直喩

• Reading: ちょくゆ
• Romaji: chokuyu
• Kanji breakdown: 直 (choku/nao) — direct, straight; 喩 (yu/tatoe) — comparison, metaphor
• Pronunciation: /tɕo.kɯ.jɯ/

Meaning

Simile; explicit comparison using a comparative word. A figure of speech that directly states a resemblance between two unlike things.

In Japanese rhetoric, 直喩 uses explicit markers of comparison such as ような (yō na — like, as if), ごとき (gotoki — like), or まるで～ように (marude ~ yō ni — just as if). Contrasts with 隠喩 (inyu — metaphor), which asserts identity without a comparative word. Both are subcategories of 比喩 (hiyu — figurative language). Taught as a core concept in Japanese literary education.

Examples

1. この詩は彼女の悲しみを秋の枯れ野のようだと直喩で表現している。 This poem uses a simile to express her sorrow as being like a withered autumn field.
2. 直喩はような・ごとくなどの比喩語を明示するため、読者が理解しやすい。 Similes explicitly use comparative words such as 'like' or 'as,' making them easy for readers to understand.
3. 教師は直喩と暗喩の違いを例を挙げながら生徒に説明した。 The teacher explained the difference between simile and metaphor to the students using examples.

Usage Guide

Context: literature, rhetoric, education, linguistics

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Compound of 直 (direct, straight) and 喩 (comparison, metaphor). The 直 distinguishes it from more oblique forms of figurative language; the comparison is made openly rather than implied.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical–Modern

Generation: Students and scholars

Social background: Educated