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<article xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:ali="http://www.niso.org/schemas/ali/1.0/" article-type="research-article" dtd-version="1.2" xml:lang="en"><front><journal-meta><journal-id journal-id-type="publisher-id">The Russian Journal of Vietnamese Studies</journal-id><journal-title-group><journal-title xml:lang="en">The Russian Journal of Vietnamese Studies</journal-title><trans-title-group xml:lang="ru"><trans-title>Вьетнамские исследования</trans-title></trans-title-group></journal-title-group><issn publication-format="electronic">2618-9453</issn><publisher><publisher-name xml:lang="en">Institute of China and Contemporary Asia of the RAS</publisher-name></publisher></journal-meta><article-meta><article-id pub-id-type="publisher-id">677335</article-id><article-id pub-id-type="doi">10.54631/VS.2026.102-677335</article-id><article-categories><subj-group subj-group-type="toc-heading" xml:lang="en"><subject>Scientific researches</subject></subj-group><subj-group subj-group-type="toc-heading" xml:lang="ru"><subject>Научные исследования</subject></subj-group><subj-group subj-group-type="article-type"><subject>Research Article</subject></subj-group></article-categories><title-group><article-title xml:lang="en">Cultural metaphors of “Humans are food” in Vietnamese proverbs and idioms</article-title><trans-title-group xml:lang="ru"><trans-title>Культурные метафоры «Люди — это еда» во вьетнамских пословицах и идиомах</trans-title></trans-title-group></title-group><contrib-group><contrib contrib-type="author"><name-alternatives><name xml:lang="en"><surname>Bui</surname><given-names>Thi Phuong Lan</given-names></name><name xml:lang="ru"><surname>Буй</surname><given-names>Тхи Фыонг Лан</given-names></name></name-alternatives><address><country country="VN">Viet Nam</country></address><bio xml:lang="en"><p>Ph.D student at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City; Lecturer, Ho Chi Minh City Campus, Academy of Public Administration and Governance</p></bio><bio xml:lang="ru"><p>аспирантка Университета социальных и гуманитарных наук, Вьетнамский национальный университет г. Хошимин; Преподаватель, кампус Хошимина, Академии государственного управления и руководства</p></bio><email>landhnv@gmail.com</email><xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff1"/><xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff2"/></contrib><contrib contrib-type="author"><contrib-id contrib-id-type="orcid">https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4564-7986</contrib-id><name-alternatives><name xml:lang="en"><surname>Pham</surname><given-names>Huu Duc</given-names></name><name xml:lang="ru"><surname>Фам</surname><given-names>Хыу Дык</given-names></name></name-alternatives><address><country country="VN">Viet Nam</country></address><bio xml:lang="en"><p>Assoc. Prof., Dr. in applied linguistics, Senior lecturer, International University, School of Languages</p></bio><bio xml:lang="ru"><p>доцент, доктор прикладной лингвистики, старший преподаватель, Международный университет, Школа языков</p></bio><email>phduc@hcmiu.edu.vn</email><xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff1"/></contrib></contrib-group><aff-alternatives id="aff1"><aff><institution xml:lang="en">Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City</institution></aff><aff><institution xml:lang="ru">Вьетнамский национальный университет г. Хошимин</institution></aff></aff-alternatives><aff-alternatives id="aff2"><aff><institution xml:lang="en">Academy of Public Administration and Governance</institution></aff><aff><institution xml:lang="ru">Академия государственного управления и руководства</institution></aff></aff-alternatives><pub-date date-type="pub" iso-8601-date="2026-07-10" publication-format="electronic"><day>10</day><month>07</month><year>2026</year></pub-date><volume>10</volume><issue>2</issue><issue-title xml:lang="en"/><issue-title xml:lang="ru"/><fpage>99</fpage><lpage>111</lpage><history><date date-type="received" iso-8601-date="2025-03-19"><day>19</day><month>03</month><year>2025</year></date><date date-type="accepted" iso-8601-date="2026-07-07"><day>07</day><month>07</month><year>2026</year></date></history><permissions><copyright-statement xml:lang="en">Copyright ©; 2026, Bui T., Pham H.</copyright-statement><copyright-statement xml:lang="ru">Copyright ©; 2026, Буй Т., Фам Х.</copyright-statement><copyright-year>2026</copyright-year><copyright-holder xml:lang="en">Bui T., Pham H.</copyright-holder><copyright-holder xml:lang="ru">Буй Т., Фам Х.</copyright-holder><ali:free_to_read xmlns:ali="http://www.niso.org/schemas/ali/1.0/"/><license><ali:license_ref xmlns:ali="http://www.niso.org/schemas/ali/1.0/">https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0</ali:license_ref></license></permissions><self-uri xlink:href="https://vietnamjournal.ru/2618-9453/article/view/677335">https://vietnamjournal.ru/2618-9453/article/view/677335</self-uri><abstract xml:lang="en"><p>The article argues that the metaphor “Humans are food” functions as a salient cultural metaphor in Vietnamese cognition, reflecting a culturally embedded way of conceptualizing human nature, social relations, and emotional expression. This metaphor reflects how Vietnamese people conceptualize humanity, social relationships, and emotions through culturally grounded understandings. This schema reflects Vietnamese understandings of human nature, personality, and interpersonal relationships. Indeed, the metaphor illustrates the extent to which the experience of food is entrenched in Vietnamese culture. Through the analysis of this metaphor in the context of cultural linguistics, the study demonstrates how cultural knowledge helps explain the metaphorical concept. Specifically, this article examines metaphorical uses of familiar Vietnamese dishes, tastes, and flavours as linguistic vehicles to describe human qualities, emotions, and behaviours. Through the investigation of authentic linguistic examples, the study highlights how the metaphor of “Humans are food” expresses broader cultural attitudes concerning social harmony, emotional warmth, and the embodied nature of human understanding. Finally, the article demonstrates that this metaphor not only reflects but also reinforces the Vietnamese worldview through culturally grounded conceptualization and language use.</p></abstract><trans-abstract xml:lang="ru"><p>В статье дается утверждение, что метафора «Люди — это еда» функционирует как важная культурная метафора во вьетнамском познании, отражая укоренившийся в культуре способ концептуализации человеческой природы, социальных отношений и эмоционального выражения. Эта метафора отражает то, как вьетнамцы концептуализируют человечество, социальные отношения и эмоции посредством обоснованных представлений. Эта схема отражает вьетнамское понимание человеческой природы, личности и межличностных отношений. Действительно, метафора иллюстрирует, насколько глубоко опыт, связанный с едой, укоренен во вьетнамской культуре. Анализируя эту метафору в контексте культурной лингвистики, исследование демонстрирует, как культурные знания помогают объяснить метафорическое понятие. В частности, в этой статье рассматривается метафорическое использование знакомых вьетнамских блюд, вкусов и ароматов как лингвистических средств для описания человеческих качеств, эмоций и поведения. На основе анализа аутентичных лингвистических примеров исследование показывает, как метафора «Люди — это еда» выражает более широкие культурные установки в отношении социальной гармонии, эмоциональной теплоты и телесной природы человеческого понимания. Наконец, статья демонстрирует, что эта метафора не только отражает, но и укрепляет вьетнамское мировоззрение посредством культурно обоснованной концептуализации и использования языка.</p></trans-abstract><kwd-group xml:lang="en"><kwd>cultural conceptualization</kwd><kwd>cultural metaphor</kwd><kwd>cultural schema</kwd><kwd>food</kwd><kwd>human</kwd><kwd>Vietnamese culture</kwd></kwd-group><kwd-group xml:lang="ru"><kwd>культурная концептуализация</kwd><kwd>культурная метафора</kwd><kwd>культурная схема</kwd><kwd>еда</kwd><kwd>человек</kwd><kwd>вьетнамская культура</kwd></kwd-group><funding-group/></article-meta></front><body></body><back><ref-list><ref id="B1"><label>1.</label><mixed-citation>Langacker R. W. (2014). Culture and cognition, lexicon and grammar. In: Yamaguchi M., Tay D., Blount B. (eds). Approaches to language, culture, and cognition: The intersection of cognitive linguistics and linguistic anthropology, pp. 27-49. 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