20 metaphors for children (explained)
Several metaphors explained for children, a practical help for them to learn concepts.
Metaphors are very common rhetorical figures, both in written and spoken language, so much so that we use them countless times every day without realizing it.
Saying and understanding metaphors is not something too complicated, so this literary technique is not only suitable for adult understanding but also for children.
As proof of this we are going to discover 20 metaphors for children and their meaningexplained with reference to their real and imaginary elements.
20 metaphors for children ideal for learning, with explanation.
Metaphors are figures of speech that we all use, both consciously and unconsciously. Essentially, these are linguistic resources in which a relationship of similarity is established between two terms or two concepts, and that both share some quality that allows to establish such comparison. Thanks to this, these resources are widely used in narrative literature as well as in poetry, since they allow us to embellish the language by modifying the usual meaning of words.
Metaphors consist of three parts: the real element, the imaginary element and the connection between them.. The real element would refer to the true meaning of the metaphor; the imaginary element is that which is compared to the real element and the connection between the two would be that which both types of elements share.
For example, in the metaphor "has golden hair" we mean that someone has blond hair. Therefore, the real element of this metaphor is "being blond". In this case, the imaginary element, that is, what is compared to the real element. The connection between the two elements is that gold and blond hair have a similar color.
Metaphors allow us to teach children concepts that are difficult to understand, especially emotions such as loneliness, loneliness, loneliness, loneliness and loneliness.especially emotions such as loneliness or sadness which, although they undoubtedly understand them when they themselves feel them, they sometimes find it difficult to see them in others. The reason for this has a lot to do with the way in which children tend to learn, which requires a lot of patience and giving examples, examples that the more creative and imagination-promoting they are, the better.
In the following we are going to see several metaphors for children, explaining what they refer to and what is the connection between the imaginary and the real element.. As it is to be expected, 20 are not all the metaphors that we can generate in Spanish. The creation of metaphors is an activity that has no limits and we can make as many as we want, being the following a few examples that, of course, will allow us to explain certain concepts to the little ones.
1. Feeling like when the sky is crying
When it rains, drops of water fall in a similar way to the way our tears fall when we cry. This is a This is a nice metaphor to say that we are sad and also useful, since not all children feel the same way.It is not easy for all children to say clearly how they feel, but it is more comfortable for them to use this type of metaphor.
2. Grandparents are a well of wisdom
Grandparents are people who have lived many years and, therefore, have learned a lot. The well is the place where we draw water, so it is a source of this resource is a source of this resource, in the same way that older people are sources of knowledge and wisdom..
You and your father are two drops of water.
Drops of water are practically the same. To say that two people are like two drops of water is to say that they are very similar, both physically and psychologically, whether in expressions, gestures, skin color or hair type. The metaphor of the two drops of water can be used to explain to children why they are so similar to their fathers, mothers and siblings..
4. Time is worth gold
Gold is worth a lot, and so is time. This phrase helps them understand the importance of valuing time, of knowing how to spend it with useful activities as well as with what they like to do the most. Children should understand and learn to value every minute of their lives, since they will not repeat themselves.
5. The sky is covered with cotton wool
This metaphor is one of the easiest to understand.It is one of the easiest metaphors to understand, since the resemblance between white clouds and absorbent cotton is evident, especially if it is a day with a clear sky. The clouds form whimsical shapes like cotton fabric, stretching, becoming almost spherical, elongated...
6. The pearls in her mouth
A simple and poetic way of saying that a person has a beautiful white smile. The teeth peek out of the mouth like beautiful, shiny pearls on a bivalve, capturing our attention and leaving us briefly spellbound.
7. The girl became a butterfly
In this metaphor a girl is compared to a butterfly. The real meaning of the expression is that the girl grew up and became a young woman, just as caterpillars mature into butterflies.
8. The prairie was a green and shining mantle
The prairie is a field of green grass, which in the morning can have dewdrops and be rocked by the gentle wind as if it were a Manila blanket.
9. Being in the prime of life
The meaning of this prayer is to find oneself in one's youth.. Plants grow until they form a flower, which then withers. One could say that the plant is a flower in the middle of life, as it happens in human youth. First we are children and adolescents, people who are too immature. Then we mature and reach young adulthood, a time full of opportunities and choices. Progressively we become older, reaching old age, a period of withering.
10. His chest sounded like a drum
Here the real part is "chest" and the figurative part is "drum". The person was so upset that his Heart was beating very strongly, sounding like when someone beats a drum very often, loud and intense.
11. Two emeralds shone in his eyes.
Emeralds are green. To say that a person has two emeralds in his eyes is to say that those eyes had green irises.
12. Your voice is music to my ears
With this expression we are not saying that someone is serenading us, but that his voice is as pleasant as the most delicate and softest melody.
13. That child is a wild beast
With the word fierce we usually refer to wild, ill-tempered and beastly animals. To say that someone is a wild beast is to say that that person's nature is compared to that of wild animals, indicating that he/she has a bad temper.indicating that he/she has a bad temper.
14. The Sun of the night
The Sun is a star that is only in the daytime and is considered as a unique entity, therefore, to speak of a sun of the night comes to refer to the Moon, its counterpart and also celestial body that illuminates the night sky. As a curiosity, this metaphor is also an oxymoron, that is, a phrase that is complemented by something that is contradictory (when there is sun it is not night, night is the absence of the Sun).
15. Losing a screw
Here the word "screw" is used in a figurative sense and comparing the human brain as if it were a machine, with several mechanisms that have screws. When we say that someone loses a screw, we mean that his or her behavior is out of what is normal for him or her, that is, as if the machine had short-circuited. Basically, it is to say that someone has gone crazy, that his or her brain is starting to fail.
16. Being between a rock and a hard place
This phrase is one of the most common metaphors and sayings in popular language.. It is used to imply that someone is in a dilemma situation, between two extremes from which it is difficult to know very well what to choose. Whatever you choose gives you no options, it leaves you trapped in one way or another, like someone who literally finds himself with a sword in front of him and a wall behind him. Either there is no escape or the decision you make will inevitably have negative consequences.
17. Having low spirits
Let's imagine that our moods are like energy and that our body is a big battery. If we are happy, our spirits will be high, perhaps even sky-high. On the other hand, if our spirits are low, the little energy we have will be at the bottom of the pile, on the floor. Basically with this metaphor we say that someone is very sad and affected.
18. To steal a smile
The verb "to steal" in its dictionary sense means to take something that is not ours, that does not belong to us. So, how does one steal a smile? In this metaphor it is implied that a person has managed to make another person smile, in an unexpected way, as usually happens with thefts. Stealing happens without giving permission, and in this case we say we have stolen a smile from someone when we have made them smile without being asked.
19. Your friend is a big baby
In this expression the term "friend", replaceable by any other word that refers to a person, is used in its literal sense while "baby" is the word that has the imaginary sense. This phrase implies that someone, whether an older child, adolescent or even adult, behaves in a way that is inappropriate for his or her age, acting too childish and childish.acting too childish and immature.
20. To be a donkey
In this case the word "donkey" is used figuratively to indicate that someone, whether a child or an adult, is not understanding anything that is being said to them or is very ignorant, forgetful and clumsy. To tell someone they are a donkey is to tell them they are dumb, and can be used both offensively and derisively.
(Updated at Apr 12 / 2024)