比喩 (ひゆ) Japanese meaning | KotomoraCommon wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000 Meanings
1
noun
simile; metaphor; allegory; parable
General term for figurative language, including similes, metaphors, allegories, and parables. Used in literary, rhetorical, and everyday contexts.
の
は
よく
使
わ
れる
比
喩
だ
。
'Life is a journey' is a commonly used metaphor.
metaphor, compare
Similar words
- 直喩
直喩 specifically means 'simile', using explicit comparison words like ようだ or みたいだ, while 比喩 is a broader term covering all figurative language.
- 隠喩
隠喩 specifically means 'metaphor', an implied comparison without explicit markers, while 比喩 is the general category.
Etymology
From Chinese 比喩 (bǐyù), meaning 'comparison' or 'analogy'. The kanji 比 means 'compare' and 喩 means 'illustrate' or 'explain by comparison'.
