Metaphor as a Means of Forming guanyongyu in Chinese Internet Communication

Abstract

This paper focuses on the study of internet “guanyongyu” (common expressions) based on metaphors in Chinese internet communication. The research problem lies in exploring how metaphorical concepts form these expressions and their implications for understanding Chinese culture and language. The objective is to investigate the metaphorization models and various metaphorical concepts in the formation of internet “guanyongyu”. The research materials consist of 89 common expressions collected from social media platforms such as Weibo, Douyin, and Xiaohongshu. The method adopted is the classification of metaphor types proposed by A. P. Chudinov. This classification, which includes natural – form metaphors, artifact – based metaphors, anthropomorphic metaphors, and sociomorphic metaphors, offers a structured framework for dissecting the metaphorical nature of “guanyongyu”. Through this method, the paper analyzes these expressions from the perspectives of different conceptual metaphors. The main findings are as follows: zoomorphic metaphors are a primary means of forming “guanyongyu”, which indicates that Chinese people use it to vividly describe people’s emotions and behaviours. Expressions with “chi” (eat) and gastronomic components reflect the importance of food in Chinese culture. Additionally, expressions related to body parts also occupy a significant proportion, highlighting the special place of the human body in the Chinese worldview. This study makes a substantial contribution to resolving a big research problem, since, decoding these metaphor – based expressions, non – native speakers can gain a better grasp of Chinese cultural connotations and linguistic peculiarities. Moreover, it enriches the academic research on Chinese internet language, filling a gap in the exploration of the intersection between metaphor, language, and culture in the digital age.