“ON”- ONE PREPOSITION, TWO UNDERSTANDINGS ( IN ENGLISH &VIETNAMESE)

Abstract

This paper meticulously examines the English preposition "ON" and its diverse semantic functions, encompassing spatial relations (surface contact, above), temporal markers (specific days, dates), and abstract connections (topic, state). Through a comparative analysis with Vietnamese, the study explores how these varied meanings are rendered, often requiring distinct prepositions and grammatical structures. We analyze core English usages of "ON" and map them against Vietnamese equivalents like trên, ở, vào, and locative particles. The findings highlight significant areas of semantic divergence and convergence, revealing instances where a single "ON" necessitates multiple Vietnamese translations depending on context. This underscores the crucial need to move beyond direct word-for-word translation and consider the nuanced semantic scope of "ON" for accurate cross-linguistic understanding and effective communication between English and Vietnamese speakers and translators. This analysis contributes to a deeper appreciation of prepositional semantics in cross-linguistic contexts