A Comparative Study on Chinese and Japanese Animal Proverbs: Taking Dog, Fish, Cattle Proverbs as Example

Proverbs are not only the crystallization of human wisdom, but also the treasure of human art and culture. Our ancestors have lived with animals for generations, endowed them with rich and complex meanings, and the language phenomenon of using animals as metaphors is common. China and Japan are separated by a strip of water and have had many cultural exchanges in history. Therefore, the cultural similarities and differences that the two countries give to animals are also worth exploring. This paper tries to make a comparative analysis of the proverbs related to “dog, fish and cow”, and make some research on the similarities and differences and cultural background between China and Japan in this aspect. Hope to help Japanese learners to better grasp the cultural differences between the two countries.