Phraseological units with the semantics of 'human appearance' in Russian and Chinese

Ван Ц.

doi:10.25136/2409-8698.2024.4.70109

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Litera

Reference:

Wang J. Phraseological units with the semantics of "human appearance" in Russian and Chinese // Litera. 2024. № 4. P. 1-15. DOI: 10.25136/2409-8698.2024.4.70109 EDN: BWJWJB URL: https://en.nbpublish.com/library_read_article.php?id=70109

Phraseological units with the semantics of "human appearance" in Russian and Chinese

Van Tszin

ORCID: 0009-0009-8848-0400

Senior Lecturer, Department of the Russian Language, School of Foreign Languages, Hulunbuir University (China); Postgraduate Student, Department of the Russian Language and Methods of its Teaching, Faculty of Philology, Peoples' Friendship University of Russia

117198, Russia, Moscow region, Moscow, Miklukho-Maklaya str., 10, 2, office. Department of the Russian Academy of Sciences

jing-wang@mail.ru

Other publications by this author

DOI:

10.25136/2409-8698.2024.4.70109

EDN:

BWJWJB

Received:

12-03-2024

Published:

22-03-2024

Abstract: Language is one of the main tools for communication between people, allowing to express our thoughts and feelings, as well as describe the world around us. Phraseology, as an integral part of any language, plays an important role in the transmission of cultural values and traditions of the people. One of the key groups of phraseological units are phraseological units with the semantic field "human appearance", which reflect ideas about beauty, ugliness, age and other characteristics of appearance. In this article, we will consider phraseological units with the semantics of "human appearance" using the example of Russian and Chinese languages. The relevance of this topic is due to the need to study and analyze phraseology as a means of expressing culture, mentality and national characteristics of peoples. In addition, the study of phraseological units in different languages allows to identify similarities and differences in the perception of certain concepts, as well as the peculiarities of translating these units into other languages. The subject of the study: phraseological units with the semantics of "human appearance" in Russian and Chinese. Methods: 1. analysis of scientific literature on the phraseology of the Russian and Chinese languages; 2. comparative analysis of phraseological units with the semantics of "human appearance" in Russian and Chinese; 3. study of examples of phraseological units and their translation into another language; 4. identification of similarities and differences between phraseological units in Russian and Chinese. Scientific novelty: for the first time, a comparative analysis of phraseological units with the semantics of "human appearance" in Russian and Chinese is carried out. The article identifies similarities and differences between these units, as well as examines the features of their translation from one language to another. Conclusions: 1. In Russian and Chinese, there are phraseological units with the meaning "human appearance", which play an important role in communicating and describing people. 2. Despite some similarities, phraseological units in the two languages have their own peculiarities in terms of structure, semantics and pragmatics. 3. The translation of phraseological units requires taking into account their connotations, cultural characteristics and historical context. 4. Phraseological units can serve as a source for studying cultural differences and interaction between peoples.

Keywords:

idiomatic expressions, semantics of appearance, Russian, Chinese language, cultural differences, translation, common expressions, historical contexts, phraseology, language comparison
This article is automatically translated.

The purpose of this article is to analyze phraseological units with the semantic meaning of "human appearance" and compare their use in Russian and Chinese. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to solve the following tasks: to study the theoretical foundations of phraseology, consider classifications of phraseological units, analyze examples of phraseological units in Russian and Chinese, as well as identify similarities and differences between them.

The object of the study is the similarities and differences between phraseological units with the semantics of "human appearance" in Russian and Chinese, as well as the peculiarities of their translation and interpretation.

Auto R examines in detail such topics as:

1. Definition and classification of phraseological units with the semantics of "human appearance" in Russian and Chinese.

2. Similarities and differences between phraseological units in two languages describing a person's appearance.

3. Features of translation and interpretation of phraseological units related to appearance from Russian to Chinese and vice versa.

4. Examples of the use of phraseological units in literature and everyday speech.

5. The role of phraseological units in the interaction of cultures and peoples.

Introduction

A phraseological unit is a stable phrase or expression that has a certain meaning, structure and features of use in a language. Phraseological units are an integral part of any language and play an important role in expressing thoughts, describing emotions and events. According to N.M. Shansky, phraseology is a branch of linguistics that studies stable expressions and phrases in a language, their meaning, origin and usage ^[1]. Phraseology includes phraseological units, proverbs, sayings and other stable expressions. Phraseological units in Chinese are also known as idioms. An idiom is a stable expression whose meaning cannot be deduced from the meanings of individual words. Phraseological units in the Chinese language have their own characteristics related to the culture and traditions of China ^[2].

Many scientists, both Russian and Chinese, have been studying phraseology. Among Russian researchers, such scientists as N. M. Shansky, V. V. Vinogradov, A. I. Molotkov and others can be distinguished. Chinese scientists engaged in the study of phraseology have also made significant contributions to the development of this field of science. Among them are Li Zhengdao, Liu Shuxiang and others.

As for the existing classification of phraseological units, it is necessary to pay attention to the following points, which A. M. Grishechkina wrote about in her article ^[3]. V. V. Vinogradov's classification is the most complete and detailed. It divides phraseological units into 4 groups: phraseological coalitions, unities, combinations and expressions ^[4]. However, for example, the classifications of Yu. A. Gvozdareva, N. N. Amosova, D. N. Shmeleva, A.V. Kunin can be used as additional sources of information about phraseological units.

Phraseological units characterizing a person's appearance in the Russian language. In Russian, there are many phraseological units used to describe a person's appearance. The data from the Phraseological Dictionary of the Russian language ^[5], as well as other reference materials, were used as the basis for the analysis.

There are many phraseological units in the Chinese language that describe a person's appearance. Based on the data of the Chinese-Russian Phraseological Dictionary ^[6], as well as the dictionaries ^[7] (Dictionary of Chinese Idioms) and ^[8] (Dictionary of Modern Chinese), various phraseological units were selected to describe a person's appearance and their semantic and grammatical analyses were carried out. This paper examines vocabulary and colloquial phraseological units borrowed from the personal speech practice of the author, who is a native speaker of the Chinese language.

In this article, a semantic and grammatical analysis of phraseological units in the Russian and Chinese languages was carried out. Semantic analysis is aimed at studying the semantic meaning of phraseological units and determining the context in which they are used. Grammatical analysis helps to determine the grammatical relationships between the components of phraseology and includes morphological and syntactic analysis ^[9].

Phraseological units describing a person's appearance in Russian and Chinese can be divided into several groups according to their semantic features ^[10]. We will present several groups that include phraseological units denoting various aspects of appearance, such as "appearance", "age", "height".

Table 1 – Appearance

№	Meaning	Example in Russian	Example in Chinese
1)	"Attractive, handsome"	"Unearthly beauty" is a phraseology used to describe a person who has such a beautiful appearance that it seems unearthly, supernatural.	"Cover the moon and intimidate the flower" – The expression describes a very beautiful woman, making the flower ashamed and hiding the moon.
		"The first guy in the village" is a phraseology that is used to describe the most prominent, handsome and successful young man in a village or small town. He is usually an object of admiration for other residents and can be a leader among his peers.	"A stranger is like jade" – ("Beautiful as jade on top of your head"). A metaphor for male beauty.
		"Blood with milk" is a stable expression that is used to describe a healthy, strong and ruddy person. That's usually what they say about young people or children.	"Beautiful as a flower" – (The woman is as beautiful as a blooming flower)
		"Apollo Belvedere" is the image of an ideal man, handsome and slender, with perfect facial features. This expression is used to describe a very handsome man.	"Look like Pan An" – ("Fruit throwing Pan An" or "Fruit Throwing Heyang"). The expression is used to describe the beauty of a man.
2)	"Unattractive, ugly"	A "scarecrow of the garden" is a person who looks very ugly, usually because of old or dirty clothes. This expression is used to describe someone who looks very bad.	"A hundred clumsiness and a thousand ugliness" – Extremely clumsy and ugly.
		"No skin or face" is what they say about a person who is very ugly, has no attractive features in appearance.	"30% of a human, 70% of a ghost" – , ("Three quarters like a human, seven parts like a ghost" is an idiom referring to a person with an ugly appearance.
		"Scary as hell" is what they say about a very ugly person.	"Sharp mouth and thin cheeks like a monkey" – Describes a person's appearance as ugly.
3)	"Inconspicuous, unremarkable"	"Not worth a nail" is an expression used to describe something or someone so insignificant that it doesn't even deserve attention.	"The Unknown Soldier" – (A metaphor about a man without fame and status)
		"Neither fish nor meat" is how they say about someone or something that is neither good nor bad, neither useful nor harmful.	"Hair on nine bulls" – ("One hair out of nine bull skins") an insignificant item in a huge amount

Based on the comparative table of phraseological units of the Russian and Chinese languages on the topic "Human appearance", the following conclusions can be drawn:

1. In both languages there are phraseological units that describe a person's attractive appearance, his beauty and superiority over others.

2. Chinese has more metaphors and images related to nature and its beauty, for example, the moon, flowers, jade.

3. In Russian, comparisons with mythological characters and images from literature are often used, for example, Apollo Belvedere.

4. Both languages have phraseological units describing the attractiveness of both men and women. However, there are more expressions in Chinese that emphasize male beauty.

Table 2 – Age

№	Meaning	Example in Russian	Example in Chinese
1)	"Old"	"Not the first freshness"	"The Year of Smooth Ears" – (about old age)
		"Sand is pouring out of it"	"Fish Back" – about a 90-year-old man
		"Ancient (old) How is the world"	"Hanging Chariots" – about a 70-year-old man
		"God's Dandelion"	"A candle fluttering in the wind, which is easy to blow out" – (about an old man who is about to die)
		"Being at the dawn of my powers"	"Her hair is white like crane feathers, and her face is pink like a child's." – (about an old man)
2)	"Young"	"He still has milk on his lips."	Lit.: "My mouth still smells of milk" – (contempt for youth)
		"Still very green"	"Beauty and green whiskey" ("Red face and green whiskey") – (describes a girl in her youth)

The age titles of the ancient Chinese had different origins ^[11]: most of them were named according to the physiological characteristics of different ages, but some became fixed titles based on what their predecessors said. Among all age titles, the title "ninety years old" is the most common and interesting. It is also called the "fish back". Mackerel is a type of fish, and the spots on its back resemble the wrinkled skin of an old man. In old age, pigmented spots appear on the skin, similar to the peel of a frozen pear, which is why it is also called a "frozen pear".

Both languages have expressions describing different age categories. In Chinese, images related to age and old age are often used, for example, "" (lit.: "A candle fluttering in the wind, which is easy to blow out") is used to describe an old man who is on the verge of death. In Russian, figurative comparisons are more often used, for example, "God's dandelion" ^[12]. Both languages also contain expressions that emphasize the beauty of the elderly or the youth of the young. For example, "+" (literally "hair like crane feathers + face like a baby") is used in Chinese to describe an elderly man with a noble appearance, and in Russian "His milk is still wet on his lips" is used to express contempt for young people ^{[13, p. 44]}..

Table 3 – Growth

№	Meaning	Example in Russian	Example in Chinese
1)	"High"	Kolomenskaya Verst. This expression means a very tall man. (Its origins are from the name of the tall bell tower in Kolomna, which was one of the tallest buildings in Russia).	"A jade tree facing the wind" – ("Yushu Linfeng" is an idiom that describes a man tall and slender like a jade tree; mostly refers to a man).
		"Fire tower". This expression means something very high. It comes from the name of the fire tower, which was the tallest building in the city and was used to monitor the fire.	The "Tall Behemoth" – (Refers to something tall and bulky. Now it is also used to describe things that seem strong, but are actually weak).
		"An oblique fathom in the shoulders" is a phraseology that is used to describe a tall and broad–shouldered person. It means that a person has broad shoulders and his shoulders are at an oblique angle to the ground.	"Climb to the top of the sky" – (or "The sky is above your head, and your feet are on the ground." Describes the image as high and heroic).
2)	"Short"	"There are two tops from the pot." This expression means that someone is very small or young. It comes from the old Russian measure of length, where the tip is a part of the finger. When someone was very small, they said that he was two inches tall, that is, very small. Now this expression is used to describe someone small or young, even if they are not as small as they used to be.	"Even though the sparrow is small, it has all the internal organs." – , (describes a man of short stature, but with a good figure)
		"A man with a fingernail." This expression is used to describe a little boy or man who looks very young or small for his age.	"A third-rate cripple" – (short and useless)
		"You can't see from the ground." This expression means that someone or something is very close to the ground or at a very low level.	"Short winter melon" – (A man of small stature and fat as a winter melon)
		"A meter with a cap." This expression means that someone is very short. It comes from the fact that people used to often wear caps, and if someone was short, then his cap was at the level of a meter (since a meter is a unit of height measurement). Now this expression is used figuratively to describe people of any height who look small or insignificant.	"Dwarves can defeat generals" – A person or a creature of short stature.

In this table, we see that in the Russian language there are several phraseological units that are used to describe a tall or short person. For example, "An oblique fathom in the shoulders" is used to describe a tall man, and "two tops from a pot" is used to describe a short man. In Chinese culture, as in Russian, there are many phraseological units and idioms associated with the description of a person's height and appearance. Some of them have a direct translation into Russian, for example, "Jade tree facing the wind", which describes a tall and slender man. Other idioms, such as "Tall Behemoth", are used to describe something tall and bulky, or "Climb to the top of the sky", which describes the image as tall and heroic. There are also idioms that describe short stature, like "Even a sparrow", which says that even if someone is small, he still has all the necessary organs. The idiom "Third-rate cripple", on the other hand, is used to describe a person of short stature with a bad figure.

The peculiarities of translating phraseological units from Chinese to Russian and back include cultural differences, grammatical features and different ways of expressing the same ideas. For example, Chinese often uses idioms to express emotions and thoughts, while Russian pays more attention to accuracy and clarity of expression. In addition, some phraseological units may have different meanings in different cultures, which requires careful translation and context analysis. In general, translating phraseological units from one language to another requires careful attention to detail and a deep understanding of the culture and history of both peoples.

Idiomatic expressions are an integral part of any language and culture ^[14]. They can be common to different cultures or specific to one. In this section, we will look at some similarities and differences between Russian and Chinese idiomatic expressions describing a person's appearance.

Table 4 – Similarities and differences between Russian and Chinese phraseological units with semantics of appearance

№	Similarities	Differences
1.	In both languages, there are phraseological units to describe attractive appearance.	Russian has more expressions that describe general attractiveness, while Chinese focus more on specific features such as complexion or figure ^[15].
2.	There are similarities between Chinese and Russian phraseological units when describing old age. For example, "sand is pouring out of it" and "fish back".	Chinese phraseological units are often associated with specific numbers, such as 70 or 90, while Russian ones are more focused on the general idea of old age. When describing youth in Chinese, there is an expression "", which is difficult to translate literally. It describes an old man with white hair and a pink face, which has no direct analogue in Russian.
3.	Both Russian and Chinese have idiomatic expressions describing tall stature. For example, "Kolomenskaya Verst" in Russian and "" in Chinese. There are also expressions describing low growth, for example, "two tops from a pot" in Russian and "" in Chinese.	In Russian, there are many expressions describing the appearance of a person as a whole, for example, "An oblique fathom in the shoulders." There are fewer such expressions in Chinese, and they mostly describe height or physique ^[16]. Chinese expressions are often associated with historical or cultural events that are not found in the Russian language. For example, the expression "", which is associated with Chinese mythology. There are many expressions in Chinese describing various parts of the body that have no direct analogues in Russian.

Over the long history of mankind, each nation has nurtured and developed a unique traditional culture. This is the common intellectual wealth of mankind. Be inclusive, look for common ground while maintaining differences, understand and accept with an open heart. Only by showing tolerance to each other can we achieve the progress of all mankind ^[17].

In both languages, phraseological units are used to describe a person's appearance, expressing certain characteristics or ideals. Understanding phraseological units is important for successful communication and cultural exchange between native speakers of these languages.

Conclusion

In this article, phraseological units related to the semantic field of "human appearance" were considered, using the example of Russian and Chinese languages, and similarities and differences in their use were identified ^[18].

The study showed that phraseological units play an important role in expressing the cultural, mental and national characteristics of a people, and studying them helps to better understand cultural differences and peculiarities of translation into other languages ^[19]. In particular, it was found that Russian has more phraseological units to describe a person's general appearance, while Chinese units are more specific and detailed. Also, Chinese units are often associated with historical or cultural contexts ^[20].

The analysis also showed that both languages appreciate beauty and youth. However, approaches to the description of appearance and age may vary. Thus, Russian units are more focused on describing general attractiveness or unattractiveness, while the Chinese prefer to describe specific features of appearance.

The results of this study can be useful for translators, teachers and students studying Russian and Chinese, as well as for those who are interested in the culture and peculiarities of these languages.

References

1. Shansky, N. M. (1987). Textbook for students of pedagogical institutes. Moscow: Enlightenment.
2. Wang, Xinju (2017). Phraseological units characterizing human behavior in Russian and Chinese.Bulletin of Bashkir University, 4, 1159-1164.
3. Grishechkina, A. M. (2013). Phraseologism as a semantic phenomenon of the language system and its influence on the linguistic picture of the country (based on the material of the Russian and French languages). Bulletin of the Bryansk State University, 2, 284-290.
4. Vinogradov, V. V. (1975). Questions of studying phrases [Text]. Studies in Russian grammar. Moscow.
5. Zhukov, A. V. (2017). Phraseological dictionary of the Russian language. FLINT Publishing House.
6. Gottlieb, O. M. (2019). Chinese-Russian phraseological dictionary. About 3500 expressions. O. M. Gottlieb, & Mu Huain. 2nd ed., stereotype. Irkutsk : Publishing house of the ISU.
7. Dictionary of Chinese Idioms. (2018). 2nd edition, contains 10,000 idioms. The publishing center of the dictionaries of the Chongwen Bureau.
8. Dictionary of Modern Chinese, revised (1996). (3rd edition). Publishing House for Teaching and Research of Foreign Languages (Chinese-English bilingual edition, 2002) – 2016. – 1894 p.
9. Long, Qingran. (2003). Analysis of the symmetrical structure of Chinese idioms. Shaoyang Academy. Literature page number: 64-67 [DX Reader version]. Retrieved from https://www.relun.com/qikan/d4219445c3b63dde5f068399bd50d94d.html
10. Li, Dexiang. (2003) A brief discussion of Russian digital culture – a comparison of Russian and Chinese digital culture. Journal of the Institute of Foreign Languages of the People's Liberation Army of China, 2, 54-58.
11. Verenich, T. K., & Eremina, E. V. (2012). On the question of the expression of time in Russian and Chinese idioms (linguistic and cultural aspect).The World of science, culture, education, 2(33), 253-257.
12. Dai, Xin. (2002). Comparison of Chinese and Russian vocabulary. Heilongjiang University.
13. Shen, Jiaxuan. (2006). A mixture of Chinese and English. World teaching of the Chinese language.
14. Shi, I. (1999). Russian Russian on comparative analysis of phraseological units of the Russian and Chinese languages and their translation of the Russian language into Chinese. Rusistika, pp. 281-286. Moscow.
15. The Great Phraseological Dictionary of the Chinese language. (2013). Wan Seng, & Shen Yanlin, & Lu Shuping; Beijing.
16. Go, Sin-i. (2004). The body code in Chinese phraseology and its Russian correspondence: dissertation of the Candidate of Philology. Moscow.
17. Xia, Xiu. (2009). A study on the study of idioms in teaching Chinese as a foreign language. Foreign Chinese Education, 3, 12-18.
18. Fokina, A. A. (2015). Comparative study of the semantics of phraseological units nominating characteristics of human activity (based on the material of the Russian, Mari and English languages).Bulletin of the Chuvash University, 2, 237-242.
19. Li, Yu. (1998). Russian Russian Dictionary on the role of the cultural component in comparative phraseology: based on the material of Russian-Chinese and Chinese-Russian dictionaries. Philol. zap. Voronezh. – Issue 10. – pp. 153-158.
20. Liu, Yang. (2018). Commentary on the cognitive study of Chinese Idioms. Journal of Anqing Pedagogical University (Social Sciences publication).

Peer Review

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The reviewed article is aimed at analyzing phraseological units with the semantics of "human appearance" in Russian and Chinese. The chosen research vector, in my opinion, is quite interesting and productive. The author quite skillfully combines the assessment of two semantic streams that differ in type and cultural presentation. As noted at the beginning of the work, "the purpose of the article is to analyze phraseological units with the semantic meaning of "human appearance" and compare their use in Russian and Chinese. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to solve the following tasks: to study the theoretical foundations of phraseology, consider classifications of phraseological units, analyze examples of phraseological units in Russian and Chinese, as well as identify similarities and differences between them." The set goal / tasks determine the strictly verified logic of the analysis. The information and theoretical level is extremely accurate, no discrepancies have been revealed: for example, "a phraseological unit is a stable phrase or expression with a certain meaning, structure and features of use in the language. Phraseological units are an integral part of any language and play an important role in expressing thoughts, describing emotions and events. According to N.M. Shansky, phraseology is a branch of linguistics that studies stable expressions and phrases in a language, their meaning, origin and use...", or "Many scientists, both Russian and Chinese, have been studying phraseology. Among Russian researchers, such scientists as N. M. Shansky, V. V. Vinogradov, A. I. Molotkov and others can be distinguished. Chinese scientists engaged in the study of phraseology have also made significant contributions to the development of this field of science. Among them, one can single out Li Zhengdao, Liu Shuxiang and others..." etc. The alternation of theoretical and practical blocks is equivalent. The proper commentary on the course of scientific narrative is verified: "in this article, a semantic and grammatical analysis of phraseological units in Russian and Chinese was carried out. Semantic analysis is aimed at studying the semantic meaning of phraseological units and determining the context in which they are used. Grammatical analysis helps to determine the grammatical relationships between the components of phraseology and includes morphological and syntactic analysis...". The methodology of the work is aimed at comparative principles, which is quite natural. I think that the author manages to fully reveal the topic, objectify the relevance and novelty of the research: "in the Chinese language, there are many phraseological units describing a person's appearance. Based on the data of the Chinese-Russian Phraseological Dictionary [6], as well as the dictionaries ???? [7] (Dictionary of Chinese Idioms) and ?????? [8] (Dictionary of Modern Chinese), various phraseological units were selected to describe a person's appearance and their semantic and grammatical analyses were carried out. This work examines vocabulary and colloquial phraseological units borrowed from the personal speech practice of the author, who is a native speaker of the Chinese language." The selection from the dictionaries is done correctly, the openness of the data is available. Parametricity, which is taken as an estimated qualification, is also not chosen by chance, it is these indicators that make it possible to see the difference: "phraseological units describing a person's appearance in Russian and Chinese can be divided into several groups according to their semantic features. We will present several groups that include phraseological units denoting various aspects of appearance, such as "appearance", "age", "height". The summary of the obtained data is entered into tables, the visual order will give the potential reader the opportunity to visually see the points of comparison, as well as the difference. The illustrative background is sufficient, the general target points have been achieved: the author concludes that "phraseological units play an important role in expressing the cultural, mental and national characteristics of a people, and studying them helps to better understand cultural differences and peculiarities of translation into other languages. In particular, it was found that Russian has more phraseological units to describe a person's general appearance, while Chinese units are more specific and detailed. Also, Chinese units are often associated with historical or cultural contexts. The analysis also showed that both languages appreciate beauty and youth. However, approaches to the description of appearance and age may vary. So, Russian units are more focused on describing general attractiveness or unattractiveness, while the Chinese prefer to describe specific features of appearance." The general requirements of the publication have been taken into account; the text does not need serious editing. I recommend the article "Phraseological units with semantics of "human appearance" in Russian and Chinese" for publication in the journal "Litera".

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