TTLV: The symbolic meaning of hands in Vietnamese idioms (compared with Chinese idioms)

INFORMATION ABOUT THE MASTER'S THESIS

1. Student's full name: HUANG YINGSHAN 2. Gender: Female

3. Date of birth: February 25, 1999 4. Place of birth: China

5. Decision on student admission No. 2750/QD-XHNV dated August 2, 2023, by the Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.

6. Changes in the training process: Decision on extending the study period for students: Decision No. 5300/QD-XHNV dated July 21, 2025, of the Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.

7. Thesis title: The symbolic meaning of hands in Vietnamese idioms (compared with Chinese idioms)

8. Major: Vietnamese Studies; 9. Code: 8310630

10. Scientific supervisor: Dr. Tran Thi Hien, Department of Linguistics, Vietnamese Language and Vietnamese Studies - Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi

11. Summary of the thesis results:

This thesis analyzes and compares the symbolic meanings of "hand" in Vietnamese and Chinese idioms, exploring similarities, differences, and the cultural reasons behind them. The results show significant similarities, with "hand" symbolizing "people," "possession," "skill," "power," "action," and "brotherhood," stemming from a shared understanding of bodily functions and long-standing cultural exchange. Regarding differences, in Vietnamese idioms, "hand" emphasizes collective spirit, cooperation, and close ties to agricultural labor, kinship, and love. Conversely, "手" (shǒu: hand) in Chinese expands to abstract concepts such as "oneself," "part," and "financial situation." These differences arise from the influence of geographical environment, production methods, idiom origins, social context, and the value orientations of each nation.

12. Practical applications: None

13. Future research directions: None

14. Published works related to the thesis: None

INFORMATION ON MASTER'S THESIS

1. Full name: HUANG YINGSHAN 2. Sex: Female

3. Date of birth: February 25, 1999 4. Place of birth: China

5. Admission decision number: 2750/QD-XHNV Dated August 2, 2023

6. Changes in academic process: Decision on extending the study period of the Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi. No.5300/QD-XHNV dated July 21, 2025

7. Official thesis title: Symbolic Meanings of Hand in Vietnamese Idioms (A Comparative Study with Chinese Idioms containing 手 (hand))

8. Major: Vietnamese Studies 9. Code: 8310630

10. Supervisors: Dr. Tran Thi Hien, Faculty of Linguistics, Vietnamese Language and Vietnamese Studies, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi

11. Summary of the findings of the thesis:

The thesis analyzes and compares the meaning of the word for "hand" (tay in Vietnamese and 手 in Chinese) within the idioms of both languages, exploring their similarities, differences, and underlying symbolic cultural origins. The findings reveal significant parallels, where "hand" symbolizes core concepts such as "person," "possession," "skill," "power," "action," and "brotherhood." These commonalities stem from a shared human perception of the body part's function and long-term cultural exchange. In terms of differences, Vietnamese idioms featuring tay (hand) place a greater emphasis on collectivism, cooperation, and are closely tied to agricultural labor, kinship, and love. Contrary, the Chinese 手 (shǒu/hand) extends to more abstract concepts, such as "oneself," "a part/section," and "financial status." These distinctions are attributed to the influences of geographical environments, modes of production, idiomatic origins, social contexts, and the respective value orientations of each culture.

12. Practical applicability: None

13. Further research directions: None

14. Thesis-related publications: None