1. Overview

Conceptual metaphors establish a relationship between two concepts, X and Y, which activates a figurative meaning of Y that is different from its literal meaning. For example, in (1) below, although the word gēnjī 根基 literally means ‘base/foundation’, here it refers metaphorically to ‘basis’. Thus, the metaphor has created a relationship between the concepts of IDEAS and BUILDINGS, in that an idea may (or may not) have a valid basis, just as a building may or may not have a strong foundation.