mass, blackhand (association specializing in extortion). Black is the
color of darkness, the color of darkness, there is no hope. When the future is dyed black,
it represents a kind of sadness, depression and no way out. In that future, people will
encounter unexpected boredom, such as: The future looks black.
Idioms with black words in English also represent mysterious things (black box), or
dirty things (black country), evil, hatred (be in somebody’s black books). In addition,
many idioms with black words are converted to refer to people with bad, despicable,
violent, meanness, jealous, evil and envy personalities: black guard, black leg, paint a
black picture of somebody/something; paint somebody black, give somebody a black
look (means to stare at sb, be jealous of sb), look black at somebody, give somebody a
black eye, or black sheep, as evil or unpleasant as one is thought to be.
English idioms with black words also symbolize bad habits, or imperfections, the
comprehensiveness of human beings: the pot calling the kettle black (people who
criticize others but are not good are bad people), every bean has its black (which means
everyone has faults and no one is perfect), every family has a black sheep (which means
every family has an imperfect person),...
Another symbolic meaning of the word black in English refers to negative human
emotions, such as anger and sulking, such as: a black look, black dog. In English idioms,
black is also a dangerous color (black bottle, meaning: poison); (black day); (a black
mark) …

Black in English idioms also has racial symbolism (black face, which means black
people; work like a black - work hard, work hard like slaves), or political opposition
(black shirt, which means members of the Italian Nazi Party).
English idioms with black words also symbolize people's absurdity, humor or hidden
corners, dark corners of society: Black sheep. Literary works when accompanied by
black also have their own values. Black comedy or black humour is a comedy that
satirizes absurd reality or social tragedy. Black love is a series of emotional theories,
mainly aimed at women, involving many sexual details. Certain parts of the body can
also be associated with black words, such as black leg (opponents, going to work when
other workers go on strike), black and blue mean bruises.
In the direction of positive symbolic meaning of idioms with black words, only 4/74
idioms with this positive meaning were investigated in this topic. Black in English
idioms stands for the most transparent, clear and outstanding things. For example: black
and white, in black and white, know black from white (meaning: thoroughly understand
the situation), in the black (meaning: best way; profitable).
Because black is the color of grief, it is usually associated with death and mourning. At
British funerals, participants often wear black clothes to express their condolences to
the dead. The idiom to be in black means to wear black and mourning clothes, which is
also becoming more and more popular in Vietnam. In many modern funerals, fun
ceremonies are dressed in black, while white funerals are dressed in black. In particular,
when leaders at all levels died, TV announcers also wore black clothes. In ancient stories
or movies, villains often appear in black, which is different from the protagonist who
usually wears pure white clothes.
Therefore, the symbolic meaning of English idioms with black words is mainly
negative, which means bad, bad, adventurous or sad. This is a group of idioms with the
strongest color change direction and the most diversified symbolic meaning direction
in English. This is also completely consistent with the meaning structure of black words
in dictionaries. Black words are one of the words with the largest number of meanings
and the strongest meaning transfer direction in English language thinking.

2. The semantics of Vietnamese idioms with “đen”
This topic counted 55 idioms and black words in 11 Vietnamese idiom dictionaries. In
terms of meaning, Vietnamese idioms with “đen” (black) words can be divided into two
categories: one contains literal meaning (referring to color), and the other has
metaphorical meaning (transitional meaning). When changing meanings, idioms with
black words do not mean color, but refer to certain conditions, fate, behavior, morality,
qualities, opinions and attitudes of people with symbolic meanings.
When describing things and phenomena in the objective world, 17/55 of the 55
Vietnamese idioms with “đen”, have literal meanings, black shadows. These idioms
have the value of distinguishing the scope of symbols and the subtle differences between
the things and phenomena mentioned. “Đen” has a very wide range of symbols, but in
idioms, “đen” best represents human skin color, and has positive or negative evaluation
nuances. The ancients thought that black skin is the skin of healthy people with good
physical strength, so they judged it from a positive point of view, for example: đen như
đồng hun, or đen bóng như đồng hun. But most people use “đen” to describe skin, they
all have negative aesthetic meanings, such as: đen như củ tam thất (very black), đen
như bồ hóng (dark, slag), đen như cột nhà cháy (black skin, like a burning pillar), đen
như củ súng, đen như lòng chảo (black skin is like a pot), đen như than, đen như trôn
chảo, đen như quạ (like a crow's color, looks messy)....
“Đen” in idioms also converts the range of symbols to describe the color of hair with
positive shadows. According to the old concept, black, shiny hair is beautiful, healthy
hair, reflecting people's good health, for example: đen như mun (very black hair, velvet,
like the color of ebony). “Đen” also changes the range of objects to the black of teeth,
which means positive evaluation, because ancient aesthetic standards made women dye
their teeth black, making them more beautiful, durable, healthier, and shows the beauty
of harmony between smooth white skin and shiny black teeth. For example: đen nhánh
như hạt huyền (teeth are black seed color), má phấn răng đen (white skin, black teeth,
old feminine beauty standard). “Đen” in the idiom also describes the color of eyes: đen
như huyền; or dark specification: tối đen như mực (dark, invisible).
When transferred its meaning, “đen” in Vietnamese idioms has many rich symbolic
meanings. “Đen” represents unfortunate, beneficial and luck related to human destiny,

such as: canh bạc gặp hồi đen (unfortunately, business is risky), cờ bạc canh đỏ, canh
đen (gambling is possible and sometimes loses), cơn đen vận túng (risk, misfortune,
fate), đỏ tình đen bạc (those lucky in love are black in gambling)...
“Đen” in idioms also means hidden, illegal and undisclosed things, such as: chợ đen
chợ đỏ (hidden and illegal trading market). “Đen” also represents unpredictable
changes, such as: đổi trắng thay đen (flip), lập lờ đánh lận con đen (cunning, cheating,
exchanging bad things with good things for money)... “Đen” also stands for the poor
working class, people in impoverished, poverty and destitute such as: dân ngu khu đen,
dân đen con đỏ, lưng đen khố bện (hard-working people). “Đen” also stands for valuable
things, such as: cha vàng, mẹ bạc, bác đồng đen (refer to aristocratic people), của người
thì cứt chó, của mình thì vừng đen (people's are despised, mine are precious), đấy vàng,
đây cũng đồng đen (equal, not inferior). In addition, “đen” in Vietnamese idioms also
means clear and transparent content, such as: giấy trắng mực đen (with concrete, clear
and written evidence).
3. Semantic similarities of “Black” and “Đen” in English and Vietnamese
combination idioms
In English and Vietnamese idioms, there are relatively many idioms with “Black” and
“Đen”. The use of color words in idioms of both languages shows interesting features
of the thinking and cultural characteristics of the user community between the two
languages. Through investigation, we find that the semantic similarities of these idioms
in English and Vietnamese are as follows:
Compared with other basic color idioms, “Black” and “Đen” in English and Vietnamese
combination idioms have the most symbolic meanings. These words themselves have
the strongest meaning conversion and movement, and have many rich black symbolic
meanings in English with 14 symbolic meanings, and in Vietnamese, which is 6.
The semantic similarity of “Black” and “Đen” in English and Vietnamese combination
idioms, which has six similar meanings. Idioms with “Black” and “Đen” in English-
Vietnamese have the same symbolic meanings, such as: (i) hidden, private and illegal;
(ii) bad omens, risks, misfortunes; (iii) negative personality (of a negative nature); (iv)

bad habits and bad habits of human beings; (v) refers to racial or social stratification;
(vi) indicates clarity and transparency.
4. Semantic differences of “Black” and “Đen” in English and Vietnamese
combination idioms
The symbolic meanings of idioms are combined with “Black” and “Đen” in English and
Vietnamese idioms, which not only point out some similar symbolic meanings, but also
contain many differences. These different symbolic meanings are more numerous than
those of the same kind. Specifically:
In “black”, English idioms containing black words have completely different symbolic
meanings of “đen” from Vietnamese idioms, such as: (i) unclean, dark, (ii) evil, illegal
forces, (iii) mystery, (iv) negative emotions, (v) danger, (vii) political opposition, (vii)
dark corners of society and (viii) death, mourning. The remaining symbolic meanings
of English idioms are similar to those of Vietnamese. Therefore, the symbolic meanings
of idioms with “black” in English is much richer than that in Vietnamese, and the
symbolic meanings of Vietnamese idioms with “đen” are all included in the trend of
meaning movement of English idioms.
5. Discussion
5.1. Implications on teaching
Fernando (1996), “No translator or language teacher can afford to ignore idioms or
idiomaticity if a natural use of the target language is an aim” (p.234) Everybody is able
to speak natural English and it is the idioms in the language that give it a natural,
conversational, and creative feel. So, if people want to speak English fluently, it is
necessary to learn idioms in order to improve their communicative skill.
The findings of the research on the semantic and pragmatic features of the adjectives
“Black” and “Đen” are presented. Semantically, the adjectives “Black” and “Đen” are
regarded as ones with diverse meanings. Actually, in order to deeply understand their
cases of meaning, it is important to consider them in their collocations. From such
various meanings, with a desire of discovering in what fields “Black” and “Đen” refer
to, they should be summarized in each field of color, complexion, business, plants,

animals, art, etc… Pragmatically, based on the outward meaning of black color, the
adjectives “Black” and “Đen” focus on reflecting various aspects of human’s life. The
paper intends to provide some suggestions for translational equivalents in Vietnamese
and English of the adjectives “Black” and “Đen.”
In general, the adjective “Black” in English and “Đen” in Vietnamese contains cases of
meaning such as: lacking hue and brightness, absence of light or darkness, illegality,
wick or harm, disaster, secret.
Within the scope of this study, we have dealt with some basic knowledge of the “Black”
and “Đen” in English and Vietnamese idioms. The finding of the study may be in one
way or another beneficial to the language learners since it provides a good background
of how to use the meanings of the adjective appropriately. For the language teaching,
this study may be another sign implicating the need of encouraging students to exploit
the diverse meanings of adjectives for the purpose of using adjectives flexibly and
sufficiently.
5.2. Implications on translation
When idioms in one language are translated into other languages they may lose their
actual meaning because many idioms are specific to the culture. Idioms are a special
mode of expression, use or grouping of words, peculiar to a specific language (The
Universal Dictionary of the English Language, 1958). It can be said that any of the
linguistic thesis is directed to pedagogical implications. An investigation into semantic
and pragmatic features of the “Black” and “Đen” leads both teachers and learners of
English and Vietnamese idioms to some shared implications. Since there are differences
in perception of the “Black” and “Đen” in English and Vietnamese idioms, translative
complexity is inevitable. Laying stress on special attention to the contextual adjective
between English and Vietnamese is an effective way to cope with what the authors
mean. And it is also the requirement for both Vietnamese and English learners and
translators who have ambition of getting a proper translated version.
The thesis has the limitation that it has not yet delved into the study of the linguistic
features of the “Black” and “Đen” in English and Vietnamese idioms, which include
the semantic and pragmatic features. Consequently, it is necessary to give some
suggestions for the possible translational equivalents of the “Black” and “Đen” in

English and Vietnamese idioms, in each separated sense. However, there are some
aspects that have not been dealt with within this framework, calling for further research:
(1) Syntactic features and collocations of “Black” and “Đen” in English and Vietnamese
idioms; (2) Cultural characteristics of another words denoting colors “red, blue, yellow,
white…” in English and Vietnamese idioms.
VI. Conclusions
The unity and difference of movement trends create the meaning of “Black” and “Đen”
in English and Vietnamese combination idioms, which can be explained according to
the differences of thinking, language and language. The cultures of the two language
communities. Language researchers also show that national cultural characteristics are
clearly reflected in the choice of symbolic meanings of colors in each culture. In
different countries and cultures, colors also show different meanings. Vietnamese
communities live in tropical monsoon, heavy rain and high humidity, and take
agriculture as their main occupation, creating delta plains. Vietnamese people rely
heavily on nature for their farming techniques and tend to respect and live in harmony
with nature. Due to the high dependence on nature, there are black combinations in
idioms, and many idioms represent hope for luck, luck or human living conditions. In
terms of culture, each color plays a different symbolic role in different areas of life.
These symbolic values reflect, to any extent, the historical processes, customs, customs
and beliefs of the people and have bold national cultural characteristics.
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