直 喩(ちょくゆ)

ちょくゆ

noun

simile

1. simile; explicit comparison

A figure of speech that directly compares two things using words like 'like' or 'as' (in Japanese, ような, みたいな, のごとく). Contrasts with 隠喩 (metaphor).

'White like snow' is a simile.

直喩(ちょくゆ)は「ような」「みたいな」を使(つか)う表現(ひょうげん)だ。

A simile is an expression that uses words like 'you na' or 'mitai na.'

It's important to understand the difference between simile and metaphor.

直喩(ちょくゆ) is a literary and grammatical term. In Japanese, similes typically use ～のような, ～みたいな, ～のごとく, or ～のように to make the comparison explicit.

隠喩(いんゆ) (metaphor) is the counterpart — an implicit comparison without using comparison words. Example: 直喩(ちょくゆ): 「彼女(かのじょ)は花(はな)のように美(うつく)しい」(She is beautiful like a flower). 隠喩(いんゆ): 「彼女(かのじょ)は花(はな)だ」(She is a flower).

直(ちょく) (direct) + 喩(ゆ) (comparison/metaphor).

Related Words

general

Added 2026.3.6 21:36 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01

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