Functional-semantic features of phraseological units with the components "咬" and "bite" in Chinese and English

The article presents the results of a functional-parametric analysis of English and Chinese phraseological units containing the components bite / 咬 (“to bite”). Significant semantic parallels are identified despite the differences between Chinese and English linguocultures. Most of these units describe personality traits—such as resilience, patience, courage, duplicity, cunning, and cowardice—as well as negative emotional states, including fear, pain, bitterness, anger, and helplessness. Their common foundation lies in universal somatic metaphors of biting as an expression of either aggression or self-restraint; however, some phraseological units reflect the cultural and historical specificity of each nation. For instance, Chinese idioms typically originate from classical literature and embody the ideals of Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism, promoting resilience, patience, and modesty rather than the pursuit of wealth and luxury. In contrast, most English phraseological units have everyday, colloquial origins, although a small portion also derives from ancient sources, primarily the Bible. Overall, English idioms are less ideologically charged and tend to reflect everyday life experience, historical realities, and the worldview of the British people in the 19th–20th centuries.

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