The two typical features of conceptual metaphor are universality and systematicity. These two features make using conceptual metaphor theory in English vocabulary teaching possible and easy for students to learn and grasp more vocabulary.

2.2 Studies on Applying Conceptual Metaphor to Vocabulary Teaching 

In the beginning, people only regarded that metaphor was used as a rhetorical approach. Later, Lakoff and Johnson (1980) promoted that metaphor can be studied from a more cognitive perspective. Conceptual metaphor is a cognitive manifestation of human beings’ mental mechanism. When it comes to its application to foreign language teaching and learning, there are many relevant researches done. And many scholars have changed their research direction and did many researches on the significance that conceptual metaphor has on vocabulary teaching.