Abstract

Health is a primary concern for humanity. Therefore, the concept of health is universally valued across cultures. Often, this concept is mapped onto the source domain of “gold.” In life, gold is something of great value. The conceptual metaphor “HEALTH IS GOLD” aligns the target domain of HEALTH with the source domain of GOLD. Examining this conceptual metaphor also reveals distinctive characteristics of how Vietnamese people conceptualize health. This study analyzes data from 200 randomly selected articles from prominent Vietnamese online newspapers, which are frequently accessed by Vietnamese people. The findings indicate that attributes of the source domain, GOLD, specifically, its properties, values, and functional uses - are mapped onto HEALTH, as evidenced by 16 metaphorical expressions. It illustrates how Vietnamese people conceptualize health, drawing on a cognitive framework where the target domain is human, and the source domain is wealth. Through this cognitive framework, the properties of the source domain are mapped, creating a structured model for understanding health. This study provides insights into the cognitive patterns of Vietnamese cultural perspectives on health.