What type of figurative language is this sentence:He was as clumsy as a bull in a China shop.

Metaphor

http://www.englishclub.com/vocabulary/figures-simile.htm

The figurative language used in the sentence "He was as clumsy as a bull in a China shop" is a simile.

To identify the figure of speech in a sentence like this, you need to understand the different types of figurative language and how they are used. In this case, a simile is used to make a comparison between two unlike things, using the words "as" or "like." The sentence compares the person's clumsiness to the behavior of a bull in a China shop, implying that he is very clumsy and likely to break things.

Understanding and recognizing different types of figurative language requires familiarity with literary devices, such as similes, metaphors, personification, hyperbole, and more. It's helpful to study and practice identifying these literary devices in various texts to improve your skills in recognizing and using figurative language.