Live For The Day
huó zài jīn tiān
활재금천
This is not really an eastern concept, so it does not translate into a phrase that seems natural on a wall scroll. However, if this is your philosophy, the characters shown here do capture your idea of living for today or living in the moment. These characters literally say "Live in today" and they are grammatically correct in Chinese.
Note: This kind of makes sense in Korean Hanja, but the grammar is Chinese, so it's not that natural in Korean.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Aanand.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Aaron.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Abadie
This is the second most common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Abbey.
This is the most common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Abbey.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Abby
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Abdón
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Abel
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Abelardo
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Abella
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Abgail
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Abian
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Abie
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Abigail
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Abraham.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Abril
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Absalón
Year-In Year-Out Have Abundance
nián nián yǒu yú
년년유여
This is a common phrase to hear around the time of Chinese New Years. Directly translated character by character it means, "Year Year Have Surplus". A more natural English translation including the deeper meaning would be "Every Year may you Have Abundance in your life".
On a side note, this phrase often goes with a gift of something related to fish. This is because the last character "yu" which means surplus or abundance has exactly the same pronunciation in Mandarin as the word for "fish".
This is also one of the most common titles for traditional paintings that feature koi fish.
In China, this phrase might make an odd wall scroll - a customer asked special for this common phrase which is why it appears here. See my other abundance-related words if you want a wall scroll that will seem more comfortable in Chinese culture.
Note: This can be pronounced in Korean, but it's not a commonly-used term.
See Also... Prosperity | Good Fortune
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Acceptance of Fate / Happy With Your Fate
lè tiān
This word is hard to define. One dictionary defines this as, "acceptance of fate and happy about it". There is one rare English word equivalent which is sanguinity.
You can also say that this means, "Be happy with whatever Heaven provides", or "Find happiness in whatever fate Heaven bestows upon you". This is kind of a way to suggest being an optimist in life.
Note: This is sometimes used as a given name in China.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Acedo
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Acero
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Acevedo
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Acher
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Achille
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Acupuncture
zhēn shù
shinjutsu
This is how they write acupuncture in Chinese. The first character means "needle" or "pin". The second character means "technique" or "method".
This is theoretically a Japanese word as well, but not commonly used (select our other word for acupuncture if your audience is Japanese).
Acupuncture and Moxibustion
zhēn jiǔ
shin kyuu
침구
This is the Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja word for acupuncture moxibustion.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Adaberto
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Adaluz
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Adam
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Adán
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Adela
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Adelaida
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Adelardo
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Adele
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Adelina
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Adeline
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Adolf
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Adolf
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Adolfo
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Adonis.
Adoring Love
ài mù
ai bou
애모
The best kind of love to have I suppose. This word has the well-know character for love. But the second character modifies and/or reinforces the meaning to become adore, adoring love, or to love and adore.
I say that I suppose this is the best kind of love because adoring someone is fine, until you are in the shoes of the Prince of the Kingdom of Wu. This Prince adored a certain beautiful woman (Xi Shi) so much that he neglected his duties, and soon let the kingdom fall into ruins.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the English name Adrian
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Adrian
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Adriana
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Adriano
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Adrien
Adventure
tàn xiǎn
tanken
탐험
If you lead a life of adventure (like I do), this wall scroll is for you.
Alone, the first character can mean "to explore", "to search out" or "to scout". The second character holds the meanings of "dangerous" and "rugged". Together these two character create the word that means "adventure" or "to explore". There is a modern Japanese Kanji version of this word (shown to the right), but it more specifically means exploration or expedition rather than adventure. The version shown at the upper left is actually the old/ancient Japanese version used before WWII. Let us know if you want the modern Japanese version.
See Also... Bon Voyage | Travel
Adventure Lover
bou ken ya rou
This is a Japanese title which means "adventure lover". It literally means something like "adventure wild man".
This is kind of a funny choice for a wall scroll, but then it's kind of a funny (but legitimate) word in Japanese.
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AdventureChinese and Korean
mào xiǎn
모험
This is another Chinese and Korean word for "Adventure". This is more of a "risk-taking" version of adventure.
The first character can mean "brave" and "bold". The second character means "dangerous" and "rugged". Together they can be defined as a word meaning "adventure" in Chinese and Korean.
Note: Some dictionaries translate these two characters as "take a risk".
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Aerowyn
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Aeryn
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This is the Chinese name for the continent of Africa
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name África
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Agapito
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Ágata
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Agatón
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Agnes
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Agripina
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Agueda
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Agustín
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Agustina
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Aida
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Aidan
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Aiden
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Aika
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Ailann
This is the most common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Aileen.
This is an optional transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Aileen.
In this version, the first character means "love". Otherwise, the pronunciation is the same.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Ailin
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Ailsa
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Aina
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Aine.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Ainoa
Air / Atmosphere
kōng qì
kuu ki
공기
This means air or atmosphere in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja. This is an unusual title for an Asian calligraphy wall scroll, but a lot of our western customers have requested it.
 While the version shown to the left is commonly used in Chinese and Korean Hanja (and ancient Japanese Kanji), please note that the second character is written with slightly fewer strokes in modern Japanese. If you want the modern Japanese version, please click on the character to the right. Both styles would be understood by native Chinese, Japanese, and many (but not all) Korean people. You should choose character based on the intended audience for your calligraphy artwork.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Airam
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Aitana
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Aitor
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Aki
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Al
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Álamo
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Alan
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Alanis
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Turkish name Alara
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Alba
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Alban
This is the Chinese name for the country of Albania
See Also... Europe
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the English name Albert
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Albert
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the English name Alberta
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Alberta
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Alberte
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Alberto
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Alcida
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Alcides
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Aldana
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Aldo
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Alec
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Aleesha.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Alegría
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Alejandra
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Alejandro
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Alejo
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Aleka
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Alessia
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This is the most common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the English name Alex.
This is another/alternate transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the English name Alex.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Alex
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Alexa
Alexandra
yà lì shān dé lā
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Alexandra
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Alexandre
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Alexia
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Alexis
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Alexus
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Alfonso
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Alford
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Alfred
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Alfredo
This is the Chinese name for the country of Algeria
See Also... Africa
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Alice
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Alicia
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Alicia
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Alida
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Aline
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Alisha.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Alison
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Alisson
This is the word that means alive, as in the state of living or being alive (Chinese only).
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Alix
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Alki.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Allan
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Allen
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This one common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Allison.
This another common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Allison.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Alma
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Almudena
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Hebrew name Alon
Alone with only your shadow for company
qióng qióng jié lì xíng yǐng xiāng diào
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This phrase is about the state of being as alone as you possibly can be. It can be translated as, "Alone with only your shadow for comfort/company".
See Also... I Miss You
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Alonso
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Alvaro
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Alyssa
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Alyssia
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Amadeo
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Amado
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Amador
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Amalia
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Amancio
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Amanda
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Amandine
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Amara
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Amaranta
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Amata
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Amaury
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Amaya
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Ámbar
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Amber
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Ambrosio
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Amedeo
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Amelia
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This is the Chinese title for "American football" (not to be confused with international football known as soccer in the USA). If you are a player or fan of American football, this would make a great wall scroll for your home.
The first two characters mean "American style".
The last three characters mean football or rugby (basically, game involving an oblong or ovoid ball).
The "American" adjective is needed in this title to differentiate from Canadian football, Australian rules football, and rugby.
See Also... Soccer
This is a short word that means "American football" in Japanese. It is supposed to sound like an abbreviated version, "ame futo" which sounds like "ah-may foot-oh" (American Football).
There's not a great standard way to say "football" in Japanese, as the sport is not popular in Japan. Other Japanese terms for football can be confused with soccer or rugby.
See Also... Soccer
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This is the full/long title for "American football" in Japanese. It is "Amerikan Futtoboru" which is supposed to sound like "American Football".
See Also... Soccer
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American Samoa
měi shǔ sà mó yà
This is the Chinese name for the territory of American Samoa (formerly known as Eastern Samoa). Not to be confused with Independent Somoa which is to the west.
If you want just a general "Samoa" title, just use the plain "Samoa" entry, as it does not actually designate western, eastern, American, or independent.
See Also... Oceania
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Américo
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Ametra
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Amie
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Amilcar
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Amparo
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This is the most common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Amy.
This is the second most common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Amy.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Ana
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Anabel
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Anael
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Anahí
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Anais
Anastasia
ā nà sī da xī yà
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Anastasia
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Anastasio
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Anca
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Ander
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Anders
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Anderson
AndiAlso the same for Andy
ān dí
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Andi or Andy.
Because transliteration goes by sound, these are both "spelled" the same in Chinese.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the slightly unusual name Andony.
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This is the Chinese name for the country of Andorra
See Also... Europe
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Andre
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Andréa
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Andree
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Andrés
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Andrew
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AndyAlso the same for Andi
ān dí
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Andy or Andi.
Because transliteration goes by sound, these are both "spelled" the same in Chinese.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Aneta
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Angee
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Angel / Messenger of Heaven
tiān shǐ
ten shi
천사
This is the meaning of Angel in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.
The first character means heaven. The second means messenger. Together it makes sense that we are talking about angels as Heaven's Messengers.
If you are an "Angel Junkie", this may be the wall scroll for you.
I also think it's a great choice if your name happens to be Angel.
See Also... Angel
This is the most common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Angel.
It is supposed to sound like Angel, but to be honest, this one misses the mark.
I would go with the meaning of Angel if I were you.
This is another common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Angel. This one misses the mark too - It uses a hard "H" sound to simulate the "J" sound of the "G" in this name. I don't know who transliterated these first and how it became the standard.
Again, I recommend using the meaning of Angel above.
If anything, this is the more masculine form of Angel. This is also the form commonly used for the masculine Latin name Ángel.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Angela
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Ángeles
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Angélica
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Angelina
This is a good and common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Angeline.
This is a another common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Angeline.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Angelique
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Angelo
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Angie
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This is the Chinese name for the country of Angola
See Also... Africa
This is the Chinese name for Anguilla (overseas territory of the United Kingdom).
See Also... Africa
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Angus
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Aníbal
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Aniceto
Animal Kingdom
dòng wù wáng guó
doubutsu oukoku
동물왕국
This is literally what it says.
There is even a TV show in China that is similar to Wild Kingdom or what you would currently see on the Discovery Channel that has this same title.
For your information: In the Chinese way of thinking, the Tiger is the king of the animal kingdom (lions are not native to China, so the tiger took the role that we have given to the lion in our western way of thinking).
The Japanese version has a slight variation on the last character. Let me know if your audience is Japanese, and we will have it written in that form for you.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Anis
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Anisa
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Anissa
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Anita
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Anjani.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Ann
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Anna
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Anne
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Anne-Lise
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Annelie
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Annette
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Annick
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Annie
This is the most common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Annika.
This is the second most common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Annika.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Anouk
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Anselmo
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Anthea
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Anthony
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Antígono
Antigua and Barbuda
ān tí guā hé bā bù dá
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This is the Chinese name for Antigua and Barbuda
See Also... North America
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Anton.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Antonette
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Antonia
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name António
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Antony
Any success can not compensate
for failure in the home
suǒ yǒu de chéng gōng dōu wú fǎ bǔ cháng jiā tíng de shī bài
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This could also be translated in English as "No success can compensate for failure in the home".
Also, the word for "home" can be exchanged with "family".
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Aora
Goddess of Love: Aphrodite
ā fū luò dí tè
This is how the name for Venus, Goddess of Love is written in Chinese characters.
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Apolinario
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Apollon
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Apolodoro
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Apolonio
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the girl's name April.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Aquiles
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Aquilino
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Araceli
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Arancha
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Arcadio
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Archangel / Arch Angel
dà tiān shǐ
대천사
This is the title Archangel in Chinese and old Korean Hanja.
The first character means big or great (in this case, it means "arch").
The second means heaven (or sky).
The last means messenger.
The second and third characters together make the title for angel, which is literally "Heaven's Messenger".
This title would be understood as "The Chief of all Angels", or "The Great Angel". Some might even say it's the boss of Angels.
See Also... Angel
Archer
shè shǒu
i te / sha shu
사수
This means archer, shooter, or marksman in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja. Depending on context, it can also mean "goal getter" in Chinese. This would also be the word for bowman.
This word is kind of modern in Asia, meaning that it's only been in use for a few hundred years. However, the more ancient version of archer is often not even recognized by the current generation of Chinese and Japanese people.
The first character means "shoot" or "fire" (in the context of a gun or bow). It's also a suffix for radioactive things (in the context of chemistry) - radioactive things "fire off" electrons. In Japanese, that first Kanji is a shortname and suffix for archery.
The second character means "hand", but hand can also mean a person, in the same way that "farmhand" is a person in English.
This is how to write "archer" in modern Chinese. It literally means "bow arrow hand". There are other ways to write "archer" in Chinese, but this is probably the most common title for modern China. The other, less-common version of archer, is also more universal, in that it has the same meaning in Japanese (this one is not used in Japan).
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This is the Chinese name for the country of Argentina
See Also... South America
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Ariana
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Ariane
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Arianna
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Arianne
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Ariel
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Aris
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Aristóbolo
Aristofanesmasculine name
ā lǐ sī tuō fǎ nèi sī
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Aristófanes
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Armando
This is the Chinese name for the country of Armenia
See Also... Asia
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Arnaldo
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Arnau
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Arreola
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Arriano
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Arsenio
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Artemis
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Arthur
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Art of War
bīng fǎ
hyou hou
병법
This means "Art of War". It also part of the title of a famous book of tactics by Sun Tzu. These characters could also be translated as "military strategy and tactics", "military skills" or "army procedures". If you are a military tactician, this is the wall scroll for you.
See Also... Military
Art of War: 5 Points of Analysis
dào tiān dì jiàng fǎ
dou ten chi shou hou
도천지장법
The first chapter of Sun Tzu's Art of War lists five key points to analyzing your situation. Sun Tzu says that to sharpen your skills, you must plan. To plan well, you must know your situation. Therefore, you must consider and discuss the following:
1. Philosophy and Politics: Make sure your way or your policy is agreeable among all of your troops (and the citizens of your kingdom as well). For when your soldiers believe in you and your way, they will follow you to their deaths without hesitation, and will not question your orders.
2. Heaven/Sky: Consider climate / weather. This can also mean to consider whether God is smiling on you. In the modern military, this could be waiting for clear skies so that you can have air support for an amphibious landing.
3. Ground/Earth: Consider the terrain in which the battle will take place. This includes analyzing defensible positions, exit routes, and using varying elevation to your advantage. When you plan an ambush, you must know your terrain, and the best location from which to stage that ambush. This knowledge will also help you avoid being ambushed, as you will know where the likely places in which to expect an ambush from your enemy.
4. Leadership: This applies to you as the general, and also to your lieutenants. A leader should be smart and be able to develop good strategies. Leaders should keep their word, and if they break a promise, they should punish themselves as harshly as they would punish subordinates. Leaders should be benevolent to their troops, with almost a fatherly love for them. Leaders must have the ability to make brave and fast decisions. Leaders must have steadfast principles.
5. [Military] Methods: This can also mean laws, rules, principles, model, or system. You must have an efficient organization in place to manage both your troops and supplies. In the modern military, this would be a combination of how your unit is organized, and your SOP (Standard Operating Procedure).
Notes: This is a simplistic translation and explanation. Much more is suggested in the actual text of the Art of War (Bing Fa). It would take a lot of study to master all of these aspects. In fact, these five characters can be compared to the modern military acronyms such as BAMCIS or SMEAC.
CJK notes: I have included the Japanese and Korean pronunciations, but in Chinese, Korean and Japanese, this does not make a typical phrase (with subject, verb and object) it is a list that only someone familiar with Sun Tzu's writings would understand.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Arturo
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This is the Chinese name for the territory of Aruba (overseas country in the Kingdom of the Netherlands).
Note: Definitions vary as to whether Aruba is in North America or South America.
See Also... Netherlands | North America | South America
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Ascensión
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Arabic name Aseel.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Ashlee
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Ashley
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Ashton
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Asia / Asian Continent
yà zhōu
Asia / Asian ContinentJapanese
a ji a
Asian Pride / Oriental Pride
Asian Pryde / AZN Pryde
dōng fāng zì zūn
dung fong chi juen
tou hou zi son
동방자존
We worked on this one for a long time. The effort involved both Chinese and Japanese translators and lengthly discussions. If you have been searching for this term, there is a reason that it's hard to find the way to write "Asian Pride" in Chinese and Japanese - it's because of the inherent difficulties in figuring out a universal combination of characters that can be read in all languages that use forms of Chinese characters.
This final solution that you see to the left creates a reasonable title in Chinese, and an exotic (perhaps unusual) title in Japanese (This could be read as "Eastern Self-Respect" in Japanese").
Although not as natural, it does have the same meaning in Korean Hanja and the older-generation of Vietnamese people will be able to read it too.
The first two characters literally mean "Oriental" and the second two mean "pride", "self-esteem", or "self-respect" (we chose the most non-arrogant way to say "pride"). If you have "Asian Pride" (sometimes spelled Asian Pryde) these are the characters for you.
Note: For those of you that wonder, there is nothing technically wrong with the word "Oriental". It is the most correct word, and any bad meanings were created by so-called "Asian Americans" and Caucasians in the United States. To say "Asian" would not completely correct to the intended meaning, since that would include people from Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, India, and portions of Russia.
For further proof, if you were of East Asian ancestry and born in England, you would be known as a "British Oriental" (The "Oriental stigma" is basically an American creation and therefore applies mostly to the American English language - where they get a bit overzealous with political correctness).
Further, since the Chinese and Japanese word for Oriental is not English, it can not be construed having ill-meaning. One trip to China or Japan, and you will find many things titled with these two characters such as malls, buildings, and business names. These places also use "Oriental" as their English title (much as we do, since our Chinese business name starts with these same two characters).
In short, the first two character have the meaning that Americans attach to "Asian" but is more technically correct.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Asier
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Astrid
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Asturia
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Aswimi
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Atanasia
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Atila
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Aubrey
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Audrey
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name August
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Augusta
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Augusto
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Aurea
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Aurelia
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Aureliano
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Aurelio
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Aurora
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Austin
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Axel
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Aya
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Ayala
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Ayden
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Ayleen
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Aymerick
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Ayrton
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Aysia.
The meaning is "Love West Asia", although it will be read as a name, rather than this meaning by most.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Azahara
Azerbaijan
ā sài bài jiāng
This is the Chinese name for the country of Azerbaijan.
Note: Technically in Asia, but politically European.
See Also... Asia | Europe
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Azucena
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Azuela
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Azul
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Azura
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Azzy.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Babette
This is the Chinese name for the country of the Bahamas
See Also... North America
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This is the Chinese name for the country of Bahrain
See Also... Saudi Arabia | Asia
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Bailey.
Balance / Peace
píng
hira
평
This is a single-character that means balance in Chinese, but it's not too direct or too specific about what kind of balance. Chinese people often like calligraphy art that is a little vague or mysterious. In this way, you can decide what it means to you, and you'll be right.
This character is also part of a word that means peace in Chinese, Japanese and old Korean.
Some alternate translations of this single character include: balanced, peaceful, calm, equal, even, level, smooth or flat.
Note that in Japanese, this just means "level" or "flat" by itself (not the best choice for balance if your audience is Japanese).
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Balance / Equilibrium
jūn héng
kin kou
균형
This means balance or equilibrium. This title is best for a Japanese audience where the word suggests that you life is in balance in all matters (or is a reminder for you to try and keep all matters in balance).
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Balbino
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Baldomero
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Baltasar
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Balthasar
This is the character that means bamboo in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja. In Asian cultures, bamboo is often seen as a symbol of a noble gentleman (being tall, straight, and honest).
There are also some multi-character bamboo words that regard individual bamboo plants, species of bamboo, bamboo as lumber, and edible bamboo shoots. However, this single-character seems most appropriate for a wall scroll, and covers the whole category of Asian bamboo.
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Bangladesh
mèng jiā lā guó
This is the Chinese name for the country of Bangladesh
See Also... India | Asia
Banzai / WansuiOld Japanese / Traditional Chinese & Korean
wàn suì
banzai / manzai
만세
We've made two almost identical entries for this word. This is the traditional Chinese, Korean Hanja, and ancient Japanese way to write banzai. In modern times, the first character was simplified in Japan and China. So you might want to select the other entry for more universal readability.
While it has become a popular if not an odd thing to scream as you jump out of an airplane (preferably with a parachute attached), banzai is actually a very old Asian way to say "hooray". The Japanese word "banzai" comes from the Chinese word "wan sui" which means "The age of 10,000 years". It is actually a wish that the Emperor or the Empire live that long.
Imagine long ago as the Emperor made a rare public appearance. This is what all of the people would yell to their leader in respect.
So if you like is as a hooray, or you want to wish someone that they live for 10,000 years, this is the calligraphy for you.
Other translations include: Cheers! (not the drinking kind), hurrah!, long live [name]!, congratulations!
To other things with banzai in their names; I am still waiting for the promised sequel to Buckaroo Banzai.
Notes: Sometimes people confuse banzai with bonsai. A bonsai is a miniature tree. They have nothing to do with each other. Further, bonzai is not a word at all - although it would make a great name for a calcium supplement for older people.
Banzai (Modern Japanese Version)
wàn suì
banzai
만세
We've made two almost identical entries for this word. This is the modern Japanese way to write banzai. In the last century, the first character was simplified in Japan and China. The new generation will expect it to be written this way, but the old generation can still read the more traditional form. You must make your own determination as to what version is best for you. If your audience is mostly Japanese, I suggest this form.
While it has become a popular if not an odd thing to scream as you jump out of an airplane (preferably with a parachute attached), banzai is actually a very old Asian way to say "hooray". The Japanese word "banzai" comes from the Chinese word "wan sui" which means "The age of 10,000 years". It is actually a wish that the Emperor or the Empire live that long.
Imagine long ago as the Emperor made a rare public appearance. This is what all of the people would yell to their leader in respect.
So if you like is as a hooray, or you want to wish someone that they live for 10,000 years, this is the calligraphy for you.
To other things with banzai in their names; I am still waiting for the promised sequel to Buckaroo Banzai.
Other translations: hurrah, long life, congratulations, cheers, live long.
Notes: Sometimes people confuse banzai with bonsai. A bonsai is a miniature tree. They have nothing to do with each other. Further, bonzai is not a word at all - although it would make a great name for a calcium supplement for older people.
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This is the Chinese name for the country of Barbados
See Also... North America
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Barbara
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Bartolomé
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Basile
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Basilio
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Bastian
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Batres
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Bautista
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Bean
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This is the way to write "bear" (as in the animal) in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja. If you are a bear fanatic, this is the wall scroll for you.
This is not specific to species, such as panda bear, polar bear, brown bear, etc.
If you need a more specific title, just post a special Asian calligraphy title request on our forum.
See Also... Panda
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Beatriz
Beauty / Beautiful
měi
bi
미
This word is often used to describe the beauty of a woman. It's also the first character in the word for "beauty salon" which you will see all over China.
For a bit of trivia: The title for the "USA" in Chinese is "Mei Guo" which literally means "Beautiful Country". This name was bestowed at a time before Chairman Mao came to power and decided that China didn't like the USA anymore (even though we fought together against the Japanese in WWII). But these days, Chinese people love Americans (but have distaste for American politics and policy). But I digress...
This is also how "Beautiful" is written in Japanese Kanji and Korean Hanja.
See Also... Beautiful Woman | Beautiful Girl
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Beauty: The art of makeup / cosmetics
měi róng
biyou
미용
In Chinese, this is the title for the art of beauty, as applying makeup or cosmetics to enhance beauty.
Note: In Japanese and Korean, this takes the meaning of beautiful face or beauty of figure or form. Be sure you know who your audience is, and have matched the desired meaning.
Beautiful
měi lí
birei
미려
This is a two-character word used often in Chinese, old Korean, and ancient Japanese to express beauty.
I've had a few requests for a "two-character beautiful" and this is by far the best word. This is not a common word for an Asian person to want on a wall scroll. However, you will see it commonly used as an adjective in phrases, stories, and titles throughout magazines and signage in China.
This word can also be translated as gorgeous or lovely.
Note: This word is not common in modern Japan.
You are always a beauty in your lover’s eyes
qíng rén yǎn lǐ chū xī shī
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right Any woman with affection for Asian art and you will love a gift of this calligraphy on a wall scroll. She will melt in your arms as you tell her the meaning of these characters.
Contained in this phrase is a reference to the most beautiful woman in Chinese history. Her name was Xi Shi, and she was known to have good looks that need not fine robes or make up. Her charms were so powerful that she brought down an entire kingdom (in a successful effort to bring honor and pride back to her people).
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Beauty Shop / Beauty Salon
měi róng diàn
This is how to write "Beauty Shop" or "Beauty Salon". If you own such a business, this would make a nice wall scroll to hang up - and many of your Asian customers will be able to read and appreciate it. When traveling in China, you will see signs like this in the window of any place that offers full services of hair styling, manicures, pedicures, and often shampoo with head and back massage.
However, as a handmade wall scroll, this becomes a very fancy piece of artwork that shows the high class of your business (a great sign for your window, if you don't get direct sunlight).
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Becky
Mind of the Beginner
chū xīn
shoshin
This is often translated in Japanese as "beginner's mind". In Chinese, the dictionary definition is "one's original intention".
The first character means first, initial, primary, junior, beginning, or basic.
The second character means heart, mind, soul, or essence.
This is one of the five spirits of the warrior (budo), and is often used as a Japanese martial arts tenet. Under that context, places such as the Budo Dojo define it this way: The state of shoshin is that of a beginners mind. It is a state of awareness the remains always fully conscious, aware, and prepared to see things for the first time. The attitude of shoshin is essential to continued learning.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Begoña
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Belén
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Believer
xìn tú
shinto
신도
This is the Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja word for "believer".
Just as in English, this word can be used for a follower of virtually any religion.
This word can also be translated into English as layman, adherent, follower, laity, disciple, or devotee.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Belisario
This is the Chinese name for the country of Belize
See Also... North America
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Belle
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Beltrán
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Ben
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Benavente
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Benavides
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Benedicto
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Beyond "benevolence" word can be also be defined as "charity" or "mercy" depending on context.
The meaning suggests that one should pay alms to the poor, care for those in trouble, and take care of his fellow man (or woman).
This is one of the five tenets of Confucius. In fact, it is a subject in which Confucius spent a great deal of time explaining to his disciples.
I have also seen this benevolent-related word translated as perfect virtue, selflessness, love for humanity, humaneness, goodness, good will, or simply "love" in the non-romantic form.
This word is so important to me that I named my second daughter with this character. Her name is "Renni" which means "Benevolent Girl".
-Gary.
This is also a virtue of the Samurai Warrior
See our page with just Code of the Samurai / Bushido here
See Also... Love | Altruism | Kindness | Charity | Brotherhood | Confucius
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Benigno
This is the Chinese name for the country of Benin
See Also... Africa
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Benita
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Benito
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the English name Benjamin
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Benjamin
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Benny
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Berenguer
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Berenice / Bérénice
This is the Chinese name for Bermuda (overseas territory of the United Kingdom).
See Also... North America
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Bermudo
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Bernabé
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Bernaldo
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Bernard
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Bernardina
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Bernardino
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Bernardo
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Bernice
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Bernie
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Berta
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the surname Bertwistle
It's a little strange, but this would be the character which means "best" or "extreme" in Chinese and Korean. The problem is, this is seldom used alone. It's mostly used in combination with other characters to make words like "best friend", "best food", and "best love".
We do not recommend this character for a wall scroll. It's better if you find a more specific term that fits your circumstances.
Note: This can be pronounced in Japanese, and has similar meaning, but it is rarely if ever used in modern Japanese.
Best Love / Most Sincere Love
zhì ài
This can mean the best love or most sincere love of your life. This could be a romantic love such as the love you have for your spouse or a boyfriend / girlfriend. It can also apply to the extreme love you have for your children or a parent, and maybe a really good friend.
See Also... I Love You
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Best Love / Most Sincere LoveJapanese Only
sai ai
This Japanese word means the best love or most sincere love of your life. This could be a romantic love such as the love you have for your spouse or a boyfriend / girlfriend. It can also apply to the extreme love you have for your children or a parent, and maybe a really good friend.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Bethany
Better to be Happy than Rich
ān pín lè dào
안빈낙도
Even if you are poor, you should still feel satisfied in your life...
...Satisfaction, happiness, and the meaning of your life come from within yourself and not from money or riches of the world.
In Chinese, there are a lot of four-character idiomatic phrases which express some very old philosophies.
Though there are only four characters on this scroll, in Chinese the meanings often surpasses the dictionary definition of each character.
In this case, you should not set your expectations too high for the amount to money or riches you wish to have. One who sets their expectations too high, is almost always disappointed. Instead, you should cherish what you have, and seek to improve yourself from within, and not measure your personal worth by the size of your bank account.
See Also... A Sly Rabbit Will Have Three Openings To Its Den
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Bettina
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Betty
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Beyonce
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This is the Chinese name for the country of Bhutan
See Also... Asia
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Bianca
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Bibi
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Bibiana
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Bill
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Billo
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Billy
This is simply the word for bird in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.
This character can also mean fowl, poultry, cock or chicken.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Birger
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Birgit
Birth / Life
shēng
shou / iku
생
This Chinese word means "to be born" and "to give birth". Also it's often used to refer to life itself, and sometimes "to grow".
This character is used in a lot of compound words such as "yi sheng", which means "doctor" (literally "healer of life"), "sheng ri" which means "birthday" (literally "birth day") and "xue sheng" which means student (literally "studying life" or "learner [about] life"). Few Chinese people will think of the literal meaning when this use words like doctor and student - but it is interesting to note.
This character has the same root meaning in Korean Hanja and Japanese. However, in Japanese, there are many possible pronunciations, and this can be used to mean "raw" or "unprocessed" (as in draft beer). Therefore, not be the best if your audience is Japanese.
See Also... Life Force | Vitality
Black Belt(Japanese Only)
kuroobi
흑대
These are the Kanji for "Black Belt" in Japanese.
This would be the gift to buy someone who is about to achieve the rank of black belt, or perhaps for yourself, like a certificate on the wall to subtly show your accomplishment.
Note: with a tiny stroke difference on the second character, this also means black belt in Korean Hanja. Let me know if you need the exact Korean version (though any Korean who can read Hanja will know this is black belt).
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Rank HolderThe One Who has Achieved Rank in Martial Arts
yǒu duàn zhě
yuu dan sha
유단자
This is a Japanese term for someone who holds rank in karate, judo, etc.
This term theoretically applies to anyone with rank (above white belt). However, some schools or dojos may reserve this title for a holder of a black belt.
I'd suggest that you only order this phrase if you have honestly reached this level.
This title does kind of make sense in Chinese, but only to those Chinese who practice "kong shou dao" (karate) or when used in the context of martial arts.
Black or white cat matters not as long as it can catch miceAbility is more important than looks
bù guǎn hēi māo bái māo néng zhuō zhe lǎo shǔ de jiù shì hǎo mǎo
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This literally translates as: It doesn't matter [if a] cat [is] black [or] white, [as long as it] can catch mice, it's a good cat.
This proverb was either composed or made famous by Deng XiaoPing in 1961 when he exclaimed, "I don't care if it's a white cat or a black cat. It's a good cat so long as it catches mice" when his critics pointed out that his ideas were Capitalistic (free market). The response was meant to say, "It does not matter if it's Communist or Capitalist, as long as it works".
This Chinese proverb can be used to suggest one should disregard looks or a person's race, as long as they can do the job. It can also be used as a metaphor for many other situations.
Deng XiaoPing probably saved China from collapse (as the Soviet Union experienced). He changed China's economy from pure Communism to a hybrid where the free market (Capitalism) is encouraged. More about Deng XiaoPing
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Blair.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Blake
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Blanca
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Blas
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Blazer
Blessings and Good Wishes
zhù fú
shukufuku
축복
This is a nice way to give good wishes to someone. It can be a general blessing, or used to congratulate someone for a special occasion or graduation.
This has a good meaning in Japanese, but more appropriate when expressed orally. This is not a natural selection for a wall scroll if your audience is Japanese.
This is the single character for the color blue in Chinese. It can also mean indigo in Japanese Kanji and old Korean Hanja.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Bob
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Bobbie
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Bobby
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Bodhi - Awakening Enlightenment
pú tí
bodai
보리
The Bodhi is the moment of completion in Buddhism. It is when all things become known, and you have completed your journey to enlightenment.
The reference is to the Bodhi tree where Siddhartha Gautama (the legendary man and who established the Buddhist religion), achieved enlightenment. Sometimes this is referred to as "the tree of enlightenment", but if you want the full version with the character for tree on the end, please see our other entry.
See Also... Buddhism | Buddha | Nirvana | Enlightenment
BodhisattvaA deity in Buddhism that exists to
help you reach enlightenment
pú sà
bosatsu
보살
In Buddhist beliefs, a bodhisattva (bodhisatta) is a being who is dedicated to helping us achieve enlightenment. Bodhisattva literally means enlightenment truth which is bodhi sattva in Sanskrit.
I am not a Buddhist, so I am not sure if this is appropriate to hang on your wall. But a lot of people have been searching our website for bodhisattva, so I figured it is time to add it.
Sometimes used to refer to a kindhearted person.
See Also... Buddha | Namo Amitabha
This is how to write "body" as in your human body, in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and Korean Hanja. Depending on context and certain language issues, this character can also mean: main part, hull, oneself, somebody, person, I, me, sword, lifetime, one's station in life, etc.
While this written word is universal in three languages, it still makes a rather odd selection for a wall scroll.
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This is the Chinese name for the country of Bolivia
See Also... South America
Bon Voyage
yī lù píng ān
ichiro heian
일로평안
This is a wish for someone to have a pleasant journey. It's probably the closest way to translate "bon voyage" into Chinese.
The first two characters mean one road or one path. The second two characters mean "safe and sound" or "without mishap".
This means the same thing in Japanese, but not the most common selection for a wall scroll.
Bond (Japanese)
bàn
kizuna
반
This is the bond, as in the bond between mother and daughter, father and son, etc. It can mean fetter or encumbrance. This is the kind of character that says, no matter what happens (difficult times), we have this bond that cannot be broken.
Read the following before ordering...
This is only for a Japanese audience. While this is also a Chinese character, it has a completely different meaning in Chinese (it means to hinder or stumble in Chinese). It's a very rare character in Korean Hanja, but does mean bond in Korean (used in Korean words for certain kinds of glue and sticking plaster).
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Bonifacio
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Bonnie
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Booba
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Boris
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Borja
This is the Chinese name for the country of Botswana
See Also... Africa
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This is the term used in Chinese to refer to the original Olympic sport of combat and fighting. If you like to strap on your boxing gloves and go a few rounds, or are just a fan of boxing, this could make a nice wall scroll for you.
Note that Japanese use the same first character (which means fist) but a different Kanji for the second. Please see our Japanese boxing entry for that version.
Boxing (Japanese)
ken tou
This is the term used in Japanese Kanji to refer to the original Olympic sport of combat and fighting. This can also be translated as "prize fighting".
The first Kanji means fist. The second means fight. So when literally translated, this means "fist fight" (though understood in Japanese as a more refined sport, versus street fighting).
Note: A completely different second character is used in the Chinese word for boxing, but a Chinese person would still be able to guess the meaning of these Kanji.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Brad
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This is the most popular transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Bradley
This is the second most popular transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Bradley
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Brandi
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Brandon
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Brandy
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Brant
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Braulio
This can be translated as "braving the waves" or "bravely setting sail". It literally means: "break/cleave/cut [the] waves".
This is a great title to encourage yourself or someone else not to be afraid of problems or troubles.
Because of the context, this is especially good for sailors or yachtsmen and surfers too.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Breann.
This is the Chinese (and old Korean Hanja) word for "breathe".
These two characters literally mean to exhale and inhale.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Brenda
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Brendan
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Brendon
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Brent. This Romanization of Brent is commonly used in Taiwan but also understood in the mainland.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Brent in the mainland style. It would be understood by Mandarin-speakers in Taiwan, Singapore, and Malaysia.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Brett
Brief and to the pointSpeak simply, while expressing your idea completely
yán jiǎn yì gāi
This Chinese idiom is a suggestion that is it better to be brief, use fewer words, while still expressing your main point or idea. In another way to explain this, one should not use 100 words when 50 will do, Or, being more concise with your speech.
This can also be translated as concise, compendious, "brief in form but comprehensive in scope" or succinct.
This is a bit more positive than our other idiom for brevity.
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This is the most common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Brian.
This is another common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Brian.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Briana
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Brianna
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Bridget
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Bridie
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Brigitte
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Britanny
British Virgin Islands
yīng shǔ wéi ěr sī qún dǎo
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This is the Chinese name for the British Virgin Islands (overseas territory of the United Kingdom).
See Also... United States Virgin Islands | North America
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Britney.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Britt.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Brittany
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Brittney.
Death Before DishonorBetter to be broken jade than unbroken pottery
níng wéi yù suì
This is the short version of a longer Chinese phrase which means, "rather be shattered piece of jade than an unbroken piece of pottery". The characters shown above just say the "rather be a broken piece of jade" part (the second half is implied - everyone in China knows this idiom).
A little more explanation:
Death is implied with the "broken" meaning. Jade is one of the most precious materials in Chinese history, and in this case is compared with one's honor and self-worth. Pottery is just something you eat off of, it has no deep value, just as a person who has lost their honor, or had none to begin with.
Thus, this means, "better to die with honor than to live in shame" or words to that effect.
This is often translated in English as "Death Before Dishonor", the famous military slogan.
I would also compare this to the English phrase, "Better to die on your feet than live on your knees".
Death Before DishonorBetter to be broken jade than unbroken pottery
níng wéi yù suì bú wéi wǎ quán
This is the long version of a Chinese phrase which means, "rather be shattered piece of jade than an unbroken piece of pottery".
A little more explanation:
Death is implied with the "broken" meaning. Jade is one of the most precious materials in Chinese history, and in this case is compared with one's honor and self-worth. Pottery is just something you eat off of, it has no deep value, just as a person who has lost their honor, or had none to begin with.
Thus, this means, "better to die with honor than to live in shame" or words to that effect.
This is often translated in English as "Death Before Dishonor", the famous military slogan.
I would also compare this to the English phrase, "Better to die on your feet than live on your knees".
This is an idiom. It therefore doesn't directly say exactly what it means. If you think about the English idiom, "The grass is always greener", it does not directly say "jealousy" or "envy" but everyone knows that it is implied.
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Broken Mirror RejoinedUsed in modern times for
divorced couples that come back together
pò jìng chóng yuán
A husband and wife separated and reunited.
About 1500 years ago in China, there lived a beautiful princess named Le Chang. She and her husband Xu De Yan loved each other very much. But when the army of the Sui Dynasty was about to attack their kingdom, disposed of all of their worldly possessions and prepared to flee into exile.
They knew that in the chaos, they might lose track of each other, so the one possession they kept was a bronze mirror which is a symbol of unity for a husband and wife. They broke the mirror into two pieces, and each of them kept half of the mirror. They decided that if separated, they would try to meet in the fair during the 15th day of the first lunar month (which is the lantern festival). Unfortunately, the occupation was brutal, and the princess was forced to become the mistress of the new commissioner of the territory, Yang Su.
At the Lantern Festival the next year, the husband came to the fair to search for his wife. He carried with him, his half of the mirror. As he walked through the fair, he saw the other half of the mirror for sale at a junk market by a servant of the commissioner. The husband recognized his wife's half of the mirror immediately, and tears rolled down his face as he was told by the servant about the bitter and loveless life that the princess had endured.
As his tears dripped onto the mirror, the husband scratched a poem into his wife's half of the mirror:
You left me with the severed mirror,
The mirror has returned but absent are you,
As I gaze in the mirror I seek your face,
I see the moon, but as for you, I see not a trace.
The servant brought the inscribed half of the mirror back to the princess. For many days, the princess could not stop crying when she found that her husband was alive and still loved her.
Commissioner Yang Su, becoming aware of this saga realized that he could never obtain the love of the princess. He sent for the husband and allowed them to reunite.
This phrase in Chinese is now used to describe a couple who has been torn apart for some reason (usually divorce), but have come back together (or remarried).
It seems to be more common these days in America for divorced couples to reconcile and get married to each other again. This would be a great gift if you know someone who is about to remarry their ex.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Bronson.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Brooke
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Brotherly and Sisterly Love
shǒu zú qíng
This is the love between siblings. When you love, protect, care for, and have a deep bond that only brothers or sisters can.
The actual translation is "Hand and Foot" but it is said the relationship between brothers or sisters is like that of hands and feet. They belong together, and complete the body. Even though this says "hand and foot", it will always be read with the brotherly and sisterly love meaning in Chinese.
Note: During the past 20 years, the "One child policy" in China is slowly making this term obsolete.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Brown
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Bruce
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Bruce Lee
lǐ xiǎo lóng
bu ruu su ri
이소룡
 Many people have no idea that Bruce Lee had a "real" Chinese name. In mainland China and Hong Kong he is known as "Li Xiao-Long". He kept his family name pronunciation (Li = Lee). This is a common family name that also means "plum".
His given name "Xiao-Long" literally means "little dragon". This is why you often see the character for dragon associated with Bruce Lee on various posters etc.
For a pronunciation lesson, the "X" in Romanized Chinese is pronounced like a "sh" sound but with your tongue at the bottom of your mouth. The vowel sound in "Long" is like the English "oh", not like the "ah" sound in the English word "long".
If you are a big Bruce Lee fan, you should know this information, and you should have this wall scroll hanging in your room or martial arts studio.
Note: Japanese use these same exact Chinese characters / Kanji to write Bruce Lee's real name (with different pronunciation - which is a bit like how the name "Bruce Lee" sounds in English).
See Also... Kung Fu | Marital Arts
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Bruna
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Bruno
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Bryan
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Bryanna
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Bryant
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This is the most common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Bryce.
This is an alternate transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Bryce.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Bryony
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Triple Truth of Japanese Buddhism
ningensei o saisei suruno wa kanyou na kokoro shinsetsu na kotoba houshi to omoiyari no seishin
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right The Buddha ordered that all should know this triple truth...
A generous heart, kind speech, and a life of service and compassion are the things which renew humanity.
This is the English translation most commonly used for this Japanese Buddhist phrase. You might have seen this on a coffee cup or tee-shirt.
Buddhism / Buddha(single character)
fó
hotoke
불
This is the essence of the Buddha or Buddhism. Depending on context, this word and character can be used to refer to the religion and lifestyle of Buddhism, or in some cases, the Buddha himself.
It is interesting to note that this word is separate from all others in the Chinese language. The sound of "fo" has only this meaning. This is in contrast to many sounds in the Chinese language which can have one of four tones, and more than 20 possible characters and meanings. This language anomaly shows just how significant Buddhism has affected China since the ancient times.
More about Buddhism
This character is also used with the same meaning in Korean Hanja.
It's used in the very religious context of Buddhism in Japan. It should be noted that there are two forms of this Kanji in use in Japan - this is the more formal/ancient version, but it's rarely seen outside of religious artwork, and may not be recognized by all Japanese people.
It also acts as a suffix or first syllable for many Buddhist-related words in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.
See our Buddhism & Zen page
See Also... Bodhisattva | Enlightenment
Buenaventuramasculine name
bù āi sī wén tú lā
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Buenaventura
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This is the Chinese name for the country of Bulgaria
See Also... Romania | Europe
This is the Chinese name for the country of Burundi
See Also... Africa
Bushido / The Way of the Samurai
wǔ shì dào
bushido
무사도
The Code of the Samurai
Sometimes called "The Seven Virtues of the Samurai", "The Bushido Code", or "The Samurai Code of Chivalry".
This would be read in Chinese characters, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja as "The Way of the Warrior", "The Warrior's Way", or "The Warrior's Code".
It's a set of virtues that the Samurai of Japan and ancient warriors of China and Korea had to live and die by.
See our page with just Code of the Samurai / Bushido here
See Also... Samurai | Warrior
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This is the long word for "butterfly" in Chinese.
If you love butterflies, this is the wall scroll for you.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Byron
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Caden
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Cadena
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Caitlin
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Caleb
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Calixto
Calm / Cool-Headed
lěng jìng
rei sei
냉정
These characters mean calm and cool-headed.
Other translations: calmness, composure, coolness, serenity, tranquility.
This is a good wall scroll for someone that wants to remind themselves to stay calm and level-headed.
See Also... Sober Calm
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Calvin
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Calvino
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Caly
This is the Chinese name for the country of Cambodia
See Also... Vietnam | Laos | Asia
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Camellia
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Cameron
This is the Chinese name for the country of Cameroon
See Also... Africa
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Camila
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Camille
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Camilo
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Campo
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Camyl
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Candace
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Candela
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Candelaria
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Candice
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Cándido
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Candie
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Candra
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Candy
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Caoimhe
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Cara
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Caressa
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Carina
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Caring is giving love and attention to people and things that matter to you and anyone who is in need of help. When you care about people, you help them. You do a careful job, giving your very best effort. You treat people and things gently and respectfully. Caring makes the world a safer place.
This means caring in Chinese, and is also a word in Korean Hanja, but with more of a flavor or "taking an interest" and "concern".
Note, this is also a word in Korean Hanja, but in Korean, it means taking interest or concern. In Korean it's still a good word, but it doesn't quite have the "caring for a person" meaning that it does in Chinese.
See Also... Love | Benevolence | Altruism
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Carl
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Carla
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Carles
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Carlo
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Carlone
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Carlos
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Carlota
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Carmelo
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Carmen
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Caro
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Carol
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Carola
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Carolina
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Carolyn
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Carpe Diem / Seize the Day
bǎ wò jīn rì
This is the closest and most natural way to express this idea in Chinese.
The first two characters mean "to seize" but can also be translated as "take control of".
The last two characters mean "today".
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Carrie
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the masculine name Cary.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Casandra
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Casiano
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Casimiro
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Casio
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Caso
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Casper
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Cassandra
This is one version of the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Cassandre.
This is another transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Cassandre. This happens to be the French version. This is the Cassandre with pronunciation that ends abruptly without a "rah" sound at the end.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Cassidy
This is the most common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Cassie.
This is the second most common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Cassie.
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Cat / Pussycat
māo
neko
묘
This means cat or pussy. A common name for feline friends in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.
 There is a more complex alternate form of this cat character. If you want this form, please click on the character at the right, instead of the button above.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Catalina
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Catherina
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Catherine
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Cathy
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Catilina
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Catón
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Caycie.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Cayetano
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Cayman Islands
kāi màn qún dǎo
This is the Chinese name for the Cayman Islands (overseas territory of the United Kingdom and a great place to hide money).
See Also... North America | United Kingdom
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Cecile
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the English name Cecilia
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Cécilia
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Cecilio
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Cedric
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Ceferino
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Celdán
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Celeste
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Celestine
sāi lái sī tīng
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Celestine
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Celestino
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the English name Celia
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Célia
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Celina
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Celso
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Central African Republic
zhōng fēi gòng hé guó
This is the Chinese name for the country of the Central African Republic
See Also... Africa
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Cervantes
This is a common 2-character transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for name Cesar.
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This is a 3-character transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name César.
I like this version better than the 2-character version, as this one is very close to the real sound of the name Cesar (both English and Spanish pronunciation).
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Cesáreo
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Chad
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This is the Chinese name for the country of Chad.
See Also... Africa
Mark the boat to find the lost sword
Ignoring the changing circumstances of the world
kè zhōu qiú jiàn
kokushuukyuuken
각주구검
This is a warning to people that things are always in a state of change. Thus, you must take that into account, and not depend on the old ways, or a way that may have worked in the past but is no longer valid.
This idiom/proverb comes from the following story:
A man was traveling in a ferry boat across a river. With him, he carried a valuable and treasured sword. Along the way, the man became overwhelmed and intoxicated by the beautiful view, and accidentally dropped his prized sword into the river. Thinking quickly, he pulled out a knife, and marked on the rail of the boat where exactly he has lost his sword.
When the boat arrived on the other side of the river, the man jumped out of the boat and searched for his sword right under where he'd made the mark. Of course, the boat had moved a great distance since he made the mark, and thus he could not find the sword.
While this man may seem foolhardy, we have to take a great lesson from this parable: Circumstances change, so one should use methods that can handle the change. In modern China, this is used in business to mean that one should not depend on old business models for a changing market.
FYI: This idiom dates back to the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC).
This is the most popular transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Chantelle
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This is the most common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Charissa.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Charleen
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Charlene
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Charles
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Charley
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Charlie
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Charlize
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Charlotte
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Charly
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Chase
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Chaz.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Chelsea
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Chelsey
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Chema
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Cheryl
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Chicho
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Chico
This is how to write "child" in Chinese. There are several ways to write child or offspring in Chinese, but this is the best form for calligraphy, or written (versus oral) form.
If children are important to you, this might be the scroll you want. Or if you are a child at heart, this also works.
 In Japanese, they use a slightly-morphed version of the original Chinese first character. If you want the special Japanese version, please click on the Kanji image shown to the right, instead of the button above. Note: Japanese people would still be able to understand the Chinese version and vice versa.
See Also... Family
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This is the Chinese name for Chile
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Chloe.
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Choose Life
xuǎn zé shēng huó
This can mean to choose life instead of death (or suicide) or to choose to live life to the fullest.
I think of it as the key phrase used by Renton (Ewan McGregor) in the movie Trainspotting. While Chinese people will not think of Trainspotting when they see this phrase, for me, it will always be what comes near the end of this colorful rant:
Choose life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family. Choose a fucking big television, Choose washing machines, cars, compact disc players, and electrical tin can openers. Choose good health, low cholesterol and dental insurance. Choose fixed-interest mortgage repayments. Choose a starter home. Choose your friends. Choose leisure wear and matching luggage. Choose a three piece suite on hire purchase in a range of fucking fabrics. Choose DIY and wondering who the fuck you are on a Sunday morning. Choose sitting on that couch watching mind-numbing spirit-crushing game shows, stuffing fucking junk food into your mouth. Choose rotting away at the end of it all, pissing your last in a miserable home, nothing more than an embarrassment to the selfish, fucked-up brats you have spawned to replace yourself. Choose your future. Choose life.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Chris
Christian / Disciple of Christ
jī dū tú
kirisuto
This is a very strong and direct word in Chinese for "Christian".
The literal translation of the first two characters is "Christ". The last character means apprentice, follower, or disciple. Altogether these three characters mean "Christ's Disciple" or "Christ's Apprentice". This is a pretty cool title to hang on your wall if you are a devout Christian.
Also used by Japanese Christians (but may be unfamiliar to non-Christian Japanese people).
See Also... Jesus Christ | God Of Abraham
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Disciple of Christianity
jī dū jiào tú
kirisutokyouto
This is the most verbose (longest) word for "Christian" in the Chinese and Japanese languages.
The literal translation of the first two characters is Christ. Third Character means "Religion" or "Teaching". The last character means "apprentice" or "disciple".
Altogether these three characters mean "Christ's Teaching Disciple" or "Christ's Religion Apprentice".
Note: The last two characters are sometimes translated together as "follower (of a religion)", so you could also say it means "Follower of Christ".
This four-character title makes it very clear what you are talking about in Chinese.
See Also... Jesus Christ | God Of Abraham
Word of God / The Gospel
fú yīn
fukuin
복음
This is the Chinese, Korean and Japanese word for "Gospel" or "Word of God". This is a specifically Christian word in Asia (not used for any other religion).
The first character means "blessing", "good fortune" or "good luck". This first character is a special character used throughout China to bring good tidings and fortune - especially during Chinese New Years. The second character means "sound", "noise" or "news".
Together, these characters create a word that means "The Good News" or "The Sound of Good Fortune".
When read by a Chinese or Japanese person, this word is always perceived as "The Christian Gospel", "Word of God", or even "The Voice of God".
See Also... Christianity | Jesus Christ | God Of Abraham
Christianity / Christian
jī dū jiào
kirisutokyou
기독교
This is the Chinese, Japanese and Korean word for "Christianity". Just as in English, this word is often used to mean "Protestant" but includes Catholics in the true definition.
It is the word used to refer to the whole "Christian religion" or "Christian Faith" and therefore it can be translated as "Christianity". However, used as an adjective in regards to a person, it would translate as "Christian". But more like saying "His religion is Christianity" rather than a noun form.
If you break it apart, the characters mean Base/Foundation Leading/Supervising Religion/Teaching. It makes more sense in Japanese, Chinese, and Korean. The first two characters together are translated as "Christ". So you can also say this means "Christ's Religion" or "Christ's Teachings" when directly translated, or in reverse, "The Religion of Christ" or "The Teaching of Christ".
Notes: The last character has a slight difference in one stroke - however, in calligraphic form, this will not be apparent. This entry can easily be read by any Korean person who knows Hanja characters (Chinese characters used in Korean).
See Also... Jesus Christ | God Of Abraham
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Christy
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Chrystal
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Chrystalle
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Chucho
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Cicerón
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Cid
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Cierra
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Cindy
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Cintia
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Cipriano
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Cirilo
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Ciro
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Claire
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Clara
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Clare
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This is the transliteration of Mandarin Chinese for the name Clarisse.
This word means clarity or clear in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja. Looking at the parts of this character, you have three splashes of water on the left, "life" on the top right, and the moon on the lower right.
Because of something Confucius said about 2500 years ago, you can imagine that this character means "live life with clarity like bright moon light piercing pure water". The Confucian idea is something like "Keep clear what is pure in yourself, and let your pure nature show through". Kind of like saying, "Don't pollute your mind or body, so that they remain clear".
This might be stretching the definition of this single Chinese character, but the elements are there, and "clarity" is a powerful idea.
Korean note: Korean pronunciation is given above, but this character is written with a slight difference in the "moon radical" in Korean. However, anyone who can read Korean Hanja, will understand this character with no problem (this is considered an alternate form in Korean). If you want the more standard Korean Hanja form (which is an alternate form in Chinese), just let me know.
Japanese note: When read in Japanese, this Kanji has additional meanings of pure, purify, or cleanse (sometimes to remove demons or "exorcise"). Used more in compound words in Japanese than as a stand-alone Kanji.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Clary
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Claudia
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Claudina
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Claudine
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Claudio
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Claudy
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the German name Claus or Klaus.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Clayton.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Clea
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Clemencia
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Clemente
Clementine
kè lái mén dì nà
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Clementine
Cleopatra
kè lěi ào pà tè lā
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Cleopatra
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Clotario
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Clothilde
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Clotilde
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Cody
Do not shed a tear until you see the coffin
bú jiàn guān cái bú luò lèi
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right It should first be noted that this is one of the oddest selections for a wall scroll in our whole Asian calligraphy database. All of our translators are convinced that no Chinese person would ever hang this on their wall.
On to the phrase...
This is a suggestion that you should not cry or feel sad until you see the coffin (not until the worst has happened, or until you are sure it has happened).
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Colette
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Colin
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Colleen.
This is the Chinese name for the country of Colombia
See Also... South America
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Color
yán sè
kao iro / gan shoku
This is kind of a weird selection for a wall scroll, but we added it to our database at the request of a customer.
This word means "color" in Chinese. However, in Japanese, it would mean complexion, countenance, or expression. The last character is used alone in Japanese (and sometimes in Chinese with/as an adjective/modifier) to mean "color".
This is how to write community in Chinese. This can mean the neighborhood you live in. It can also be used in the same way we use the word community in English.
Examples: African-American community, Christian community, Asian community etc.
If you need a special calligraphy wall scroll to describe your community, just post your request on our Asian calligraphy forum, and we'll translate it and make it for you.
This is the Chinese name for the country of Comoros
See Also... Africa
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Mercy / Compassion / Love
cí
ji
자
This is the simplest way to express the idea of compassion. It can also mean love for your fellow humans, humanity, or living creatures. Sometimes this is extended to mean charity.
This term is often used with Buddhist or Christian context. The concept was also spoken of by Laozi (Lao Tze) in the Dao De Jing (Tao Te Ching).
This Chinese character is understood in Japanese, but is usually used in compound words (not seen alone). Also used in Korean Hanja, so it's very universal.
See Also... Mercy | Benevolence | Forgiveness | Kindness
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Concepción
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Concha
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Conchi
Black Eagle / Condor
jiù
washi
취
This is the way to write black eagle, or condor in Chinese. It means eagle (sometimes vulture) in Japanese Kanji. This character hasn't been in common use in Korean for hundreds of years, so it's hard to say what bird it represented in old Korean Hanja.
There are other multi-character words which express different specific species of birds of prey (bald eagle, osprey, golden eagle, etc).
If you need a more specific title, just post a special Asian calligraphy title request on our forum.
Confucius
kǒng zǐ
koushi
공자
This is how to write the name of the great sage, known in the west as Confucius. His real name is Kongzi (The name Confucius is a westernized version of his name - his family name is Kong, and "zi" was added as a title of distinction). He lived some 2500 years ago in Qufu, a town in modern day Shandong Province of Northern China (about 6 hours south of Beijing by bus). He was a consort to Emperors, and after his death, the impact of his philosophies still served to advise emperors, officials, and common people for generations. Also during these thousands of years, the Kong family remained powerful in China, and the Kong estate was much like the Vatican in Rome. The Kong estate existed as if on sovereign ground with its own small garrison of guards and privileges of a kingdom within an empire.
This was true up until the time the Kong family had to flee to Taiwan in 1949 when the Red Army took victory over the Nationalists during the Revolution. The home of Confucius was later razed and all statues defaced or stolen during the Cultural Revolution. Finally, after years of smearing his name and image, it is once again okay to celebrate the teachings of Confucius in mainland China.
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The Five Tenets of ConfuciusAlso known as the Five Cardinal Rules of Confucius
rén yì lǐ zhì xìn
인의예지신
These are the core of Confucius philosophy. Simply stated they are:
benevolence / charity
justice / rectitude
politeness / tact
wisdom / knowledge
fidelity / trust
Many of these concepts can be found in various religious teachings. Though it should be clearly understood that Confucianism is not a religion, but should instead be considered a moral code for a proper and civilized society.
See Also... Confucius Teachings | Ethics
Confucius: Golden Rule / Ethic of ReciprocityDo not do to others what
you do not want done to yourself
jǐ suǒ bú yù wù shī yú rén
기소불욕물시어인
Some may think of this as a "Christian trait" but actually it transcends many religions.
This Chinese teaching dates back to about 2,500 years ago in China. Confucius had always taught the belief in being benevolent (ren) but this idea was hard to grasp for some of his students, as benevolence could be kind-heartedness, or an essence of humanity itself.
When answering Zhong Gong's question as to what "ren" actually meant, Confucius said:
"When you go out, you should behave as if you were in the presence of a distinguished guest, when people do favors for you, act as if a great sacrifice was made for you. Whatever you wouldn't like done to you, do not do that thing to others. Don't complain at work or at home."
Hearing this, Zhong Gong said humbly, "Although I am not clever, I will do what you say."
From this encounter, the Chinese version of the "Golden Rule" or "Ethic of Reciprocity" came to be.
The characters you see above express, "Do not do to others whatever you do not want done to yourself."
See Also... Confucius Teachings | Benevolence
The Ease of the ScholarQoute from Confucius
mò ér zhì zhī xué ér bù yàn huǐ rén bù juàn hé yòu yú wǒ zāi
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This quote from the Analects of Confucius translates as:
To quietly recite and memorize the classics,
to love learning without tiring of it,
never be bored with teaching,
How could these be difficult for me?
This is a suggestion that for a true scholar, all of these things come with ease.
This was written over 2500 years ago. The composition is in ancient Chinese grammar and phrasing. A modern Chinese person would need a background in Chinese literature to understand this without aid of a reference.
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Confucius: Universal Education
zì xíng shù xiū yǐ shàng wú wèi cháng wú huì yān
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This quote from the Analects of Confucius translates as:
For anyone who brings even the smallest token of appreciation, I have yet to refuse instruction.
Another way to put it is: If a student (or potential student) shows just an ounce of interest, desire, or appreciation for the opportunity to learn, a teacher should offer a pound of knowledge.
This was written over 2500 years ago. The composition is in ancient Chinese grammar and phrasing. A modern Chinese person would need a background in Chinese literature to understand this without aid of a reference.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Conner
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Connor
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Conny
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Conrad
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Conrado
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Constance
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Constancia
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Constancio
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Constantin
kāng sī tǎn dīng
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Constantin
Constantinomasculine name
kāng sī tǎn dīng nuò
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Constantino
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Constanza
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Consuelo
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Coral
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Coralia
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This is the most common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Coraline.
This is the second most common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Coraline.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Corentin
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Corey
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Corina
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Corinna
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Corinthians 13:4All you need to know about LOVE
ài shì héng jiǔ rěn nài yòu yǒu én cí ài shì bú jì dù ài shì bú zì kuā bù zhāng kuáng
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This is First Corinthians 13:4 written in Chinese.
In English, this reads:
1st Corinthians 13:4 (KJV) Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up...
1st Corinthians 13:4 (NIV) Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
1st Corinthians 13:4 (Basic English) Love is never tired of waiting; love is kind; love has no envy; love has no high opinion of itself, love has no pride.
The Chinese translation follows the love meaning, rather than the King James use of "charity". I was a little confused when writing this description with the significant differences between the NIV vs. KJV translations. After speaking to a Greek scholar about this, it would seem that the KJV has an almost errant translation with the use of "charity" in place of "love".
We used the most popular Christian Chinese Bible, which is the Chinese Union Version (CUV). The CUV was first published in 1919. We use this so that the Chinese translation would be as accurate and standard as possible. Any Chinese Christian worth their salt will easily be able to identify this verse when they see these characters.
If you want a big "love" character written above the verse on your artwork, just make a note in the "special instructions" tab when you are customizing your artwork. There is no extra charge for that service on this special verse.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Cornelio
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Cory
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Cosme
Costa Rica
gē sī dá lí jiā
This is the Chinese name for the country of Costa Rica
See Also... North America
Courage to do what is right
jiàn yì yǒng wéi
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Bravery / CourageCourageous Energy
yǒng qì
yuuki
용기
There are several ways to express bravery and courage in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. This version is the most spiritual. This is the essence of bravery from deep within your being. This is the mental state of being brave versus actual brave behavior. You'd more likely use this to say, "He is very courageous", rather than "He fought courageously in the battle".
The first character also means bravery or courage when it's seen alone. With the second character added, an element of energy or spirit is added. The second character is the same "chi" or "qi" energy that Kung Fu masters focus when they strike. For this reason, you could say this means "spirit of courage" or "brave spirit".
This is certainly a stronger word than just the first character alone.
Beyond bravery or courage, dictionaries also translate this word as valour, valor, nerve, audacity, daring, pluck, plucky, gallantry, guts, gutsy and boldness.
While the version shown to the left is commonly used in Chinese and Korean Hanja (and ancient Japanese Kanji), please note that the second character is written with slightly fewer strokes in modern Japanese. If you want the modern Japanese version, please click on the character to the right. Both styles would be understood by native Chinese, Japanese, and many (but not all) Korean people. You should choose character based on the intended audience for your calligraphy artwork. Or pick the single-character form of bravery/courage which is universal.
See Also... Warrior
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Courtney
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Covadonga
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Craig
Crane (construction)
qǐ zhòng jī
kijuuki
기중기
A customer requested this specifically after a bit of confusion over the bird by the same name. This refers to the huge machine that lifts materials high into the air as crews construct huge buildings.
In an odd twist, where they don't know this name in English sounds like a bird, the building crane is jokingly called "The real national bird of China" because of the current level of construction in Beijing and elsewhere in preparation for the 2008 Olympics.
If you want the type of crane that drives down the road, please note that the word is totally different for the "vehicle crane". post your request on our Asian calligraphy forum if you need that title for some reason.
This is the nicest/coolest way to write "crazy" in Chinese. There are several other ways to express "insane" or "mentally disturbed", but they are either clinical terms, or very serious afflictions.
This is not a great or normal selection for a wall scroll. Please only order this if you really want this idea for some personal reason.
To put it another way: It's a little crazy to have a "crazy" wall scroll.
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Crazy / MadSingle Character
kuáng
kyou
광
This is a single character that means "crazy" in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja. This means crazy, unrestrained, lunatic, insane, confused, or mad. In some context, it can mean conceited (it probably won't be read that way on a wall scroll).
A warning: This is an odd selection for a wall scroll. You should only order this if you plan to bewilder or confuse those who see it. It kind of says something about you, something that most native Asian people will not view in a good light.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Cris.
Crisis equals Danger plus Opportunity?
wēi jī
kiki
위기
Separately, the first character here does mean "danger" or "to endanger" and the second character can mean "opportunity".
However, I want to debunk a myth that was propagated by some westerners who did not have a clear understanding of Asian languages...
While often, Chinese/Japanese/Korean compound words (words of two or more characters) are the sum of their parts, this is not always the case. The compound is often understood with a completely different meaning than the two characters individually.
Many have said that the Chinese/Japanese/Korean word for Crisis is made up of the characters for "danger" and "opportunity". This is true when phrased this way.
However, it's not absolutely correct to say that "danger + opportunity = crisis" in Asian cultures.
English example:
If I tell you that...
Bovine creature + Guy behind the plate in baseball = Locomotive protection
...you would think I was mad. But consider that "cow + catcher = cowcatcher", which is the device that used to be found on steam engines to protect them if they hit an animal on the tracks. When we hear the word "cowcatcher" we don't separate the words into their individual meanings (necessarily).
The same is true with the word for crisis in Chinese/Japanese/Korean. While you can separate the characters, few Asian people would automatically do so in their minds.
The final answer:
It is a half-truth to say, "danger plus opportunity equals crisis" in Chinese/Japanese/Korean. Use this statement and concept with caution.
Also, the second character can mean "secret" or "machine" depending on context so I guess you have to say "a dangerous machine = crisis" or "danger + a secret = crisis". Both of these are only slightly more ridiculous than the first premise.
PS: This is probably not a great word for a scroll, unless you have a special use for it.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Crispín
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Cristhian
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Cristi
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Cristian
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Cristiano
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Cristie
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Cristina
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Cristino
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Cristo
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Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Cristóbal
This is the Chinese name for the country of Croatia
See Also... Europe
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Cruz
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This is a common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the names Crystal or Krystal.
Consider also going with the meaning of crystal. The characters shown to the left sound like crystal in Mandarin, but do not mean crystal (of course, the word for crystal in Chinese does not sound at all like the English word crystal).
This is the Chinese name for the country of Cuba
See Also... North America
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Cueva
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Curtis
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Cynthia
This is the Chinese name for the country of Cyprus
See Also... Asia
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Cyril
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Daisy
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Dakota
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Dalila
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Dallas
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Damaso
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Damian
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Damien
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Damon
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Dan
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the female / feminine name Dana.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the male / masculine name Dana.
This is the simplest way to write dance in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja. It can also be translated as to dance, to wield, to brandish or to circle. It's meaning of dance is more clearly defined in Chinese than it is in Japanese (see our two-character word for dancing if you want to be absolutely clear in both languages).
Dance / Dancing
wǔ dǎo
butou
무도
This is the clearest way to express the art of dancing in Chinese, Japanese and Korean. If you are a dancer, or love the art of dance, this is the calligraphy selection for you.
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Dance (Japanese only)
buyou
무용
This is the most proper term for dance or dancing in Japanese.
The first Kanji means "dance", and the second means to jump or leap. Together, they are just a strong way to say "dance" (the second Kanji just clarifies the first - nobody will translate this as "dance jumping").
This means danger, peril or "to endanger". If you live a dangerous life, or want to subtly warn others that you are a dangerous person, this may be the selection for you.
This also means "danger" and sometimes "fear" in Japanese and Korean, but is seldom seen outside of compound words in those languages (as a single character, it's kind of like an abbreviation for danger in Japanese and Korean). This is also a rather odd selection for a wall scroll anyway. It's only here because people search for danger on our website.
This is the most popular transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Daniel.
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This is another common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Daniel. This version drops off the third character, so it sounds a bit more like Danny than Daniel. I think our main version of Daniel is better, but this is a popular transliteration according to our research on Chinese Google.
This is an alternate transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Daniel.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Daniela
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Danielle
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Danilo
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Danny
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Dante
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Dany
Daodejing / Tao Te Ching Chapter 81
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This is the Mawangdui version of Daodejing chapter 81.
It can be translated this way:
Credible words are not eloquent;
Eloquent words are not credible.
The wise are not erudite;
The erudite are not wise.
The adept are not all-around;
The all-around are not adept.
The sages do not accumulate things.
Yet the more they have done for others,
The more they have gained themselves;
The more they have given to others,
The more they have gotten themselves.
Thus, the way of tian is to benefit without harming;
The way of sages is to do without contending.
Another translation:
Sincere words are not showy;
showy words are not sincere.
Those who know are not "widely learned";
those "widely learned" do not know.
The good do not have a lot;
Those with a lot are not good.
The Sage accumulates nothing.
Having used what he had for others,
he has even more.
Having given what he had to others,
what he has is even greater.
Therefore, the Way of Heaven is to benefit and not cause any harm,
The Way of Man is to act on behalf of others and not to compete with them.
And a third translation:
True words aren't charming,
charming words aren't true.
Good people aren't contentious,
contentious people aren't good.
People who know aren't learned,
learned people don't know.
Wise souls don't hoard;
the more they do for others the more they have,
the more they give the richer they are.
The Way of heaven provides without destroying.
Doing without outdoing
is the Way of the wise.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Daphne
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Darcie
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Darian
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Darío
This is the two-character Chinese word for darkness.
The first character alone means black or dark.
The second character has several possible meanings, depending on context; They include: to shut the door, unilluminated, dark, gloomy, hidden, secret.
Together, these two characters will, in most cases, simply be translated as "dark" or "darkness".
Darkness (Japanese)
ankoku
암흑
This is the two-character Japanese word for darkness.
The first Kanji alone means dark, gloomy, or disorder.
The second Kanji simply means black in Japanese.
Together, these two Kanji will almost always be translated as "dark" or "darkness".
A slight variation of these characters is used in old Korean, with the meaning of blackness or darkness (Korean pronunciation included above, but let us know if you want the slight alternate stroke second Hanja as used in old Korea).
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Darlene.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Darrah
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Darrel
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Darrell
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Darren
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Darryl
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Daryl
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Dashnor.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Dave
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Davian
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name David
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Davin
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Davina
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Davis
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Davy
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Dawn
This is how to write "day" in Chinese, Japanese and Korean Hanja. This can also mean "Sun", the star in the middle of the Solar system in which we live. In Japanese, it can also mean "sunshine" or even "Sunday".
When writing the date in modern Chinese and Japanese, putting a number in front of this character indicates the day of the month. Of course, you need to indicate the month too... The month is expressed with a number followed by the character for moon. So "three moons ten suns" would be "March 10th" or "3/10".
Note: This is also the first character for the proper name of Japan. Remember that Japan is "The land of the rising sun"? Well the first character for Japan means "sun" the second means "origin" so you get the real meaning now. Sometimes, in China, this sun character can be a short name for Japan or a suffix for something of or from Japan.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Daylon
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Dazzle
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Deadra
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Dean
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the English name Deanna.
Not Long for this World
fēng zhú cán nián
This phrase means "Old and ailing with little time left" or "Not long for this world".
There is a real suggestion here that someone will die soon.
This was added by special request of a customer, and is perhaps, not the most positive phrase that you could put on a wall scroll.
This would be the most offensive possible gift to give to an older person - please do not do that!
Death Before SurrenderRather die than compromise
níng sǐ bù qū
This is often translated as "Death Before Dishonor". The more literal translation is more like, "Better to die than compromise". The last two characters mean "not to bend" or "not to bow down". Some might even say that it means "not to surrender". Thus, you could say this phrase means, "Better to die than live on my knees" or simply "no surrender" (with the real idea being that you would rather die than surrender).
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Death Before DishonorA soldier can die or kill, but never dishonor or disgrace himself
shì kě shā bù kě rǔ
This almost directly matches the military idea of "Death Before Dishonor", while also being an ancient Chinese phrase.
The direct meaning is, "[A] soldier/warrior can die/kill [but he/she] cannot [allow] dishonor/disgrace [upon himself/herself]". Chinese grammar, and especially ancient grammar is a little different than English. Not nearly as many articles are needed, and a lot is implied.
There are a lot of ways to express ideas similar to "Death Before Dishonor" in Chinese, and I would rate this one in the top two.
This is the original form of this phrase with the character for "soldier/warrior" at the beginning. Most of the time, this character is dropped, and this becomes a five-character phrase (the soldier/warrior part is implied, even without the character being present in the phrase). We also offer the shorter version.
Death with DignityJapanese
son gen shi
This was added at the request of a customer. This is not a good choice for a wall scroll unless you have a very specific and personal reason.
This means "death with dignity" or "natural death" (as opposed to extending one's life unnaturally with life support).
Death Before Surrender
nìng sǐ bù xiáng
This ancient Chinese idiom can be translated as "Rather to die than surrender", "Prefer death over surrender", "To prefer death to surrender", or simply "No surrender".
This is probably the closest phrase to the English phrase "Better to die on your feet than live on your knees".
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Honorable Death - No Surrender
This ancient Japanese idiom can be translated as "The principle of honorable death and no surrender", or simply "No surrender". If you directly translate this, you get something that means "Doctrine of suicide", or "Ideology of honorable death".
This is a specifically-Japanese phrase that embraces the long history of honorable suicide or self-sacrifice for honor in Japanese culture.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Debora
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Deborah
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Debra
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Decio
DedicationDedicated to One Thing
zhuān yòng
전용
This is the kind of dedication you might have to your job, or a person.
Trivia: It is the same word used as an adjective in front of the word for "network" to say "dedicated network" in Chinese.
Please note: While this is a word in Korean, the meaning is private or "exclusive use". So this is best if your audience is Chinese.
See Also... Devotion | Passion | Tenacious | Commitment
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Dedication (Japanese)
sennen
수념
This is the Japanese word for dedication. It means "give undivided attention" or "devote oneself to (something)".
Note: This can be pronounced in Korean, but it's not a commonly-used term.
See Also... Devotion | Passion | Tenacious | Commitment
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the French name Degas.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Deirdre
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Delfino
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the feminine name Delyse.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Demetrio
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Demian
This is a common way to say demon, fiend, evil spirit, devil, or Satan in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.
This is a strange choice for a wall scroll, so consider this entry for reference only.
Frightful Demon / Asura
ē xiū luó
ashura
아수라
This demon title comes from the ancient Sanskrit word Asura. This is often used in Buddhism when describing various demons. Sometime defined as "Fighting and battling giant demon".
In the context of Buddhism: This title originally meant a spirit, spirits, or even the gods (perhaps before 1700 years ago). It now generally indicates titanic demons, enemies of the gods, with whom, especially Indra, they wage constant war. They are defined as "not devas", and "ugly", and "without wine". There are four classes of asuras, separated according to their manner of rebirth. They can be egg-born, womb-born, transformation-born, and spawn- or water-born. Their abode is in the ocean, north of Sumeru, but certain of the weaker dwell in a western mountain cave. They have realms, rulers, and palaces, as have the devas.
In terms of power, Asuras rank above humans but below most of the other deities. They live in the area near the coastal foot of Mount Sumeru (on the northern side). Their domain is partially or wholly in the ocean.
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Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Demóstenes
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Denise
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Dennis
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Deonna.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Derek
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Desiderio
This Chinese word can mean desirous, wishful, or simply desire.
The first character means to thirst for something, or to be thirsty. The second character means to hope for, to expect, to gaze (into the distance) or to look for something. The combined meaning of these two characters changes a bit, but I think it's nice to know the individual meanings to give you a better understanding of where a word comes from.
Korean definitions of this word include craving, longing and thirst for knowledge.
Desire / Craving
yù wàng
yokubou
욕망
The first character of this word means desire, longing, hunger, covetousness, greed, passion, desire, craving, or wish. The second character means to hope for, ambition, to desire, to aspire, to expect, to gaze (into the distance) or to look for something.
Together, they create a word that means strong desire, while some might translate it as "lust".
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Desire
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Desiree
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Destiny
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Destiny / Fate
mìng yùn
un mei
운명
These two characters contain the ideas of "fate", "destiny", "fortune" and "luck". This is often defined as "a person's fate" in various dictionaries.
These two characters can be put in either order with the same meaning in Chinese and Japanese. The character order shown here is more the more natural order for Japanese Kanji and old Korean Hanja.
See Also... Good Fortune | Good Luck
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Devin
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Devis
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Devota
Devotion / Dedication
Attentive / Focused
zhuān xīn
sen shin
전심
This means "paying attention".
The first character means "for a particular person, occasion, or purpose", "focused on one thing", "concentrated" and sometimes, "special".
The second character means "heart" by itself.
Together, these two characters make a word that means, "paying attention with your heart". It's often translated as, "dedication", as in "be absorbed in" or "concentrate one's efforts". It's also used to mean, "concentration (-ed)" and "engrossed", "devotionally (listening/watching)", "attentive".
My favorite translation, which comes from the Oxford Advanced Chinese/English Dictionary is, "wholehearted devotion".
If it seems like the meaning of this word is quite open, you are correct. The context in which the word is used matters a lot. It can mean different things depending on how you use it. This makes it kind of nice as you can decide what this means to you (within some limits). This word is always positive in meaning, so even if a Chinese person reads it differently than you, it will still have a good meaning.
 In Japanese, they tend to use a variation of the second character which has one less stroke. If you want your calligraphy written this Japanese form, please click on the Kanji shown to the right instead of the button above. Note: Japanese and Chinese people will recognize either form.
See Also... Faith | Devotion
Devotion to your Profession / CareerChinese Korean
cóng shì
jyuu ji
종사
This word is often used to describe the devotion someone has to their profession - However, it can just mean career, depending on context. We don't highly-recommend this selection for a wall scroll.
In more simple terms, this word also means undertake / to deal with / to handle / to do. It does not have to refer to a career issue, as it could be used to encourage someone that is beginning their university studies etc.
This kind of makes sense in Japanese, however, there is a slight deviation in the way they write the first Kanji in Japanese.
 Please note that Japanese use an alternate version of the first character. Click on the character to the right if you want the Japanese version of this two-character Devotion-to-your-Profession calligraphy.
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Dharma / The Law
fǎ
hou
법
This is the simple way to write "law" or in Buddhist context "Dharma".
This can also mean method, way or Buddhist teaching. It's also an abbreviation for the country of France.
The Buddhist context exists in Chinese and Korean Hanja, but I have not yet confirmed that this means more than "law" when used alone in Japanese.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Diamond.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the English name Diana
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Diana
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Diane
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Diego
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Diehl.
Dignity / Honor / Sanctity / Integrity
zūn yán
son gen
존엄
This form of honor is showing great respect for yourself, other people, and the rules you live by.
When you are honorable, you keep your word. You do the right thing regardless of what others are doing.
This is the kind of personal honor or dignity that is of great value. If you lose this, you have lost yourself and perhaps the reputation of your family as well.
While this is not directly the same thing as "face" or "saving face" in Asian culture, it is associated with the same concept in China.
 In Japan, they currently use a more simplified second character for this word. The ancient Japanese form is the same as China, but after WWII some Kanji were changed. If you want the modern Japanese version, just click on the Kanji image shown to the right, instead of the button above.
Diligence
qín miǎn
kinben
근면
Diligence is working hard and doing your absolute best. You take special care by doing things step by step. Diligence helps you to get things done with excellence and enthusiasm. Diligence leads to success.
These characters can also be translated as industry, industrious, assiduity, assiduous, diligent, or sedulity.
See Also... Hard Work | Tenacity | Commitment | Passion For A Cause
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Dimitri
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Dina
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Dinah
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Dinio
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Díogenes
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Díomedes
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Dionisia
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Dionisio
Discipline: There are a few different ways to define this word in English. This Asian word conveys the idea of extreme self-control and perhaps self-sacrifice, and obedience. This matches what I was taught as the meaning of "discipline" when I was in the Marine Corps. There is also an additional idea of maintaining order or being orderly in your tasks.
This idea would also fit an athlete training for the Olympics who gives up many pleasures to stay focused on their training.
See Also... Self-Control | Will-Power
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Discipline
guī
kiritsu
규율
This Japanese word for discipline relays the ideas of keeping order, observance (of rules, laws, regulations).
This is also a word in Chinese and old Korean Hanja where it suggests that you are one who follows a certain law of behavior, or have a regular and dependable pattern of behavior, personal regime or rhythm.
See Also... Self-Control | Will-Power
Discipline (Japanese)
duàn liàn
tanren
단련
This is the Japanese Kanji and Korean Hanja word that is used for discipline. This has a meaning like "forging or creating something from lots of training and practice". My Japanese dictionary translates this as, "tempering, forging, hardening, disciplining, training". This is for Japanese and Korean only. In Chinese, these characters might be translated as (physical) "exercise". The modern form of the second Japanese Kanji looks like the first image to the right. The one below it is an alternate form. Because calligraphy is an art, the calligrapher could choose any of these possible forms. Let us know if you have a preference. Note that the form shown in the upper left is really the old/ancient/traditional Japanese/Chinese.
See Also... Self-Control | Will-Power
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Disney.
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Divine Protection (Japanese Only)
jiā hù
ka go
This is Japanese for "divine protection" or "the saving grace of God".
Please consider this blessing to be Japanese only. This can have the same meaning in the context of Buddhism in Chinese, but it's also a nickname for "intensive care" at Chinese hospitals.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Dixie
This is the Chinese name for the country of Djibouti
See Also... Africa
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Dojo / Martial Arts Studio
dào cháng
dou jou
도장
This is the Japanese term for a room or hall in which martial arts are taught. This word is often spelled "dojo" which has become a word in the English lexicon. However, the true Romaji is "doujou" or "dōjō".
Please note: The Chinese definition of these characters is quite different. In Chinese, this is a place where Buddhist or Taoist mass is held. It could also be the place where spiritual or psychic events are performed.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Doll
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Dolo
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Dolores
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Domiciano
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Domingo
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This is the Chinese name for the country of Dominica
See Also... North America
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Dominica
Dominican Republic
duō mǐ ní jiā gòng hé guó
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This is the Chinese name for the Dominican Republic
See Also... North America
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Don
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Donald
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Donato
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Donna
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Donny
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Donovan
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Dora
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Doreen
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Dorena.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Dori
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Dorian
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Doris
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Dorotea
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Dorothy
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Douglas
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Dragon Snake Tiger
Leopard Crane
lóng shé hǔ bào hè
ryuu hebi tora hyou tsuru
룡사호표학
This is a list of the Chinese characters for the five animals of Shaolin Kung Fu in a comfortable order (meaning that they are in the proper order and will simply "feel right" to a Chinese person who views this arrangement).
Drain the pond to get all the fishKill the goose that lays the golden eggs
jié zé ér yú
In 632 BC, Duke Wen of the Kingdom of Jin was about to lead an army against the forces of the Kingdom of Chu.
The Duke asked one of his advisers, Jiu Fan, how they could possibly win the impending battle, as they were drastically outnumbered.
Jiu Fan said, "All is fair in war", and went on to suggest a plan of dishonorable tactics (cheating).
The Duke was not sure of this advice, so he asked another adviser, Yong Ji, who replied, "If you catch fish by draining the pond, you can certainly get all the fish. But there will be no fish the following year. You can cheat this one time in battle, but such tactics can only be used once, as the enemy will be wise in future encounters".
The Duke heard the words of his wiser adviser, but cheated to gain victory in the battle. However, he rewarded Yong Ji more than Jiu Fan at the victory celebration, stating that while Jiu Fan's advice gained one victory, the wise words of Yong Ji would last forever.
This Chinese idiom/proverb is still used, over 2600 years later to remind people not to burn bridges, cheat, or dishonor oneself in exchange for a short term gain, while sacrificing the future.
This is very similar to the meaning of the English phrase, "Kill the goose that lays the golden eggs".
Dream / Dreams
mèng
yume
몽
This is the very simple word for dreams in Chinese and Japanese. It can also mean having a vision or simply an illusion.
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Drink Up! / Cheers!
gān bēi
kan pai
건배
This is the common way to say "cheers" or give a toast in Chinese, Japanese and old Korean (written the same in all three languages, though pronounced differently). This is an appropriate wall scroll for a bar, pub, or other drinking area.
The first character literally means "dry" or "parched".
The second character means "cup" or "glass".
Together the meaning is to drink up (empty your glass).
This is the short title for Drunken Monkey (often used as a title for a style of martial arts or kung fu which mimics the movements of a drunk monkey). This martial arts style was inspired by the novel, "Journey to the West".
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Drunken Monkey Kung Fu
zuì hóu gōng fu
This is the title for Drunken Monkey Kung Fu (Gong Fu). The martial arts style inspired by the novel, "Journey to the West".
Drunken Fist(A legitimate style of Kung Fu)
zuì quán
suiken
취권
Drunken Fist is a traditional Chinese martial art / technique of Kung Fu.
It is a northern style of martial art that imitates a drunk person in its movements. Many staggering movements serve to deceive the opponent and keep them off-balance.
Some consider Drunken Fist to be among the harder styles of martial arts due to the need for powerful joints and fingers.
See Also... Drunken Monkey
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Duncan
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Dustin
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Dusty
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Dylan
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Eagle / Falcon / Hawk
yīng
taka
응
This is the way to write eagle, falcon, or hawk in Chinese. It means hawk or falcon in Japanese Kanji, and simply "eagle" in old Korean Hanja. Though we have different words for them in English, eagles, falcons, and hawks are all seen as the same general type of bird in Asian languages.
There are other multi-character words (most of them contain this character) which express different specific species of birds of prey (bald eagle, osprey, golden eagle, etc). If you need a more specific title, just post a special Asian calligraphy title request on our forum.
This is the name of the earth (our planet) in Chinese, old Korean Hanja and Japanese Kanji.
If you love the earth, or want to be reminded of where your home is in the solar system, this is the wall scroll for you.
This is the Chinese name for the country of East Timor (the common name for Timor-Leste).
See Also... Asia
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Eastern Europe
dōng ōu
tou ou
동구
This is the Chinese, old Korean Hanja, and traditional Japanese name for Eastern Europe.
 Please note that Japanese use an alternate/simplified version of the character for Europe - it also happens to be the same simplification used in mainland China. Click on the character to the right if you want the Japanese/Simplified version of this two-character Eastern Europe calligraphy.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Eastlund
Eat Drink And Be MerryMore literally: Eat, drink, play, be merry, enjoy everything as long as you can
chī hē wán lè jí shí xíng lè
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This is just about the closest phrase to match the western idea of "Eat, drink, and be merry".
This Chinese phrase more literally means, "Eat, drink, play, be merry, enjoy everything as long as you can".
It's basically a suggestion that you try to enjoy everything in life, as long as you live, or as long as you are able.
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This is the Chinese name for the country of Ecuador
See Also... South America
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Eddie
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Eddy
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Edgar
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Edgardo
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Edilberto
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Edison
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Edmond
This is the most popular transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Edmund
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Edmundo
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Edna
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Eduardo
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Edurne
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Edward
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the English name Edwin.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Edwin
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Efrain
This is the Chinese name for the country of Egypt.
Note: Egypt rests partially in Asia and Africa.
See Also... Africa | Asia
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This is the most common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Eileen
This is an alternate transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Eileen.
This version uses "love" as the first character.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Eilidh
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This is the Chinese name for the country of El Salvador
See Also... North America
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Eladio
This is the most common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Elaine.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Electra
Electricity / Lightning
diàn
den
전
This is the title for electricity in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.
While this character means electric or electricity, it can also be used to mean lightning in Japanese and Korean.
See Also... Thunder | Power | Energy | Rain
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Elena
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Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Eleuterio
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Eli
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Eliana
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Elias
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Elicia
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Elida
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Elie
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Elijah
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Elina
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Elio
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Eliona
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Eliott
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Elisa
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Elisabeth
Elisabetta
yī lì shā bèi tǎ
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Elisabetta
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Elise
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Elisenda
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Eliseo
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Elisha
This is a less-common transliteration for this name. Same pronunciation, just a different second character. Neither way is wrong.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Elissa
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Elizabeth
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Ella
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Ellen
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Ellie
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Elliot
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Elliott
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Elóisa
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Eloise
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Elora
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Eloy
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Elsa
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Elton
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Elvin
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Elvira
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Elvis
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Emelinda
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Emer
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Emerick
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Emeterio
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Emi
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Emilia
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Emiliano
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Emilie
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Emilio
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Emilse
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Emily
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Emma
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Emmanuel.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Emmett.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Emmie
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Emperor
huáng dì
koutei
황제
From times of old, the emperors of Asia ruled under the authority of God himself. In fact, one definition of an emperor is a ruler put in power by God. This definition separates emperors from the various kings in Chinese history (although defining who is a king versus an emperor gets vague sometimes).
Occasionally, the emperor's wife was widowed, and she took the role of empress until her death (see our entry for empress if that is what you are looking for).
See Also... Empress | King | Queen
Empress
huáng hòu
kou gou
황후
This is the title of empress or emperess, the female form of emperor. This is used in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.
While the emperor's reign was for life, if he died, his wife would hold his power. In this case, a woman was the ultimate ruler of the greater part of East Asia (what is now China) until her death and the succession of the emperor's first born son to lead the empire. Numerous times in various Chinese dynasties, an empress took power in this way.
The first character means emperor by itself.
The second character alone can mean "wife of an emperor or king" (the first character clarifies that we are talking about an empress, and not a queen). It can also mean sovereign or last offspring, depending on context.
Note: In some books, this word is translated as queen. While only incorrect if you get technical (because an empress is theoretically a higher level than a queen), the meaning is very similar.
This is sometimes used for the title of queen, but more technically, this is the wife of the emperor (a higher level than a queen).
See Also... Emperor | King | Queen | Phoenix
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Endika
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Eneritz
EnglandCan mean: Courage / Bravery
yīng
ei
영
In Chinese, Japanese, and old Korean, this can often be confused or read as a short name for England (this character is the first syllable of the word for England, the English language, British Pound and other titles from the British Isles).
In some context, this can mean "outstanding" or even "flower". But it will most often read as having something to do with the United Kingdom.
This is not the most common way to say courage or bravery, but you may see it used sometimes.
I strongly recommend that you choose another form of courage/bravery.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Engracia
Enlisted Sailor
shuǐ bīng
suihei
수병
These are the Chinese and Japanese characters for "Sailor". Specifically this refers to an enlisted sailor.
These two characters literally mean "water soldier".
See Also... Military
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Enrico
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Enrique
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Enriqueta
Enso - Japanese Zen Circle
en sou
This is Enso, which is really NOT a regular Japanese Kanji character. It falls more into the category of a symbol. In this case, it can be considered a religious symbol, as it is strongly-associated with Japanese Zen Buddhism.
Some call this "The Circle of Enlightenment". Others call it the "Infinity Circle". If you actually took the meanings of the two Kanji that make up the word "Enso", you could read it as "Mutual Circle" or "Circle of Togetherness". I think the Enso symbol can simply mean different things to different people. Therefore, you should let it have the meaning that you perceive.
Please note when you start making your customizations for an Enso wall scroll, you will see some possible ways it might be written, listed under the different calligraphy styles that we normally offer. However, Enso does not really conform to normal Asian calligraphy styles. Therefore, do not expect that you can make a style selection and expect the actual result to be identical. The appearance of your Enso will be determined by the artist's personal style, feeling, mood, etc. You cannot control or constrain that, to do so, would remove the art from the symbol.
Note: Our calligraphy selection process does not take this into account, as it was designed for Chinese characters and Japanese Kanji selection.
Please ignore the part where you are invited to pick a calligraphy style in the following pages.
Both our Japanese and Chinese master calligraphers are Buddhist (not as devout as monks, but Buddhist none the less). Therefore you can be assured that your Enso symbol will be written with the utmost effort and feeling.
By the way, when "Enso" is written in Kanji, it looks like this:  
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This is the same as the translation of "Passion for a cause" in Chinese. Enthusiasm is being cheerful, happy, and full of spirit. It is doing something wholeheartedly and eagerly. When you are enthusiastic, you have a positive attitude.
In some context, this could have a meaning of being extremely fond of something, or having fondness for a cause or person.
This Chinese word can also be translated as "sincere and warm" or literally "warm sentiment / affection".
See Also... Motivation | Passion | Commitment | Tenacity | Happiness
Enthusiasm (Japanese Only)
jou netsu
정열
This is the Japanese word that means enthusiasm, or "passion for a cause".
In some context, this could have a meaning of being extremely fond of something, or having fondness for a cause or person.
Can also be translated as passion, zeal, ardour, or fervor.
See Also... Motivation | Passion | Commitment | Tenacity | Happiness
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Enzo
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Erasmo
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Erendira
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Eric
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Erica
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Erick
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Erika
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This is the most common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Erin.
This is an alternate transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Erin.
This version uses "love" as the first character. This is not really the standard, but popular, as the resulting meaning is "Love Gem"
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Ernesto
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Ernie
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Erwan
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Erwann
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Erwin
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Eryn
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Esmeralda
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Esperanza
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Estanislao
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Esteban
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Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Estefanía
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Estefano
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Estela
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Estelle
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Esteve
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Esther
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Estibaliz
This is the Chinese name for the country of Estonia
See Also... Europe
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Estrella
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Eternal Love
yǒng héng de ài
The first two characters mean eternal, eternally, everlasting, and/or perpetual.
The third character is a possessive article which sort of makes this selection mean "Love of the eternal kind".
The last character is "love".
This version is best if your audience is Chinese. We also have a Japanese version of this entry.
See Also... Forever Love | Eternal Love (japanese)
Eternal Love (Japanese)
ei en no ai
The first two characters mean eternal, eternity, perpetuity, forever, immortality, and permanence.
The third character is a possessive article which sort of makes this selection mean "Love, of the eternal kind".
The last character is "love".
Cultural note: Most of the time, it is taboo to use the word "love" in Japanese. For instance, a Japanese man will say, "I like you", rather than, "I love you", to his spouse/girlfriend. However, this entry for eternal love is acceptable because of the way it is composed.
This entry is only appropriate if your audience is Japanese. We also have a Chinese version of this phrase.
Learning is Eternal
xué wú zhǐ jìng
학무지경
This Chinese philosophy tells of how we continue to learn throughout our lives. It can be translated in a few ways such as "Study has no end", "Knowledge is infinite", "No end to learning", "There's always something new to study", or "You live and learn".
The deeper meaning: Even when we finish school we are still students of the world gaining more knowledge from our surroundings with each passing day.
See Also... An Open Book Benefits Your Mind | Wisdom | Learn From Wisdom
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Eternal Life / Future Life
lái shì
rai-se
내세
This word can be used in many different ways. It is often used to express the next life (life in heaven or wherever your soul is bound for). So it does have a religious overtone. However, it can also be used to express your life in the future - perhaps during your present lifetime. It can also be translated as "the next world", "the next generation", "the time that is to come", "otherworld", or simply "posterity".
See Also... Eternity | Rebirth | Reincarnation | Immortality
Eternal / Eternity
yǒng héng
This is the Chinese word for eternity.
The first character means always, forever and perpetual. The second character holds the meaning of permanent. Together, they create a word that means eternal, eternally or infinite time.
See Also... Immortality
Eternity / Forever
yǒng yuǎn
ei-en
영원
This is the Chinese, Korean and Japanese word for "forever".
If we take this word apart, the first character means "always", "forever" or "perpetual". While the second character means "far" or "distant".
See Also... Immortality
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Ethan
This is the Chinese name for the country of Ethiopia
See Also... Africa
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Euclides
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Eufemio
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Eufrasio
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Eufrosina
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Eugene
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Eugenia
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Eugenio
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Eulalia
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Eulogia
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Eulogio
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Eunice.
This is the Chinese name for the continent of Europe.
 Please note that Japanese use an alternate/simplified version of the first character and an alternate form of the second character. Click on the characters to the right if you want the Japanese/Simplified version of this two-character Europe calligraphy.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Eusebio
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Eustaquio
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Eutimio
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Eva
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Evan
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Evans
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Evaristo
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Eve
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Eveline
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Evelyn
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Evelyne
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Evens
Everyday Life
rì cháng shēng huó
nichi jou sei katsu
일상생활
This simply means everyday life or regular life. You can also translate it as "Living day to day".
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Excellence
zhuó yuè
taku etsu
탁월
Excellence is doing your best, giving careful attention to every task and every relationship.
This word can also be defined as "excellence", "remarkable" or "surpassing". Sometimes it can mean "superiority".
If you need a word that means "outstanding", "prominence", and "to shine", just let me know - there is another word for excellence that has this meaning.
See Also... Pride
Eye for an eye
yǐ yǎn huán yǎn
This same phrase seems to be used in virtually every language and culture around the world. Whether you are Arab, Persian, Jewish, European, British, Asian, or American, this phrase is well known as the "original form of justice".
Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth
yǐ yá huán yá yǐ yǎn huán yǎn
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right Here's the full phrase, first and second part. However, in Chinese, it's more natural to put the "tooth" part first, so this more accurately reads "Tooth for a tooth, eye for an eye".
If revenge is important to you, I suppose this is the phase you want on your wall.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Ezequiel
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Fabián
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Fabiana
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Fabila
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Fabio
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Fabiola
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Fabiola
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Fabriciano
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Facundo
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Arabic name Faisal.
Faith (Religious)
xìn yǎng
shinkou
신앙
This is the more religious form of "faith". It has this same meaning in Chinese, Korean Hanja and Japanese Kanji. This is often used to refer to a person of faith or a religious person. Can be directly translated as "firm belief", "creed", "conviction" or simply as "religious" depending on context.
Some will also use this to mean "trust in God" in Japanese (though the term for God is not actually in this title).
See Also... Devotion | Trust | Trust In God
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Faiza
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Falkland Islands
fú kè lán qún dǎo
Fall Down Seven Times, Get Up EightAlways rising after a fall or repeated failures
shichi ten hakki
칠전팔기
This Japanese proverb relays the vicissitudes of life. Some would more naturally translate it into English as "Always rising after a fall or repeated failures".
The first Kanji is literally "7". The second means "fall down" (sometimes this Kanji means "turn around", "revolve" or "turn over", but in this case, it's holds the meaning of "fall"). The third is "8". And the last is "get up", "rouse", or "rise".
Basically if you fail 7 times, you should recover from those events and be prepared to rise an 8th time. This is also applies if it is the world or circumstances that knock you down seven times...
...just remember that you have the ability to bounce back from any kind of adversity.
Note: This can be pronounced two ways. One is "shichi ten hakki". The other is "nana korobi ya oki" also written, "nanakorobi-yaoki".
Special Note: The second character is a Kanji that is not used in China. Therefore, please only select our Japanese master calligrapher for this selection.
Family / Home
jiā
ei / uchi / ke
가
This is the single-character that means family in Chinese and Japanese. It can also mean home or household depending on context.
Pronunciation varies in Japanese depending on context. When pronounced "uchi" in Japanese, it means home, but when pronounced "ke", it means family.
 Note that there is an alternate form of this character. It has an additional radical on the left side, but no difference in meaning or pronunciation. The version shown above is the most universal, and is also ancient/traditional. The image shown to the right is only for reference.
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Family / Household
jiā tíng
ka tei
가정
This is a common way to express family, household, or home in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.
However, for a wall scroll, we recommend the single-character form (which is just the first character of this two character word). If you want that, just click here: Family Single-Character
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Fancy
Fancy Nails(Special Business Name)
shí shàng jiǎ
This is a special entry for a customer's business name for a nail salon known as "Fancy Nails".
Note: In Japanese Katakana, Fancy Nails would be ファンシー ネイルズ
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This is the Chinese name for the country of the Faroe Islands (overseas territory of Denmark).
fa3 luo2 dao3
See Also... Denmark | South America
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Farzana
This is the colloquial way to say "Daddy" in Chinese. Sometimes Chinese people will refer to their father with just one of these characters, "Ba", which would be like "Dad". With both characters, "Baba", it's more like "Daddy".
This is really a weird selection for a wall scroll, so consider this entry to be for educational purposes only (don't order this).
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This is the simple term for "Father and Son". However, we like some of our other tribute phrases to fathers better than this one.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Fatima
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the family name Faulkner.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Faustino
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Fausto
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Favio
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Fe
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Federica
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Federico
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Fedra
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Fedro
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Felicia
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Feliciano
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Felicísimo
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Felipa
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Felipe
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Felisa
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Felix
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Feliz
Feng Shui
fēng shuǐ
fuu sui
풍수
This is the famous technique and approach to arranging your home externally around natural features, and internally to create balance and peace.
These two characters literally mean "wind water". Obviously the title is far more simple than the concept behind this subject.
It may enlighten you slightly to know that the character for "wind" can also mean "style", "custom" or "manner" in some context. This may apply somewhat to this title.
In a very technical sense, this title is translated as "Chinese geomancy".
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Fermín
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Fernán
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Fernand
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Fernanda
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Fernando
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Ferran
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Fidel
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Fidelity Honor Courage
xìn yì zūn yán yǒng qì
This is a word list that was requested by a customer. Word lists are not that common in Chinese, but we've put this one on the best order/context to make it as natural as possible.
We used the "honor" that leans toward the definition of "dignity" since that seemed like the best match for the other two words.
Please note: These are three two-character words. You should choose the single-column format when you get to the options when you order this selection. The two-column option would split one word or it would be arranged with four characters on one side and two on the other.
The one who retreats 50 paces
mocks the one to retreats 100The pot calls the kettle black
wù shí bù xiào bǎi bù
During the Warring States Period of what is now China (475 - 221 B.C.), the King of Wei was in love with war. He often fought with other kingdoms just for spite or fun.
One day, the King of Wei asked the philosopher Mencius, "I love my people, and all say I do the best for them. I move the people from famine-stricken areas to places of plenty, and transport grains from rich areas to the poor. Nobody goes hungry in my kingdom, and I treat my people far better than other kings. But why does the population of my kingdom not increase, and why does the population of other kingdoms not decrease?"
Mencius answered, "Since you love war, I will make this example: When going to war, and the drums beat to start the attack, some soldiers flee for their lives in fear. Some run 100 paces in retreat, and others run 50 steps. Then the ones who retreated 50 paces laugh and taunt those who retreated 100 paces, calling them cowards mortally afraid of death. Do you think this is reasonable?
The King of Wei answered, "Of course not! Those who run 50 paces are just as timid as those who run 100 paces."
Mencius then said, "You are a king who treats his subjects better than other kings treat their people, but you are so fond of war, that your people suffer from great losses in battle. Therefore your population does not grow. While other kings allow their people to starve to death, you send your people to die in war. Is there really any difference?"
This famous conversation lead to the six-character proverb shown here. It serves as a warning to avoid hypocrisy. It goes hand-in-hand with the western phrase, "The pot calls the kettle black", or the Biblical phrase, "Before trying to remove a splinter from your neighbor's eye, first remove the plank from your own eye".
This is the way to express the idea of fighting for a goal. It can also mean to struggle or to argue. This is okay for a Chinese audience, and while it is a word in Korean, this character is seldom seen alone in Korean grammar.
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The first character means war, warfare, or battle.
The second character means soldier, officer, man or pawn.
This is how to write "fighter" in Chinese, ancient Japanese Kanji and old Korean Hanja. This word can also mean soldier or warrior, but there are better terms for those two ideas. This one is more specifically "fighter" or "one who fights". This is an odd selection for a wall scroll, unless you are a boxer, ultimate fighter, or otherwise participate in combat sports.
Other translations include combatant or champion.
 Note that after WWII, the first Kanji was reformed/simplified. This modern Japanese version is shown to the right. If you want this version, click on the Kanji to the right, instead of the button above.
See Also... Knight | Army | Marines | Samurai | Warrior | Soldier
This is the Chinese name for the country of Fiji
See Also... Oceania
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Filemón
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Filial Piety / Filial Conduct
xiào xìng
koukou
효행
These two characters express the idea of filial piety or filial conduct. The second character suggests "action" so these are the actions you take to show your respect and obedience to your elders or ancestors.
Confucius is probably the first great advocate for filial piety.
This character represents filial piety. Some will define this in more common English as "respect for your parents and ancestors".
This is a subject deeply emphasized by the ancient philosophy and teachings of Confucius.
Some have included this in the list for the Bushido, although generally not considered part of the 7 core virtues of the warrior.
Note: This character is not the best of meanings when seen along as a single character. Some will read the single character form to mean "missing my dead ancestors". However, when written at part of Confucian tenets, or in the two-character word that means filial piety, the meaning is better or read differently (context is important for this character).
We suggest one of our other two-character filial piety entries instead of this one.
See our page with just Code of the Samurai / Bushido here
See Also... Filial Piety | Confucius
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Filiberto
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Filipa
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Filipe
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Filippo
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Filomena
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Fiona
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Fiore
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Fiorella
Fire(One of the five elements)
huǒ
hi
화
This is the symbol for fire, flame, or blaze in Chinese, Korean and Japanese.
Fire is one of the five elements that ancient Chinese believed all things were composed of. These elements are also part of the cycle of Chinese astrology. Every person has both an animal sign, and one of the five elements according to the date of their birth. See also Five Elements and Chinese 12 Animals / Zodiac.
See Also... Five Elements
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Five Elements Tai Chi Fist
wǔ xíng tài jí quán
go gyou tai kyoku ken
오행태극권
This is a certain school or style of Tai Chi (Taiji). The characters literally mean "Five Elements Tai Chi Fist".
Notes:
In Taiwan, it would be Romanized as "Wu Hsing Tai Chi Chuan" - see the standard Mandarin method above in the gray box (used in mainland China and the official Romanization used by the Library of Congress).
The last three characters are sometimes translated as "Grand Ultimate Fist", so the whole thing can be "Five Elements Grand Ultimate Fist" if you wish.
I have not confirmed use of this title in Korean, but if it is used, it's probably only by martial arts enthusiasts. The pronunciation is correct as shown above for Korean.
Five Elements
jīn mù shuǐ huǒ tǔ
금목수화토
This is a list of the Chinese characters for the five elements in a comfortable order (meaning that they simply "feel right" to a Chinese person who views this arrangement).
The order is metal, wood, water, fire, earth.
Note that sometimes the metal element is translated as gold. And earth refers to soil versus the whole planet earth.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Flavia
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Flaviano
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Flavio
Flexibility
líng huó xìng
령활성 or 영활성
Flexibility is being open to change. You consider others' ideas and feelings and don't insist on your own way. Flexibility gives you creative new ways to get things done. Flexibility helps you to keep changing for the better. This Chinese word could also be defined as "flexible nature".
See Also... Cooperation
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Flor
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Flora
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Florencia
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Florencio
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Florentino
This is the simple way to write "flower" in Chinese, Japanese, and old Korean. It can also mean blossoms or can refer to a fancy or assorted pattern.
Note: In some context it can mean "spend money". However, as a single character, it will be read as "flower".
This has the meaning of Xochitl (flower) in Spanish, so if your name is Xochitl, I suggest this character to represent your name.
More random information about this character:
This is the Korean surname spelled as "Hwa" before the Korean Romanization reformation of 2000-2001.
It's also a somewhat common given name in China (for females).
This is a borrowed word from Chinese, so it sounds similar in Chinese and Korean.
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Flower Open / Blooming Flower
huā kāi
These two characters literally mean flower open. This word is also associated with Springtime, the beginning of something, or youth.
This word is often followed by "flower falls" (closes and loses its petals) which means "Things come and go" or "Youth comes and goes".
If you like flowers and the Springtime, this is a great selection for you. However, if you want the companion "flower falls" (flower withers), we offer that as a companion wall scroll or all together as a four-character phrase.
See Also... Flowers Fall
Flowers Fall / The End Comes
huā sà
These two characters mean flower fall (closes and loses its petals). It suggests nearing the end of something. A time that some might call "The sunset of life". This word often follows "flower open" to talk of the cycle of life.
We offer this as a possible companion to a "flower open" scroll (to be placed side by side, or at either side of a doorway to say "things come and go" - a cool metaphor for a doorway). If placed in a doorway, it could be used as a suggestion to your guests that things bloom when they arrive through your door, but wither when they leave (a great compliment).
See Also... Flowers Bloom
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the family name Flowers.
This sounds like "Flowers" in Mandarin Chinese, but does not mean flowers in any way, shape or form. I strongly suggest the single character which means "flower" in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.
See Also... Flower
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Always Be Prepared
bǎo dài gān liáng nuǎn dài yī
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This literally translates as:
Carry [extra] food when [you are] full and [extra] clothes when [you are] warm.
Figuratively, this means:
Always be prepared for a rainy day.
This the word for football or soccer in Chinese. As with most of the world, football is very popular in China. During the World Cup, the whole country seems to shut down to watch (regardless of whether Team China is playing or not).
Soccer is probably the 3rd most popular participation sport in China (after ping pong and badminton).
As you might expect, the first character means "foot" and the second character means "ball".
FYI: This game would never be confused with American Football in Chinese. As with the rest of the world, there is a vague awareness of what American Football is (often described as "that game kind of like rugby").
For those familiar with American Football, there is some disgust regarding the fact that winners of the Superbowl call themselves "world champions" of a game that is only played in the USA. This is one of the reasons that jokes abound about how Americans are unaware that there is a world outside of their borders.
-Gary (born in USA)
This the word for football or soccer in Japanese Kanji and old Korean Hanja. Soccer is very popular in both Japan and Korea (Korea and Japan co-hosted the football World Cup in 2002 - a world-class sporting event held every four years that rivals the Olympics).
In Japan, they sometimes say "sakka" in place of the pronunciation shown above. This is supposed to sound like the English word "soccer".
The first Kanji means "kick" and the second means "ball". So technically, this means "kick ball" in Japanese and Korean (this is just an educational note - this will always be understood as the game of soccer / football).
FYI: This game would never be confused with American Football in Japan or Korea. Unlike the game of American basketball and baseball (both quite popular in Japan and Korea), there is only vague awareness of a rugby-like game that is also called football in the USA.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Fordyce.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Forest
Forever Family
yǒng yuǎn de jiā
This is a special phrase that we composed for a "family by adoption" or "adoptive family".
It's the dream of every orphan and foster child to be formally adopted and find their "forever family".
The first two characters mean forever, eternal, eternity, perpetuity, immortality, and/or permanence. The third character connects this idea with the last character which means "family" and/or "home".
See Also... Family
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Begging Forgiveness
ráo shù
This Chinese word is a kind of forgiveness that you would beg for like a servant begging a master. This can also be the forgiveness that a person would beg from the king or God.
This word suggests that this is forgiveness for something really bad (a terrible crime or sin).
ForgiveDeep heartfelt forgiveness
kuān shù
kan jo
관서
This two-character word of Chinese origin means forgive or forgiveness. This is a deep kind of forgiveness from the bottom of your heart.
In a religious context, this is the kind of forgiveness that you beg God for and that God grants you.
In Korean Hanja, this can also be defined as forbearance or leniency.
In Japanese Kanji, beyond forgiveness, this can also mean magnanimity or generosity.
While we don't actively recommend Asian tattoos, this would be the forgiveness title which is best for a tattoo in most cases.
Note: The first character can also be written in the form shown to the right (especially in Japanese). If you have a preference, please let us know in the "special instructions" when you place your order.
Forgiveness (from the top down)
róng shè
you sha
용사
This is the kind of forgiveness that a king might give to his subjects for crimes or wrong-doings. This is a rather high-level forgiveness. Meaning that it goes from a higher level to lower (not the reverse).
Alone, first character can mean "to bear", "to allow" and/or "to tolerate", and the second can mean "to forgive", "to pardon" and/or "to excuse".
See Also... Benevolence
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Perseverance / Fortitude
jiǎn rěn
ken nin
견인
The first character means "strong", "solid", "firm", "unyielding" or "resolute".
The second character means "to beat", "to endure", or "to tolerate".
Together they speak of the strength from within yourself. Some may also translate this as "long-suffering" in a more Biblical sense.
This is a common term in Chinese and Korean Hanja, but a little less commonly-used in modern Japanese Kanji. For that reason, this selection is best if your audience is Chinese or Korean.
 Note that when writing this as Kanji, Japanese will tend to write the second Kanji in the form shown to the right. If you select our Japanese master calligrapher, please expect this Kanji form (yes, it's just one stroke that is slightly different in location, crossing another stroke in the Japanese Kanji form).
Due to some odd computer coding conventions, these two character forms were combined/merged into the same code point - thus you will not see Kanji images of the more Japanese form as you select options for your wall scroll.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Fortunato
This is Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja title for the sly animal known as a fox.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Fox. If your name is Fox, you should probably pick our other selection for the meaning of fox (the animal).
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Fran
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name France
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This is the most common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Francesca
This is the second most common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Francesca
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Francis
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Francisca
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Francisco
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Franck
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Francklin
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Frank
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Frankie
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Franklin
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Franky
FraternityUniversity Brotherhood / House
xiōng dì huì
This is the word in Chinese for a college fraternity or some other kind of fraternal order. Literally, these characters mean "Elder brother younger brother association". The last character can also be translated as group, union, gathering, assembly, meeting, or conference.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Freddy
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Fredegunda
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Frederic
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Fredi
To Be Free / Freedom
xiāo yáo
shou you
소요
This has a good written-meaning for a wall scroll in Chinese. What I mean by that is while there is a way to say "freedom" orally, this word seems more appropriate for calligraphy. This can also be translated as "free and unfettered" from Chinese.
Note: In Korean and Japanese, this means one who rambles, saunters or strolls (this entry is best if your audience is Chinese).
The first two characters mean freedom or liberty.
The middle character is a connecting Hiragana which is needed for Japanese grammar.
The last two characters mean spirit, heart, mind, or soul.
Together, this is a title that is very similar to the English term "free spirit".
See Also... Freedom | Independence
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Free Will
zì yóu yì zhì
jiyuu ishi
자유의지
This concept has existed for thousands of years that humans have the ability to understand right and wrong, then make a decision one way or the other (thus affecting their own fate).
Sources such as Confucius, Buddhist scriptures, the Qur'an and the Bible all address this idea.
As for the characters shown here, the first two mean free, freedom, or liberty. The last two simply mean "will".
See Also... Freedom | Strong Willed | Fate
French Guiana
fǎ shǔ guī yà nà
This is the Chinese name for French Guiana
French Polynesia
fǎ shǔ bō lì ní xī yà
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This is the Chinese name for French Polynesia (overseas territory of France).
See Also... South America
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Frida
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Friday
Friends Forever
yǒng yuǎn de péng yǒu
This is exactly what the title suggests. This means friends that are eternal or a friendship that will last forever - you will remain the best of friends as long as you live.
The first two characters mean forever, eternal, eternity, perpetuity, immortality, and/or permanence.
The middle character links the words (it's a possessive article).
The last two characters represent friendship, or simply "friends".
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Frine
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Fritz
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Froila
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Froilan
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Fructuoso
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Fuente
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Fulgencio
Put out a burning wood cart
with a cup of waterAn utterly inadequate measure
bēi shuǐ chē xīn
배수거신
This is a warning against a futile effort. This proverb literally refers to one who is "trying to put out a burning cart of wood with a cup of water". The lesson to be learned is about using the right measure or tool for the job, and not to waste your effort if you are inadequately equipped for the task at hand - in other words the postscript should be "go get a bucket or a fire hose".
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Gabino
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This is the Chinese name for the country of Gabon
See Also... Africa
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Gabriel
This is the most common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Gabriela.
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This is an alternate transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Gabriela.
There are more common versions of Gabriela, but we like this one the best because we feel it sounds more like the original pronunciation of Gabriela.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Gaby
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Gaea
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Gael
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Gaelle
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Gaizka
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Galatians 5:25If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit
wǒ men ruò shì kào shèng líng shēn jiù dàng kào shèng líng xíng shì
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This is the translation of Galatians 5:25 into Mandarin Chinese via the Chinese Union Bible.
KJV: If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
NIV: Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
The annotation of this Chinese translation:
1.我们 wǒ men - we / us / ourselves
2.若是 ruò shì - if
3.靠 kào - depend upon / lean on / near / by / against / to support
4.圣灵 shèng líng - Holy Ghost
5.得 děi - to have to / must / ought to / degree or possibility
6.生就 shēng jiù - born one way or another (nervous, suspicious, etc.)
7.当 dàng - suitable / adequate / fitting / proper
8.靠 kào - depend upon / lean on / near / by / against / to support
9.圣灵 shèng líng - Holy Ghost
10.行事 xíng shì - how one does things / how one runs things (in this case, it suggests, "to walk in step with")
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Galeno
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Gally
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Galo
This is the Chinese name for the country of Gambia
See Also... Africa
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Garance
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Garcia
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Garrett
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Garry
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Gary
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Gaspar
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Gaspard
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Gassho
hé zhǎng
gasshou
합장
This is the act of greeting someone (can also be done when departing) with hands brought together in a prayerful manner. In India, this would be accompanied by the verbal greeting and blessing of "Namaste". In China, Japan, and Korea, this is how Buddhists will greet each other. Sometimes done by people who are not devout Buddhists in China, Japan and Korea to show respect or great thanks to someone for a gift, forgiveness, or some honor that has been bestowed. In Japan, this is almost always associated with a deep bow. In China where bowing is not an everyday occurrence, there may be a shallow bow but the act will be done with deep feeling. Korean culture seems to have more bowing than China, but less than Japan.
See Also... Namaste
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Gaston
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Gaudencio
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Gautam.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Gautier
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Gavin
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Gaye
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Gaylord
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Gea. It is the version to select if you pronounce your name with a single syllable sounding like "gee".
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the two-syllable name Gea in feminine form. If you are a girl, this is probably the one you want.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Gea in a neutral or unisex version. Okay for a man or woman.
This is the real basis for the way we spell geisha. However, there are many more ways to refer to a woman that fills the role that westerners think of when they hear the word geisha.
In Japanese, these characters literally mean "artful person". But in English it might be better translated as "a person (woman) highly trained/accomplished in the arts".
However, my Japanese dictionary says "a singing and dancing girl".
Many will argue as to whether "geisha" = "prostitute" or not. My Japanese friends seem to have the opinion that a geisha is so highly trained in the art playing musical instruments and dancing that the fact she might also be a prostitute is secondary to her performance on stage.
This is a "Japanese only" term, they use a slightly different first character to express "geisha" in Chinese. Since this is a Japanese term, I have not included the Chinese version.
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NOT APPROPRIATE FOR
CUSTOM CALLIGRAPHY Geisha / Geigi(Danger: Means prostitute in Japanese and Chinese!)
yún jì
geigi
This is how to refer to a geisha that offers "special services". Please don't order this, it's only here for reference. This is not appropriate for custom calligraphy!
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Gema. The same characters are also used for the name Jemma.
This is the most common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Gemini.
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This is an alternate transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Gemini.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Geminiano
This is one transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Gemma.
This one is probably the most common way to write Gemma in Chinese. However, the first syllable sounds a little like "Jee" as in "Jeep".
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This is another transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Gemma.
This version is more accurate if you pronounce Gemma with a sound in the first syllable like the words "gym" or "gem".
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Gemma
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Gemmell.
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Generosity
kuān dà
kandai
관대
Generosity is giving and sharing. You share freely, not with the idea of receiving something in return. You find ways to give others happiness, and give just for the joy of giving. Generosity is one of the best ways to show love and friendship.
This word can also be translated as charitable, magnanimity, liberality or in some context broad-mindedness.
Note: There is a tiny deviation in the first character when written in Japanese. If you choose our Japanese master calligrapher, the little dot on the lower right of the first character will be omitted. With or without the dot, this can be read in Chinese, Japanese, and old Korean.
See Also... Benevolence | Altruism | Charity
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Genoveva
Gentleness
wēn hòu
on kou
온후
This is a Chinese, Japanese and old Korean word for "gentle" or "gentleness". This can also mean "kindness" (more as an adjective like "kind person").
 The modern Japanese version of the first character looks like the one to the right. If you want this modern Japanese form, just click on that Kanji instead of the button above.
See Also... Kindness | Caring
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Geoffrey
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Geofredo
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name George
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Georges
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Georgette
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Georgia
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Georgina
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Gerardo
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Geremy
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Gerhard
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Germán
This is the Chinese name for the country of Germany
See Also... Europe
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Gerónimo
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Gertrudis
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Gervasio
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This is the Chinese name for the country of Ghana
See Also... Africa
This is the Chinese name for Gibraltar (overseas territory of the United Kingdom, but also claimed by Spain)
See Also... Great Britain | Spain | Europe
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Gil
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Gilbert
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Gilberto
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Giles
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Gillian
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Gina
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Ginés
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Ginger
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Giorgio
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Giovanna
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Giovanni
This is the Chinese word for Giraffe (the animal).
Not to be confused with the mythical “kirin” or “qilin” beast.
Giri(obligation or duty in Japanese)
yì lǐ
giri
의리
This term means obligation or a sense of duty that one may have to their employer, country or culture.
This is a specifically Japanese term, as in Chinese, these two characters form a word that means "religious doctrine" or refers to the argument presented in an essay.
This term has similar meaning in Korean where is can be translated as justice, sense of duty, loyalty, integrity or obligation.
This is kind of a weird selection for a wall scroll. So this entry is intended more for educational purposes.
More information about Giri
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Gisela
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Gisele
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Gisell
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Giselle
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Giuliana
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Gladys
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Glenn
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Gloria
God is my Judge
shàng dì shì wǒ de fǎ guān
상제시아적법관
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This is not a traditional Chinese phrase. We professionally translated it for a customer's request (in proper Chinese grammar).
See Also... Christ | God | Justice | Impartial
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God Give Me Strength
yuàn shàng dì gěi wǒ lì liàng
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This is a wish or a prayer that you might call out at a desperate time.
Translated by us for a military serviceman in Iraq - obviously he may have a need to use this phrase often, though I am not sure where he's going to find a place to hang a wall scroll.
God is Always With You
shàng dì yǔ nǐ cháng zài
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right The direct translation of these Chinese characters is "God Together [with] You Always Exist". Keep in mind that Chinese grammar is sometimes very different from English. This makes perfect sense in Chinese. Note: The title for God is the first two characters - the other words in the direct translation represent one character each.
God of Zion / God of Abraham
The Judeo-Christian God
shàng dì
joutei
상제
This is how Chinese Christians and Jews refer to God. Yes, there are Chinese Jews whose ancestry dates back to Jewish traders on the silk road. Most have left China for I presume, Israel now. There are also plenty of Christians in China of both the Protestant and Catholic variety. However, the churches are basically run by the government, and the Chinese Catholic church does not recognize the Pope.
Oddly, in my experience, I found the Chinese Protestant church to be much less political compared to Baptist and other Protestant churches that I have attended in America.
This is also the typically-used title for God in Japanese.
However, while you may find this term in old Korean dictionaries, it is an obscure, and rarely-used title for God in modern Korean.
See Also... Christianity | Jesus Christ
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Allah / God of Islam
zhēn zhǔ
This is how Chinese Muslims refer to God (it literally means "True Master"). Oddly, in China, two different names for God have emerged. Even though Muslims, Christians, and Jews all worship the same God of Abraham.
In Arabic, the word Allah is just the Arabic way to say God. Arab Christians pray to Allah, just like Arab Muslims. Somehow in China the title of God diverged.
If you are curious, there are millions of Muslims throughout China, but especially in the northwest portion of China known as Xinjiang. Here you will find descendants of Turkmen, Persian, Arab, and other ethnicities. Some are mixed with Han-Chinese blood; others appear to be pure Turkmen. Many have fair complexions, green eyes, and light hair, but all are citizens of China. A visit to Xinjiang will shift your paradigm and blow away all of your stereotypes about what it means to be Chinese.
This is the title for a female child in which you have a sworn duty to raise, should the girl's parents die. The second character specifically designates that we are talking about a female child, thus the title God Daughter.
See Also... Family
Goddess of Mercy and CompassionThis is the long or more formal version of this title
guān shì yīn
관세음
This is the longer, and perhaps more formal title for the Buddhist deity known as the Goddess of Mercy or Bodhisattva of Compassion.
The longer title of this bodhisattva is Romanized in the following ways:
Mandarin Chinese: Guanshi Yin, Kuan-shih Yin.
Japanese: Kanzeon.
Sanskrit: Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara.
Korean: Gwan-se-eum.
Vietnamese: Quan Thế Âm.
Thai: Prah Mae Kuan Eim.
English: Bodhisattva of Mercy and Salvation, Goddess of Compassion, Buddha of Mercy, et al.
Please view our more common and shorter version "Guan Yin" before you make a decision. Also note that the first character has a slight variation in Japanese. If your audience is specifically Japanese, you may want to select that version.
See Also... Buddhism | Goddess
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Godofredo
God Son / God Child
jiào zǐ
This is the title for a child in which you have a sworn duty to raise, should the child's parents die. This title suggests that it's talking about a son (male child), but this title is universal, and can simply mean God Child (with no gender specified).
Golden Anniversary / 50th Wedding Anniversary
xìng fú jīn hūn
This means "Happy Golden Anniversary" and is a great gift for a couple who is celebrating 50 years together.
The first two characters mean happy, blessed, or happiness.
The last two characters mean, "couple's golden anniversary". It literally means "golden wedding" or "golden marriage", but this is only used for the 50-year-mark of a marriage (the same way we use gold to represent 50 years in the west).
This is a nice title to use with an inscription. You could request something like, "Happy 50th Anniversary Mr. and Mrs. Smith", to be written down the side of this title, in smaller Chinese characters.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Gomes
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the last name Gonzalez
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Gonzalo
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Good Health / Healthy / VigorAlso suggests being at peace
kāng
kou
강
This is a single character that means good health or vigor in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.
This character can also mean peaceful, at ease, or abundant in some contexts.
Please note that this is rarely seen alone in Japanese Kanji. In Japanese, it is used both for health-related compound words and to denote the kouhou through koushou eras of Japan.
In Korean, this can also be the family name "Kang" (caution: not the only family name romanized as Kang in Korean).
See Also... Health | Vitality | Wellness
Goodness / Good Deed
shàn
zen
선
This word means goodness, virtue, good deed, charitable, benevolent, well-disposed, nice, pleasant, kind, or simply, "good".
This is the kind of good that applies to someone's good character, or a good person in general.
Referring to someone with this word means that they have a well-aimed moral compass, are charitable, giving, wise, and honest. Basically this is a blanket statement for every good trait a human can have, or all the things that makes someone good.
In other context, it can mean to improve or perfect something or refer to someone who is good at something.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Gordon.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Gorka
This is often translated as "kind act from above", as in "The Grace of God". This doesn't necessarily have to come from God. It could be a favor paid to you, or help that you received (or gave). Of course, you can decide for yourself whether the grace or favor given to you by a friend is actually a gift from God.
Other possible translations of this character:
Favor / favour, acts of kindness, merits, beneficial Influence, kindness, indebtedness, obligation, and benevolent influence.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Gracia
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Graciano
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Gracie.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Graciela
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Graco
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Graham
Loving GrandfatherPaternal (Northern China)
cí xiáng de yé ye
This is "Loving Grandfather" using the most common way for people in Northern China to refer to their father's father (paternal grandfather).
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Dear GrandfatherPaternal (Northern China)
qín ài de yé ye
This is the most common way for people in Northern China to refer to their father's father (paternal grandfather) with the adjective/title "Dear" on the front.
This is the most common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Grant.
This is an alternative transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Grant.
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This is the alternative transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Grant.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Graske.
Great Britain
dà bù liè diān
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The Great Wall of China
cháng chéng
장성
This is the Chinese name for the Great Wall. Built at the northern border of China to protect from Mongul attack.
This is the Chinese name for the country of Greece
See Also... Europe
This is the Chinese name for Greenland (overseas territory of Denmark).
See Also... Denmark | Iceland | Europe
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This is the most common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Greg
This is the second most common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Greg
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Gregorio
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Gregory
This is the Chinese name for the country of Grenada
See Also... North America
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Gretchen.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Guadalupe
Guadeloupe
guā dé luō pǔ dǎo
This is the Chinese name for Guadeloupe (overseas department of France).
gua1 de2 luo2 pu3 dao3
See Also... North America
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Gualterio
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This is the Chinese name for the country of Guam (overseas territory of the United States).
See Also... North America
GuanxiThe Chinese Concept of Relationship
and Exchange of Favors
guān xì
kankei
관계
The dictionary definition is:
relations / relationship / to concern / to affect / to have to do with / connection.
But there's more to it...
In China, your relationship that you have with certain people can open doors for you. Having guanxi with someone also means they would never defraud you, but instead are honor-bound to treat you fairly (of course, this goes both ways). Sometimes it is suggested that guanxi is the exchange of favors. I would say is is more having a relationship that allows you to ask for and expect favors without shame.
There is no concept in western culture that exactly matches guanxi, but perhaps having a social or professional network is similar.
Note that there are some variations common within Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and Korean Hanja for this word...
 Japanese tend to use a Chinese alternate form as shown to the right for
the first character.
 There's also another alternate form of that first character (currently used as the official Simplified form in mainland China) which looks like the character shown to the right. It's basically the central radical of the alternate version shown above, but without the "door radical" around it. In more free-flowing calligraphy styles, this version would be the likely choice for a calligrapher.
 In Modern Japanese, they use the character shown to the right.
They also tend to use this same form in Korean Hanja (I've only checked this word in my Korean dictionary, but it has not been confirmed by a translator's review).
 If that were not confusing enough, there is another alternate form of that second character. See right.
An Asian calligrapher of any nationality may use any of these forms at their discretion. However, They would tend to stick to the most common form used in their respective languages.
If you have any preference on any of these issues, please give us a special note with your order, and we'll make sure it's done the way you want.
Guardian Angel
shǒu hù tiān shǐ
This is the title used for guardian angel in Chinese. It's used in the same way that we use this title in the west - such as a guardian angel watching out for you, and allowing you to survive a disaster or accident.
The first two characters mean to guard and protect. The second two mean "angel" (literally "Heaven's messenger").
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This is the Chinese name for the country of Guatemala
See Also... North America
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Guido
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Guillermina
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Guillermo
This is the Chinese name for the country of Guinea
See Also... Africa
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Guiomar
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Gumersindo
This is one of those Asian words that is used more in English than it is in the original Chinese.
Gung Ho was originally used to speak of Carlson's Raiders, a group of "Gung Ho U.S. Marines who went on an island-hopping campaign of death during WWII.
A movie called Gung Ho came out in the mid-1940s and was later re-released in the 1950s depicting the 2nd Marine Raider Battalion, and brought this word to the mainstream.
It is still sometimes used today within the U.S. Marine Corps brotherhood to refer to a unit or group that works well together, or is otherwise efficient and motivated (has good moral).
In 1986, there was a movie called Gung Ho, about a Japanese company taking over an American automotive factory. They completely ignored the fact that this was a Chinese title.
It should be noted that this title actually means condition, state, manner, or health of something in Japanese.
Language and pronunciation notes:
Like many Asian words absorbed into common use in English, this one is drastically mispronounced. The official Romanization is "gong he", but that doesn't tell you enough. The vowel sound on the first character is like the English word "own", now just add the g-sounds to the beginning and end. The second character is misleading, as you might think it is like the English word "he". In reality, the vowel sound is more like the "u" in "up".
It should also be noted, that the current generation in China no longer uses, or recognizes this as a common word or slogan.
Note: This can be pronounced and is a word in Japanese, though seldom used. Japanese will use a variation of "具合" instead. But still, not common.
This is the most common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the family name Gunn
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This is the second most common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Gunn
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Gustavo
This is the Chinese name for the country of Guyana
See Also... South America
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Gwendolyn
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Gypsy
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Hadrien
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Hailey.
Use this form if you pronounce your name like "High-Lee".
If in doubt, we suggest you use this version.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Hailey.
Use this form if you pronounce your name like "Hey-Lee".
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Haily.
Use this form if you pronounce your name like "High-Lee".
If in doubt, we suggest you use this version.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Haily.
Use this form if you pronounce your name like "Hey-Lee".
This is the Chinese name for the country of Haiti
See Also... North America
This is the most common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Hali.
Use this form if you pronounce your name like "Ha-Lee" (This "ha" is like laughing "ha ha").
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This is another transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Hali.
Use this form if you pronounce your name like "Hey-Lee".
In Flowers the Cherry Blossom, In Men the SamuraiHana wa sakura hito wa bushi
hana wa sakura hito wa bushi
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This phrase simply reads, "[In] Flowers it's Cherry Blossoms, [In] Men it's Warriors".
This is meant to say that of all the flowers in the world, the cherry blossom is the best. And of all men in the world, the Samurai or Warrior is the best
This phrase has been around for a long time. It's believed to have been composed sometime before the Edo Period in Japan (which started in 1603).
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Hannah
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Hanne.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Hans
HapkidoKorean Martial Art of re-directing force
hé qì dào
ai ki do
합기도
Hapkido is a mostly-defensive martial art of Korea. It has some connection to Aikido of Japan. In fact, they are written with the same characters in both languages. However, it should be noted that the Korean Hanja characters shown here are the traditional Chinese form - but in modern Japan, the middle character was slightly simplified.
Note: You can consider this to be the older Japanese written form of Aikido. Titles on older books and signs about Aikido use this form.
The connection between Japanese Aikido and Korean Hapkido is a bit muddled in history. This is probably due to the relationship between the two countries - especially during WWII when many Koreans became virtual slaves for the Japanese (many Koreans are still bitter about that, so many things were disassociated from having any Japanese origin).
Looking at the characters, the first means "union" or "harmony."
The second character means "universal energy" or "spirit".
The third means "way" or "method".
One way to translate this into English is "Harmonizing Energy Method". This makes since, as Hapkido has more to do with redirecting energy, rather that fighting with strength against strength.
More Hapkido info
More notes:
1. Sometimes Hapkido is Romanized as "hap ki do", "hapki-do" "hab gi do" or "hapgido".
2. Korean Hanja characters are actually Chinese characters that usually hold the same meaning in both languages. There was a time when these characters were the standard and only written form of Korean. The development of modern Korean Hangul characters is a somewhat recent event in the greater scope of history. There was a time when Chinese characters were the written form of many languages in places known in modern times as North Korea, South Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Mainland China, and a significant portion of Malaysia. Even today, more people in the world can read Chinese characters than can read English.
3. While these Korean Hanja characters can be pronounced in Chinese, this word is not well-known in China and is not considered part of the Chinese lexicon.
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Double Happiness(Happy wedding and marriage)
xǐ
This is a common gift for Chinese couples getting married or newly married couples.
As we say in the west, "Two heads are better than one" Well, in the east, two "happinesses" are certainly better than one.
Some will suggest this is a symbol of two happinesses coming together. Others see it as a multiplication of happiness because of the union or marriage.
This is not really a character that is pronounced very often - it's almost exclusively used in written form. However, if pressed, most Chinese people will pronounce this "shuang xi" (double happy) although literally there are two "xi" characters combined in this calligraphy (but nobody will say "xi xi").
 If you select this character, I strongly suggest the festive bright red paper for your calligraphy. Part of my suggestion comes from the fact that red is a good luck color in China, and this will add to the sentiment that you wish to convey with this scroll to the happy couple.
See Also... Happiness
Happiness / Joy
xǐ
ki / yorokobi
희
This is the Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and Korean Hanja for the kind of happiness known in the west as "joy".
This character can also be translated as rejoice, enjoyment, delighted, pleased, or "take pleasure in". Sometimes it can mean, "to be fond of" (in certain context).
If you write two of these happiness/joy characters side by side, you create another character known in English as "double happiness", which is a symbol associated with weddings and a happy marriage.
There is another version of this character that you will find on our website with an additional radical on the left side (exactly same meaning, just an alternate form). The version of happiness shown here is the commonly written form in China, Japan and South Korea (banned in North Korea).
See Also... Contentment | Happiness
Happy Birthday
shēng rì kuài lè
This is how to write "Happy Birthday" in Chinese. The first two characters mean "birthday", and the second two characters mean "happiness", or rather a wish for happiness.
Because a birthday only lasts one day per year, we strongly suggest that you find an appropriate and personal calligraphy gift that can be hung in the recipient's home year round.
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Happy New Year
xīn nián kuài lè
If you want to wish someone a happy new year this is the way. You can hang this up during western New Years (Dec 31st - Jan 1st) and keep it up until after Chinese New Years which happens in either January or February of each year (it changes from year to year because China uses a lunar calendar).
Note: For 2007, the date of Chinese New Years is February 18th.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Hari.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Harland.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Harley
Harmony (Music)
tiáo hé
chou wa
조화
This word means harmony in Chinese and Japanese. It should be noted that this is the musical version of harmony.
Note: In English, we use the same "harmony" for multiple meanings. However, Japanese and Chinese are more specific in many cases.
Note: The first character suggests a musical meaning, and can also be used to describe warriors marching in perfect cadence (in step). The second character carries the meaning of harmony itself.
See Also... Musician | Dance
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Harold
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Harrison
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Harry
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Harvey
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Hassan
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Hayley
Healthy Living
jiàn kāng shēng huó
kenkou seikatsu
건강생활
If you are into healthy living, this might be a great selection for a wall scroll to hang in your home. The first two characters speak of health, vitality, vigor and being of sound body. The second two mean living or life (daily existence).
See Also... Strength | Vitality | Health
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Heart / Mind / Spirit
xīn
kokoro
심
This word would often be translated as “heart”. However, because it was believed in Chinese culture thousands of years that your consciousness and thoughts came from the big red organ in the middle of your chest, it also means “mind” or “spirit” and sometimes even “soul”.
In Korean, beyond heart, mind, and spirit, this character can mean moral, nature, mind, affections, intentions, core, and center. In fact, it is used in Chinese to mean "center" as well, but only with another character in front of it. For instance, "medical center" or even "shopping center". Separately and alone, it will not be read with that "center" meaning unless thought of as "the center of your soul".
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Heather
This is the character which means "heaven" or "sky" in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.
Context of how this character is used determines if you are talking about heaven or the sky above (often they are the same concept anyway).
When combined with other characters, words like "today" and "tomorrow" are created. While sometimes the character for "sun" is used to mean "day", often "sky" represents "day" in Asian languages.
Example: "this sky" = "today", "next sky" = "tomorrow" in modern Chinese and Japanese (they also use "sun" in the same way - but the use of the "sun" character in words like today and tomorrow feels more ancient).
In Chinese culture, regardless of which religion, it's almost always assumed that God (and any other deities) live up above in the sky. This is probably how the idea of heaven being associated with this character began.
The equation goes something like this: God's domain is the sky, thus, the sky is heaven.
Note: As a single character, this is a little ambiguous, so you might want to choose our Kingdom of Heaven selection instead.
See Also... Heaven | God | Sun
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Hector
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Hedika
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Heidi
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Helen
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Helena
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Helinä
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This is the way that hell is written in modern Chinese and Japanese Kanji. It's also how hell is written in Korean Hanja. There's more than one way to express hell, but this is the one that has stood the test of time.
The first character refers to ground or the earth.
The second character means jail or prison.
You can also translate this word as infernal, inferno, or underworld.
It should be noted that this is a somewhat terrible selection for a wall scroll. Hanging this in your home is like telling the world that your home is hell. Oddly, a lot of people search for this on our website, so we added it for reference.
Hell / Judges of HellAncient way to say Hell
yīn sī
This is the ancient way to say "Hell" or "The Judges of Hell" in Chinese.
It should be noted that this is a somewhat terrible selection for a wall scroll. Hanging this in your home is like telling the world that your home is hell. Oddly, a lot of people search for this on our website, so we added it for reference.
Hell / Kingdom of the Underworld
yīn cáo dì fǔ
This can mean Hell, Hades, Kingdom of the Underworld, or the Netherworld.
When Chinese people have a conversation about Hell, this is usually the term they use. Please note that this is a somewhat oral and informal word.
This is a really weird selection for a wall scroll, so consider this for educational purposes only.
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Hello / How are you?
nǐ hǎo
This is the day to day way to say hello in Chinese. The characters literally mean, "You good?". It's sort of the equivalent of "What's up?" in English, where nobody expects an actual answer.
This explanation is here for educational purposes only. This is an oral word which is not appropriate for a scroll (not a bad meaning, just very odd for a wall scroll).
Helpfulness
lè yú zhù rén
Helpfulness is being of service to others, doing thoughtful things that make a difference in their lives. Offer your help without waiting to be asked. Ask for help when you need it. When we help each other, we get more done. We make our lives easier.
See Also... Caring | Charity | Benevolence
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Henri
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Henry
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Herbert
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Heriberto
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Hernan
Hero
yīng xióng
ei yuu
영웅
This is the best way to write hero in Chinese and Japanese - especially for calligraphy. This is also the name of the Chinese movie titled Hero starring Jet Li.
The first character means brave (it can also mean British or English, but not in this case).
The second character means heroic, but also suggests a male person.
My Japanese dictionary also defines this as "a great man".
Woman of Strong Character / Woman Hero
nǚ jiá
joketsu
This can mean brave woman, heroine, lady of character, distinguished woman, outstanding woman, and sometimes prominent woman.
In modern usage, some people might use this to give a title to women like Oprah Winfrey, Hillary Clinton, or Sarah Palin. I would rather use it for a woman like Araceli Segarra (the first woman from Spain to climb Mt. Everest).
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Having High PrinciplesDo not bow down for the sake of five pecks of rice
bù wèi wǔ dǒu mǐ zhé yāo
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This Chinese idiom/proverb speaks of being above bribes, and not losing face or honor for a short-term gain. Some may also translate the perceived meaning as, "high-hearted", or "integrity beyond reproach".
The more literal meaning is "Do not bow down for the sake of five pecks of rice".
This means "high speed" or "in high gear" in Chinese and Japanese Kanji. In old Korean Hanja, it also means "high speed", but can also be a nickname for "rapid transit".
This is the best selection if you want to say "speed" in regards to your race car, race boat, or lifestyle. You need this word, which literally means "high speed", as the Asian word for "speed" alone does not suggest whether you mean fast or slow.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Hilda
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Hilkka
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Hillary.
This is the Chinese name for the country of Holland. This entry sounds like "Holland" but there is only one name in Chinese, so this also means "Netherlands".
See Also... Europe | Netherlands
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Hollie
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Holly
This is how to write Bible in Chinese.
The first character means Holy, sacred, saint, or sage.
The second character means sacred book or scripture.
Each Sunday morning, if you are near a Catholic or Protestant Church, you will see plenty of Chinese people carrying their Bibles. Virtually every large or medium city in China has at least one Christian church. Beijing has about 14 Christian churches of Catholic and various Protestant denominations. That number more than doubles if you count all the church services that are for foreigners only, and doubles again if you count all of the underground Christian Churches. Many Embassies (Canadian, Italian, French, etc.) offer Protestant and Catholic services, however, the U.S. Embassy is the most unfriendly Embassy in all of China, and offers no such religious services and regularly denies entry and kicks out Americans and others, whether or not they have official business.
See Also... Christian | Disciple
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Holy Mother / Saint Mary
shèng mǔ
seibo
성모
This is the title for the Holy Mother, Madonna, or Virgin Mary as used by Catholic Chinese, Korean, and Japanese people. I think this would be a very cool wall scroll for a devout Catholic who also appreciates Asian artwork and language.
Note: Koreans often put a third character after these two which creates a title that means "Hail Mary", however, this character is not added, or used in the same way in Japanese or Chinese. If you want that Korean title, just let me know, and we'll add that character for you. The two-character title shown to the left is universal, so I think it's the best choice.
Holy Spirit / Holy Ghost
shèng líng
성령
This is the title for the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost as used by Jewish, Catholic and Protestant (and other Christian) Chinese people. And yes, Chinese Jews do exist, but there are not many of them.
The first character means Holy, Sacred, Saint or Sage. The second means ghost, spirit, efficacious or intelligence.
This is the Chinese name for the country of Honduras
See Also... North America
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Honesty / Fidelity
xìn
shin
신
This is another character that expresses the idea of honesty. It can also mean truth, faith, believe in, fidelity, sincerity, trust and/or confidence.
Some have included this in the list for the Bushido, although "makoto" is probably more common/popular.
Note: In some context, this character can mean letter; news or envoy. However, alone, it will generally be read with the honesty-meaning.
See our page with just Code of the Samurai / Bushido here
See Also... Loyalty Trustworthiness Trustworthy
Honor (Japanese / Simplified version)
míng yù
meiyo
명예
This version of honor is about having or earning the respect of others and about your reputation. It is the status of being worthy of honor (not to be confused with doing honorable things or specific actions - see our other "honor" listing for that).
 Both modern Japanese and modern mainland Chinese use the same simplified version of the second character of honor. We will automatically use the simplified version shown to the left, unless you make a special request for the traditional second character as shown to the right (just click on that character to order the traditional Chinese version). Before WWII, both Japan and China used the traditional form, but modern Japanese and Chinese are more likely to identify this simplified form. Koreans still use the traditional form when they are not writing in their modern Hangul glyphs.
This is also a virtue of the Samurai Warrior
See our page with just Code of the Samurai / Bushido here
See Also... Integrity | Respect
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Glory and Honor
róng
ei
영
This character relates to giving someone a tribute or praise. It's a little odd as a gift, so this may not be the best selection for a wall scroll.
I've made this entry just because this character is often misused as "honorable" or "keeping your honor". It's not quite the same meaning, as this usually refers to a tribute or giving an honor to someone.
This is often found in tattoo books incorrectly listed as the western idea of personal honor or being honorable. Check with us before you get a tattoo that does not match the meaning you are really looking for. As a tattoo, this suggests that you either have a lot of pride in yourself or that you have a wish for prosperity for you and/or your family.
 In modern Japanese Kanji, glory and honor looks like the image to the right.
There is a lot of confusion about this character, so here are some alternate translations for this character: prosperous, flourishing, blooming (like a flower), glorious beauty, proud, praise, rich, or it can be the family name "Rong". The context in which the character is used can change the meaning between these various ideas.
In the old days, this could be an honor paid to someone by the Emperor (basically a designation by the Emperor that a person has high standing).
To sum it up: This character has a positive meaning, however, it's a different flavor than the idea of being honorable and having integrity.
Honor for Ancestors
zǔ xiān chóng bài
so sen suu hai
This means "Appreciation and honor of your ancestors". This can refer to anyone from your grandparents and beyond.
The first two characters mean ancestors or forefathers.
The last two characters mean adore, worship, adoration, or admiration.
This is the kind of wall scroll that a filial son or daughter in China or Japan would hang to honor their ancestors who paved the way for the new generation.
 Japanese use a slight variation on the last Kanji. If you want this specifically Japanese version, just click on the Kanji image to the right (instead of the button above). Note that Japanese people would easily be able to identify the original Chinese form of that Kanji anyway.
They also have a similar phrase in old Korean, but the first two characters are reversed - just let me know if you want that version when you place your order.
Besides "to hope" this also means "to wish for" or "to desire". It can also mean expectation or aspiration depending on context.
Note: Also considered to be one of the Seven Heavenly Virtues.
See Also... Faith | Desire
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Horacio
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Hortense
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Hoskins
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House of Red Delights
yí hóng yuàn
This is from "The Story of the Stone" by Cao Xueqin.
For some reason, this phrase was translated as "House of Green Delights" when the novel was published in English. The translator took some liberties, and believed that "green" had a more positive feel than red, to a western audience. Therefore, the phrase shown to the right is "House of Red Delights" (which is the most original and correct way).
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Howard
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Hubert
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Hudson
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Hugo
Human Race / Humanity / Mankind
rén lèi
jinrui
인류
This is the way to say mankind or humankind in Chinese. It's kind of the "animal title" for human. This is the word you would use if you said this phrase in Chinese, "Mammals include dolphins, monkeys, dogs, and humans among others".
This is a weird selection for a calligraphy wall scroll. But a customer begged me to add this word.
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Love for Humanitybenevolence, love
bó ài
hakuai
박애
In Chinese and Korean, this means universal fraternity, brotherhood, or universal love.
In Japanese, this means charity, benevolence, philanthropy, or love for humanity.
Please note these subtle differences and take that into account depending on your intended audience (Chinese, Korean or Japanese).
See Also... Love | Benevolence | Altruism
The Whole Room Rocks With LaughterThe perfect scroll if you love humor…
...or as a gift for the comedian in your life
hōng tāng dà xiào
The story goes that Mr. Feng and Mr. He were both senior officials in the Song Dynasty (about a thousand years ago). One day, Mr. Feng walked into their shared office wearing a new pair of boots. The boots caught the eye of Mr. He who said, "New boots! - how much were they?". Mr. Feng lifted one of the boots off the ground as if to show it off and responded, "900 coins". Astonished, Mr. Feng explained, "900? How can that be? - I paid 1800 coins for my boots!". Mr. Feng then lifted his other foot off the ground and said, "This boot was also 900 coins".
It is said that the whole room was shaking from the laughter of all that heard Mr. Feng's joke on Mr. He.
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Currently in China, this phrase is used in response to a good joke or witty comment.
This is the Chinese name for the country of Hungary
See Also... Europe
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This is the Chinese title for hunter (as in one who hunts animals).
This is the best transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the family name Husemann.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Hyronima.
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This is the Japanese Kanji title for the martial art of Iaidō, which emphasizes the smooth and elegant draw of the sword from its scabbard.
Note, these characters can be pronounced, and have meaning in Chinese and old Korean, but not this meaning. This should therefore be considered a "Japanese only" title.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Iain
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Ian
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Ian
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Iana
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Ianis
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Iban
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Ibrahim
Ice / Frost (Japanese)
bīng
koori
빙
This is the Japanese Kanji for "ice" or "frost".
This is also the way to write "ice" in old Korean Hanja.
Note: This form is not commonly used anymore in Chinese - though still understood for the most part.
FYI: There was a time when Japan did not have a written language and simply absorbed Chinese characters into their language by meaning. When this occurred around the 5th century, the character shown here was a common but alternate way to write "ice" in Chinese, so it was the one that ended up being absorbed into the Japanese language. Not long after that, a similar thing happened in Korea - although Korea has replaced virtually all of the Chinese characters they once used with the new Hangul writing system.
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This is the Chinese name for the country of Iceland
See Also... Greenland | Europe
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Ida
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Idalys
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Idea / Concept
lǐ niàn
ri nen
이념
This means idea, notion, concept, principle, theory, philosophy*, or doctrine in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.
This word is OK for a wall scroll, although it's more commonly used as an oral/informal word in Asia.
* This is not the title for philosophy, but rather is about having a certain philosophy or approach to something.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Idoia
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Ignacio
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Ilan
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Ilana
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Ildefonso
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Ilhan
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Iliana
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Ilias
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Illusion
huàn xiàng
gen zou
환상
This is a universal word for Illusion in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.
The first character means phantasm, vision, dream, illusion, apparition, or fantasy.
The second character means statue, picture, image, figure, portrait, shape, form, appearance, to be like, to resemble, to take after, to seem, or in rare/ancient context: elephant.
 Note that the first character can be written without the left-side radical in Chinese. This form is shown to the right. Both forms are acceptable in Chinese, but the character shown to the right is more likely to be read as "elephant".
See Also... Reality
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Ilona
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Ilse
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Imanol
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Imma
Immortal / Immortality
bù xiǔ
fukyuu
불후
This means immortal or immortality in Chinese, Japanese Kanji and old Korean Hanja.
The literal translation is "without decay" or "never rotting". Basically this title speaks of something or someone who never dies and thus never rots or decays.
This can also be translated as everlasting, eternal or imperishable.
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Impartial & Fair to the
Brotherhood & Sisterhood of the WorldAKA: Universal Benevolence
yí shì tóng rén
isshidoujin
일시동인
This is how to write "universal benevolence". This is also how to express the idea that you see all people the same.
If you are kind and charitable to all people, this is the best way to state that virtue. It is the essence of being impartial to all mankind, regardless of social standing, background, race, sex, etc. You do not judge others, but rather you see them eye to eye on the same level with you.
See Also... Benevolence | Compassion | Equality | Justice | Right Decision | Selflessness | Work Unselfishly For The Common
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Iñaki
The incompetent boat pilot
blames the river for his shortcomings
bù huì chēng chuán lài hé wān
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This literally translates as: [One who] cannot steer the boat blames the bends in the river.
Figuratively, this means: One who is incompetent always tries to shift the blame elsewhere.
This is similar to the English idiom, "a poor workman/craftsman blames his tools".
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Indalecio
This is the Chinese name for the country of India.
See Also... Asia
Indonesia
yìn dù ní xī yà
This is the Chinese name for the country of Indonesia
See Also... Asia
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Inès
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Ingrid
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Inma
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A Life of Serenity Yields Understanding
dàn bó yǐ míng zhì, níng jìng ér zhì yuǎn
This is a kind of complex ten-character proverb composed by Zhuge Liang about 1800 years ago. The proverb means "Leading a simple life will yield a clear mind, and having inner peace will help you see far (into the world)".
What I have translated as "simple life" means NOT being materialistic and NOT competing in the rat race.
The last word means "far", but the deeper meaning is that you will surpass what you can currently see or understand. Perhaps even the idea of opening up vast knowledge and understanding of complex ideas.
The whole phrase has a theme that suggests if you are NOT an aggressive cut-throat person who fights his way to the top no matter how many people he crushes on the way, and instead seek inner peace, you will have a happier existence and be more likely to understand the meaning of life.
See Also... Serenity
Inner Peace
nèi xīn píng jìng
naishin heizyou
내심평정
This Chinese and Japanese phrase is a direct translation for the western idea of inner peace.
The first two characters contain the idea of "heart" and "innermost being".
The last two characters mean "tranquil" and "serene".
I have seen this phrase used as "inner peace" for art prints and even on the side of coffee cups. But I think the translation is too literal. It feels like a direct translation from English rather than a nicely composed Chinese or Japanese phrase. See my other entries for "inner peace".
See Also... Serenity | Simplicity | Peace
Inner Peace / Silence / Serenity
jìng
shizu
정
Looking for Inner Peace? Who isn't?
This is the simplest way to convey the meaning of inner peace.
Literally this word means still, calm, serene, quiet or silent.
In the old days, Chinese, Japanese, or Korean people might hang a wall scroll with this character in their reading room to bring about a sense of peace in the room.
 While they once used the same character form in Japan, they now use a slightly-simplified version in modern Japan (after WWII). This version is shown to the right, and can be selected for your wall scroll by clicking on that Kanji instead of the button above.
See Also... Peace
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Inner Strength
zì qiáng
자강
This is the kind of inner-strength that applies to a person who has will-power and can inspire themselves to do great things.
This word can also be the creed of a person that always pursues self-improvement.
Other translations: self-strengthening, striving for improvement, self-improvement, strive to become stronger, and self-renewal.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Inocencio
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Inocente
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Inspiration
líng gǎn
reikan
영감
This is the Chinese word that is the closest to hitting the mark for the English word "inspiration". In a more extended context, I have even seen this translated as "brain wave".
The first character means alert, departed soul, efficacious, quick, effective or intelligence. The second character means to feel, to move, to touch or to affect. The combined meaning of these two characters changes a bit, but I think it's nice to know the individual meanings to give you a better understanding of where a word comes from.
You could describe this word as, "the thought that pops into your head just before you patent the greatest widget ever invented, that everyone in the world will want".
…At least, that's the idea.
This term can also mean "intelligent thought" if you were to translate it directly from each of these characters. If you are looking for inspiration or otherwise need to be inspired, this is the word for you.
 When the first character was absorbed into Japanese from Chinese, an alternate form became the standard in Japan. The Kanji shown to the right is the form currently used in Japan. This is still considered an alternate form in China to this day. It's readable by both Chinese and Japanese people, but if your audience is Japanese, I recommend the Kanji shown to the right - just click on that Kanji to order that version.
Intelligence / Intellect
zhì néng
chinou
지능
These two characters mean intelligence or intelligent.
The first character means wisdom, intellect or knowledge.
The second means ability, talent, skill, capacity, capable, able, and can even mean competent.
Together, the compound word can mean "capacity for wisdom", "useful knowledge", or even "mental power". Obviously this translates more clearly into English as "intelligence".
Note: This is not the same word used to mean "military intelligence". See our other entry for that.
 In modern Japan, they tend to use a version of the first character without the bottom radical. If your audience for this artwork is Japanese, please click on the Kanji to the right instead of the button above.
Intense / Serious / Deep / Profound
shēn kè
shinkoku
심각
This is the form of intense that describes a person who is deep, serious, and a true thinker. If you find yourself comtemplating the world and coming up with profound ideas, this might we the word for you. In some context (especially Korean), it can mean seriousness, gravity, or acuteness.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Iraia
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Iraide
This is the Chinese name for the country of Iran
See Also... Islam | Asia
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Irantzu
This is the Chinese name for the country of Iraq
See Also... Islam | Asia
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Irena
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the English name Irene
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Irène
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Ireneo
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Irigoyen
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Irina
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the English name Iris
Iris Flower
yuān wěi huā
ichi hatsu hana
This is the title for the iris flower in Chinese and Japanese. If your name happens to be Iris, this is a nice way to express your name by meaning in both of these languages (it will mean your name, but not sound like your name).
Can also mean wall iris, roof iris, or Iris tectorum.
Note: There are other titles for specific iris varieties - contact us if you need something special.
Iris Flower (Japanese)
chāng pú
ayame
This is the title for the iris flower in Japanese. If your name happens to be Iris, this is a nice way to express your name by meaning in both of these languages (it will mean your name, but not sound like your name).
Can also mean Siberian iris (Iris sanguinea) or sweet flag (Acorus calamus / Acorus gramineus) varieties.
Note: This will also be recognized in Chinese, though it is generally written with the addition of a character meaning "stone" in front in the Chinese language.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Iris
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Irma
Iron Palm
tiě zhǎng
tetsu-tenohira
철장
These two characters mean "iron palm", the martial arts technique taught by Brian Gray and others.
This term can mean different things to different people. The consensus is that rather than a type or style of martial arts, this is a technique for refining hand position and strengthening of hands in order to strike blows for with maximum force and effect.
The regime may include herbal treatments and special exercises to fortify the hands.
In more extreme versions, the carpals and metacarpal bones in the hand are systematically broken, so that when they heal, they will become stronger.
Japanese note: This does make sense in Japanese (though the version shown above is the ancient form of the first Kanji) this is far from a commonly-known term.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Isa
This is the most common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the English name Isaac.
This another less common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Isaac. This version might be more close to the Spanish or Latin version of Isaac. The first syllable is like "ee" as in "sweet".
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Isabel
This is the most common/standard transliteration into Mandarin Chinese for the name Isabella.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Isaiah.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Isaías
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Isidoro
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Isidro
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Isis
This both means and sounds like "Islam" in Mandarin Chinese.
The first three characters sound like the word "Islam", and the last character means "religion" or "teaching". It's the more general term for "Islam" in China. The highest concentration of Muslims in China is Xinjiang (the vast region in northwest China that was known as East Turkistan Republic until 1949 and is sometimes called Chinese Turkistan, Uyghuristan or Uyghur Stan). Here you will find Uygurs, Kazakhs, and Kyrgyz and others that are descendants of Turkmen (possibly mixed with Persians and Arabs). Many of their ancestors were traders who traveled the silk road to buy and sell spices, silk, and exchange other goods from the Orient and Middle East.
I spent some time in Xinjiang and got to know this community. They are strong people who can endure much. They are friendly and love to have a good time. I was a stranger, but I was treated by villagers (near China's border with Afghanistan) as if I was a good friend.
But I have heard that it's best not to cross them, as in this land, the law is the blade, and everything is "eye for an eye". The Chinese government has little control in Xinjiang with almost no police officers except in the capital of Urumqi (so it's a 60-hour roundtrip train ride to seek the aid of law enforcement in most cases).
While few seem to be devout, there are at least small mosques in every village. And you will never see a man or woman outside without a head covering.
It should be noted that these people are all citizens of China but they are officially of the Caucasian race. A visit to Xinjiang will change your idea what it means to be Chinese.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Ismael
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This is the Chinese name for the country of Israel. While geographically located in Asia, Israel tends to politically be closer to Europe.
See Also... Palestine | Asia | Europe
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Israel
Isshin-Ryu / Isshinryu
i sshin ryuu
This is the title for Isshin-Ryu Karate. The literal meaning is "one heart method". You could also translate it as "unified hearts methods". It implies people doing things as if with one heart and mind. In fact, the second Kanji can be defined as heart, mind, or the essence of your being. So there's a multitude of ways you can define this title in English.
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Isshin-Ryu Karate-Do
i sshin ryuu kara te dou
This is the full title for Isshin-Ryu Karate-Do. The literal meaning is "one heart method empty hand way". There are also other ways you can translate this, but if you are looking for this title, you already know that.
This would make a great wall scroll for your dojo or private studio, if you study this form of Japanese (technically from Okinawa) Karate.
Because this is a specifically-Japanese title, we strongely recommend that you select our Japanese Master Calligrapher to create this artwork for you.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Ítalo
This is the Chinese name for the country of Italy
See Also... Europe
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Itziar
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Ivan
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Ivana
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Ivory.
This is the character for ivory or tooth in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja. This character can also mean tooth, tusk, fang, or molar.
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right Some people like to say, "I love you", if you want to say "I want you", here it is.
The first two Kanji mean "You".
The middle Kanji is a connecting particle which kind of means "are".
The last two Kanji mean wanted, wished for, in need of, or desired.
Japanese grammar is different than English, so while this would directly translate as "You are wanted", this more naturally means "I want you".
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Izzac
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jaci.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Jacinto
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jack
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jackie
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jacklyn
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jackson
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jacky
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jacob
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Jacobo
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jade
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Jaime
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This is the most common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jaimie.
This is an alternate transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jaimie.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jake
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This is the Chinese name for the country of Jamaica
See Also... North America
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name James
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jamie
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jamy
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Janda.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jane
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Janet
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jani
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Janice
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Janick
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Janine
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Jânio
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This is the Chinese name for the country of Japan
See Also... Asia
This is the most common transliteration for the name Jared in Mandarin Chinese.
This is a less-common transliteration for the name Jared in Mandarin Chinese. You probably want the other one.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jarrod.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jasen
This is the title for "Jasmine" in Chinese.
This title is also used in Japanese, but for a specific species known as "Arabian jasmine" (Jasminum sambac).
You will also find a longer version of this title. The longer version just adds a third character which means "flower". This one is just "jasmine" in Chinese, and the short form of "Arabian jasmine" in Japanese.
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Jasmine Flower
mò lì huā
matsu ri ka
This is the title for "Jasmine Flower" in Chinese.
This title is also used in Japanese, but for a specific species known as "Arabian jasmine" (Jasminum sambac).
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jason
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Jaume
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Javi
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Spanish name Javier.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Javiera
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jay.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jayden.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jayme
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jayson
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Jazmin
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jean from English (the French version is different).
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jeanette
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jeanine
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jeannine
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jefferson
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jeffrey
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jem
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jemma
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jen as in the short name for Jenny or Jennifer in English.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Jenifer
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jenna
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jenni
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jennie
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jennifer
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jenny
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jeremy
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jerime
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jerome
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Jerónimo
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jerrisa
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jerrod
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jerry
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jeshua
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jess
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jesse
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jessica.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jessie
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jessy
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This how to write "Christ" in Chinese characters, Korean Hanja, and Japanese Kanji. This is the word used in the Chinese Union Bible (the only readily-available translation of the Bible into Chinese that I know of - published about 100 years ago). For Chinese Christians, this is the most common way to refer to Jesus Christ.
This is also the way that "Christ" is written in Japanese. But since the Japanese language is very flexible about the sounds that can be assigned to various Kanji, these characters have been assigned a pronunciation that sounds a lot like "Christ" or actually closer to the original "Christos". In Japanese (if you don't know how the Romaji shown above in the gray box works) it sounds like "key ree sue toe" using English words/sounds. Say those four words really fast and you'll get it.
It should be noted that only Japanese Christians will be familiar with this word.
This word is best defined, read and understood with the characters together, but if you take this word for Christ apart, the first character means "fundamentals" or "foundation". The second character can mean "leader" or "boss".
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Jesusa
This is the title for Jews or the adjective for being Jewish in Chinese.
You may be surprised to learn that there are still a few native Jews in China (though many ethnic Jews moved to Israel). It's believed that they are descendants of traders who traveled the silk road between the Middle East and the Orient.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jewel
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jill
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jilly
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jim
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Jimena
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jimi
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jimmy
Jing Mo / Jing Wu
jīng wǔ
jing mo
정무
This two-character title is used for a certain type of martial arts. You can translate this roughly as "Excellent Marital Arts" or "Excellence in Martial Arts". You will notice that the second character is "wu" as in wushu (martial arts) and wushi (warrior).
More information can be found at the Jing Mo website. You should probably only order this if you are a member of this association.
Note that "jing mo" is the Cantonese pronunciation of these characters. In Mandarin, they are "jing wu".
Also used in Korean, but only by those involved with martial arts who can also read Korean Hanja (a small percentage of the population).
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jinny
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Joachim
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Joan
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Joanna
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Joanne
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Joao
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Joaquim
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Joaquín
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jobin.
Note if you are looking at the Romanization above: The "zh" is actually the Romanization for a soft "J" sound. And "ou" is like the English "oh".
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jocelin
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jocelyn
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jodie
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jody
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the feminine name Jody
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Joe
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Joel
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Joey
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Johan
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Johana
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Johann
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Johanna
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Johanne
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name John
John 14:15
nǐ mén ruò ài wǒ jiù bì zūn shǒu wǒ de mìng lìng
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This is the translation of John 14:15 into Chinese.
This translation comes from the Chinese Union Bible which comes from a revised version of the King James. This Chinese Bible was originally translated and printed in 1919 (several revisions since then).
Because of the origin being the KJV, I'll say that in English, this would be, "If ye love me, keep my commandments.".
In basic English, this would be, "If you have love for me, you will keep my laws."
John 3:16
shén ài shì rén shèn zhì jiāng tā de dú shēng zǐ cì gè tā mén jiào yí qiè xìn tā de bú zhì miè wáng fǎn dé yǒng shēng
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This is the full translation of John 3:16 into Chinese.
This translation comes from the Chinese Union Bible which comes from a revised version of the King James. This Chinese Bible was originally translated and printed in 1919 (several revisions since then).
Because of the origin being the KJV, I'll say that in English, this would be, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life".
As with any translation, there are interesting cultural and linguistic issues. For instance, the word used for "world" in Chinese can also mean "common people". So you could say that it means "For God so loved the common people..."
This does not take away from the text, as it will be understood with the same meaning and connotation.
There is no direct Greek to Chinese translation in print (that I know of), so this is the best available. Of course, you can ask any Greek person of faith, and they will claim that a bit is lost from the original Greek of the New Testament to any of the English versions of the Bible in print.
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John 3:16 (first half)
shén ài shì rén shèn zhì jiāng tā de dú shēng zǐ cì gè tā mén
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This is the first half of John 3:16
This reads roughly as, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son".
Translation taken directly from the Chinese Union Bible first printed in 1919.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Johnny
This is one transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jolene. This applies if you pronounce Jolene like "Joe-lean".
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This is another transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jolene. This applies if you pronounce Jolene like "Joe-lean-ah".
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jolianne
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jonas
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jonathan
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jordan
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Jordi
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Jorge
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Joris
This is the most common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jorja
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This is the second most common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jorja
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name José
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Josefa
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Josefina
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Joseph
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Josephine
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Josh.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Joshua
Joshua 24:15 - This House Serves the LORD
zhì yú wǒ hé wǒ jiā wǒ men bì dìng shì fèng yē hé huá
Depending on which English translation you like, here are the full English language version of Joshua 24:15 Joshua 24:15 (KJV) And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
Joshua 24:15 (NIV) But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.
The characters shown here just dwell on the last line of the verse, "...as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."
We used the only official Christian Chinese Bible that I know of so that the translation would be as accurate and standard as possible. Any Chinese Christian worth their salt will easily be able to identify this verse from the Chinese words on this scroll.
I think it is a bit like having a secret code on your wall that quietly expresses to whom your are faithful.
A great gift for your devout Christian or Jewish friend if they happen to be fond of Asian art.
Or perhaps a wonderful "conversation starter" for your own home.
Note: If you are curious, the last three characters represent they way "LORD" is used in most English Bibles. In Chinese, this is actually the phonetic name in Mandarin Chinese for "Jehovah".
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Joss
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Josué
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Josune
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Journey / Travel
lǚ xíng
ryokou
여행
This word means journey or travels. It is sometimes used to refer to a vacation.
If you like a good adventure, maybe this is the word for you.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Joy.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Joyce
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Juan
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Juana
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Juani
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Juanito
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Juarez
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jude
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This can mean the officials of hell or the judges of hades or the netherworld.
This is a really weird selection for a wall scroll, so consider this for educational purposes only.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Judith
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Judy
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Juergen.
Jujitsu / Jujutsu
róu shù
juu jutsu
유술
This word has been somewhat incorrectly spelled and pronounced "Jujitsu" for some time in the English-speaking world. The correct Japanese Romaji is Jujutsu or Juujutsu.
A little background on the word: By combining the Kanji pronounced "Ju" (which means flexible, pliable, gentle, yielding) with the Kanji pronounced "Jutsu" (which means art, or technique), we get a meaning that can be translated as "flexible technique", "gentle art" or "yielding technique".
This word does make sense in Chinese as well, although pronounced, "rou shu" in China.
The Jujutsu system has a history in Japan that started well-before the 1600's. Some see this style as a variation of the "Empty Hand Method" (Karate-do). Even the samurai of old used some Jujutsu methods in defending themselves with their unarmed hands against weapons that could pierce their heavy armor.
There are convoluted relationships between various schools and systems of martial arts, but it's generally accepted that Jujutsu led to the development of Judo and a few other variations.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Julia
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Julia
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Julian
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Julianna
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Juliano
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Julie
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Julieta
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Julio
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Juni.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Junior
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Justice
zhèng yì
sei gi
정의
Practicing justice is being fair. It is solving problems so everyone wins. You don't prejudge. You see people as individuals. You don't accept it when someone acts like a bully, cheats or lies. Being a champion for justice takes courage. Sometimes when you stand for justice, you stand alone.
Note: These characters can also be translated as righteousness.
Note: This is also considered to be one of the Seven Heavenly Virtues.
One Justice Can Overpower 100 Evils
yī zhèng yā bǎi xié
일정압백사
This ancient "One Justice Can Overpower a Hundred Evils" idiom and proverb is famous in China. But it has been around so long that its origins have long been forgotten.
It could be something that Confucius or one of his disciples said, but no one can say for sure.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Justin
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Justina
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Justine
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Justiniano
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Justino
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Justo
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Juvencio
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kacey.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kaci.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kacie.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kacy.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kaeli.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kaiden
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kaitlin
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kaitlyn
Kai Zen / Kaizen
gǎi shàn
kai zen
개선
This means betterment, improvement, to make better, or to improve - specifically incremental and continuous improvement.
This word became very important in post-war Japan when Edwards Deming came to Japan to teach concepts of incremental and continuous improvement (for which the big 3 auto-makers did not want to hear about at the time - even kicking Deming out of their offices). The Japanese workforce absorbed this concept at a time with their culture was in flux and primed for change.
This kaizen term is closely associated with the western title "Total Quality Management". Perhaps dear to my heart since I spent years studying this at university before I moved to China where TQM did not seem to exist. Slowly, this concept has entered China as well (I've actually given lectures on the subject in Beijing).
If you are trying to improve processes at your business or need to remind yourself of your continuous TQM goals, this would be a great wall scroll to hang behind your desk, or in your workplace.
See Also... Kansei
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kako
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kaley
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kamelia
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kanis
Kansei Engineering
Sense Engineering
gǎn xìng gōng xué
kansei kougaku
감성공학
In short, kansei engineering involves collecting data on human experiences with a product, and then designing or engineering improvements based on those experiences or "senses". Some may define this as "engineering around the human experience".
There is a lot more to know about kansei, but if you are looking for this word, you probably already know the big picture.
Note: This term is very new in China, and only used by businesses, factories, and engineers that are implementing TQM principles. While the characters have the same base meaning in both languages, this is really a Japanese title that is flowing back into the Chinese language (in history, most things flowed from China to Japan). To a Chinese person that is not familiar with this concept, they may interpret this as "sense vocational studies", which doesn't make much sense. You may have to explain the intended meaning to some Chinese viewers. But that can make it a great conversation piece.
This is also a newer term in Korean, and is only used in certain parts of industry, with the definition of "Sensory Engineering". Not yet in widespread use in Korea.
See Also... Kaizen
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kara
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This is a very seldom-used title for Karate. This title uses a character which represents the Tang Dynasty of China. Thus, this is often translated as the "Tang Hand" or incorrectly, "Tang Fist". I have also seen some call it "China Hand".
There is not a lot of information on this title, but some believe that a simplified form of Kung Fu that started in China, and ended up very popular in Japan used this title initially. It was later changed in Japan to a different Karate title which means "Empty Hand" (as in, without weapons).
I am sure that some will suggest a different history or argue a different origin. I think that nobody can be sure.
Note: Just like the more conventional Karate title, this one can have the "way" or "method" character added to the end, as in Karate-Do.
Old Karate / Tang Hand Way / Tang Soo Do
táng shǒu dào
kara te do
당수도
This is a very seldom-used title for Karate-do. This title uses a character which represents the Tang Dynasty of China. Thus, this is often translated as the "Tang Hand Way" or incorrectly, "Tang Fist Way". I have also seen some call it "China Hand Way".
There is not a lot of information on this title, but some believe that a simplified form of Kung Fu that started in China, and ended up very popular in Japan used this title initially. It was later changed in Japan to a different Karate title which means "Empty Hand" (as in, without weapons).
In Korean, this title represents a certain style of martial arts. From Korean, this is often romanized as "Tang Soo Do", "Tangsudo", "Dang Su Do", or "Dangsudo". The last two romanizations on that list are the official Korean government romanization, though martial arts schools tend to use other non-standard versions.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Karelle
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Karen
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kari.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Karina
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Karina
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Karine
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Karis
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Karla
Karma (name)Transliterated personal name
kǎ mǎ
This is the most common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Karma.
Note: This sounds like Karma, but does not have the meaning of Karma in Chinese. See our other entry if you are looking for the Buddhist idea of Karma.
In fact, if your name is Karma, I strongly suggest that you use a word that means Karma, rather than this one which sounds like Karma (meaning is more important and universal in Chinese/Japanese/Korean).
The Karma/Fate/Destiny
that Brings Lovers Together
yīn yuán
These two characters mean, "Destiny that brings lovers together". It can also be translated technically as, "Predestined matrimonial affinity" (wow, talk about taking the romance out of this word - that was from the Oxford C-E dictionary).
Basically, this is talking about the fate (or karma) that brings a husband and wife together. I would translate this as "Together by fate" or "Joined by destiny", but in the context of marriage. You could use this for non-married lovers, but the first character has a suggestion that this refers to those that are married.
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KarmaSingle character for Buddhist Karma
yè
gou
업
This is the simplest way to express the idea of Karma. This is the Buddhist concept of actions committed in a former life affecting the present and future.
Out of the context of Buddhism, this Karma character means one's profession in life, trade, occupation, business, study, or career.
The Karma definition applies to both Chinese and Japanese for this character. This also works as Korean Hanja as Karma; although the meaning can vary depending on context (my Korean dictionary gives the definition of profession/occupation).
See Also... Buddhism
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Karolina
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Kata
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KatanaJapanese Samurai Sword
dāo
katana
도
This is the Japanese Kanji for "sword". This refers to the style of sword carried by warriors, samurai, and shogun of ancient Japan.
With the pacification of Japan, such swords are now only used for ceremony and decoration. The true art of sword-smithing is all but lost in Japan with new sword production dedicated to making inexpensive replicas for the tourist and foreign market.
For those of you that want to ask whether I can get you a real antique sword. Let me tell you that most real Asian swords were melted down after WWII in Japan, and during the Great Leap Forward in China. Any remaining swords are family heirlooms that nobody will part with.
Please carefully note that the Japanese kanji character shown above is only for a Japanese audience. In China, this character means "knife". See our other entry for "sword" in Chinese.
Note: This can mean knife, sword, or blade in Korean, depending on context.
See Also... Sword
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kate
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Katel
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Katelyn
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Katerine
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Katherine
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Katheryne
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kathleen
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kathryn
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kathy
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Katia
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Katie
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Katrina
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Katy
Kazakhstan
hā sà kè sī tǎn
This is the Chinese name for the country of Kazakhstan
See Also... Asia
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Hawaiian name Keala.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Keesa
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Keiler
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Keira
This is the most popular transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Keith
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Keith
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kelian
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kelis
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kellerman.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kelley
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kelly
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kelsey
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kelvin.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kelyne
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Ken
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kendal
Kendo / The Way of the Sword (Japanese)
jiàn dào
kendou
검도
Often associated with Kenjutsu, this word means "The way of the sword" in Japanese (and Korean with alternate form of the first character).
This is also the term used for swordsmanship and even fencing in Japanese and Korean, depending on context.
Note: These same characters are also used separately in Chinese, but this exact combination yields a common title in Japanese only (perhaps someone who is really into swords would use this in China).
Note: There is more than one way to write the "sword" character (shown above is the Japanese version - if you want the Korean version, please let me know when you place your order).
See Also... Sword | Katana
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kendra
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Kenjutsu / Kenjitsu
jiàn shù
kenjutsu
검술
In Japanese, the modern definition, using simple terms is "A martial art involving swords" or "The art of the sword". However, in Chinese, this is the word for fencing (as in the Olympic sport).
I will suppose that you want this for the Japanese definition which comes from skills and techniques developed in the 15th century. At that time, Kenjutsu (or swordsmanship) was a strictly military art taught to Samurai and Bushi (soldiers). The fact that swords are rarely used in military battles anymore, and with the pacification of Japan after WWII, Kenjutsu is strictly a ceremonial practice often studied as a form of martial art (more for the discipline aspect rather than practical purpose).
Language note: The Korean definition is close the Japanese version described above. However, it should be noted that this can mean "fencing" depending on context in Japanese, Chinese, and Korean.
 Character alternative notes: Japanese tend to write the second Kanji in the form shown to the right. It is a very slight difference, and the two forms were merged under the same computer font code point (thus you will not see the Japanese version in Kanji images shown during the options selection process). If you choose our Japanese Master Calligrapher, this will be automatically written in the proper Japanese form.
Since there are about 5 common ways to write the sword character, if you are particular about which version you want, please note that in the "special instructions" when you place your order.
Romanization note: This term is often Romanized as Kenjitsu, however, following the rules of Japanese Romaji, it should be Kenjutsu.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kenneth
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kenny
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Kempo Karate / Law of the Fist Empty Hand
kōng shǒu quán fǎ
kara te ken pou
The first two characters mean "karate" - technically they express "empty hand".
The last two express "fist law" which is Romanized from Japanese as "Kenpo" or "Kempo".
That "empty hand" translation can be understood better when you grasp the idea that karate is a martial art without weapons (other than the weapons organic to your body, such as your foot, hand, fist, etc). When you practice karate, you do so with empty hands (no weapons).
Note: There is also an antiquated way to write karate. It has the same pronunciation but a different first character which means "Tang" as in the Tang Dynasty. Some dojos use that form - let us know if you need that alternate form, and we'll add it for you.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kenth
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kentin
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This is the Chinese name for the country of Kenya
See Also... Africa
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kenzo
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Keri
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kerri
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kerry
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kerry-Ann
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kerry-Anne
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Keshia
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kevin
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Khaled
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Khalila
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Khelina
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kiera.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kijuana.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Kiko
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kilian
Kill / Slaughter / Murder / Butcher
shā
satsu
살
This is how to write "to kill" or "killing".
This is an absolutely shocking word to have on a wall scroll. It will bewilder, scare, and perhaps offend any Chinese, Korean, or Japanese person who sees it. I do not in any way recommend this for a piece of calligraphy artwork. This entry is only here because our calligraphy search engine received so many requests for "kill".
Note: In Korean Hanja, this character is not often used alone - see the other two-character entry for "kill".
Kill / Massacre / Mass Killing
shā lù
satsuriku
살육
This is how to write "kill" or "massacre".
This is an absolutely shocking word to have on a wall scroll. It will bewilder, scare, and perhaps offend any Chinese, Korean or Japanese person who sees it. I do not in any way recommend this for a piece of calligraphy artwork. This entry is only here because our calligraphy search engine received so many requests for "kill" and "massacre".
You are all a bunch of sick puppies!
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Killien
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kim
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kimberley
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kimberly.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kimerly.
Kindheartedness / Benevolence
Humanity
rén dé
jintoku
인덕
These two characters create a word that can be translated as love, kindheartedness, benevolence and humanity.
The first character means benevolence by itself.
The second character means virtue or morality.
Japanese note: The second Kanji of this word has been slightly simplified (one tiny horizontal stroke removed). It is still readable for Japanese, but if you select our Japanese calligrapher, expect that stroke to be missing on your wall scroll.
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Kindness
qīn qiè
shin setsu
친절
Kindness is showing you care, doing some good to make life better for others. Be thoughtful about people's needs. Show love and compassion to someone who is sad or needs your help. When you are tempted to be cruel, to criticize or tease, decide to be kind instead.
This Chinese / Japanese / Korean word can also mean affectionate, cordial, warmly, or close (emotionally).
See Also... Love | Caring | Benevolence
Kingdom of Heaven
tiān guó
tengoku
천국
This is the very Christian way to refer to the "Kingdom of Heaven" in Chinese, old Korean and Japanese. This is also the translation for "paradise".
The first character means "Heaven". The second character means "kingdom", but in modern times has been extended to mean "country" (but no one will translate this particular character combination as "Heaven Country"). This is the ancient version of this word, as in modern times (after WWII) the second character was simplified in mainland China and Japan.
Kingdom of Heaven (Japanese)
tiān guó
tengoku
천국
This is the same meaning and pronunciation as our other entry for "Kingdom of Heaven" but the second character was simplified in Japan and mainland China to this version. Choose the appearance that you like best (they will be somewhat universally understood - as most people are aware of this simplification in places where they still use all traditional characters - such as Taiwan and Hong Kong). You can consider the other version to be the "ancient version".
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Kirandeep/Kirendeep
kē lún dì
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kirandeep.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kirby
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kiril
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Kirin / Giraffe / Mythical Creature
qí lǐn
keilun
kirin
기린
This word is the title of a mythical beast of Asia.
The animal is thought to be related to the giraffe, and in some ways, it is a giraffe. However, it is often depicted with the horns of a dragon or deer and sometimes with the body like a horse, but many variations exist.
In Japanese it is pronounced “Kirin” as in “Kirin Ichiban” beer.
Notes:
1. This is sometimes spelled as “kylin”.
2. In Japanese, this is the only Kanji word for giraffe. Therefore in Japan, this word needs context to know whether you are talking about the mythical creature or the long-necked giraffe of Africa.
3. Apparently, this was the first word used for regular giraffes in China (some were brought from Africa to China during the Ming Dynasty - probably around the year 1400). Though the mythical creature may have existed before, the name “qilin” was given to the “new giraffe”. This is because, more than 600 years ago, giraffes somewhat matched the mythical creature's description when Chinese people saw them for the first time. Later, to avoid such an ambiguous title, a three-character word was devised to mean a “giraffe of Africa”. The characters for “qilin” shown here are only for the mythological version in modern Chinese.
4. More information about the qilin / kirin from Wikipedia.
5. This creature is sometimes translated as the “Chinese Unicorn”, even though it is generally portrayed with two horns. I think this is done more for the fantasy aspect of the unicorn and because most westerners don't know what a qilin or kirin is (this avoids a long explanation by the translator).
6. In Korean, this can mean kirin or simply giraffe (usually the mythological creature is what they would think of when seeing these characters alone on a wall scroll).
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kirk
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kirsty
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kisha
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kishan.
This an alternate transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kishan. We like this one better because of the way it sounds, and the good meaning. This is also a rare, but real family name in Chinese culture.
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This is the Chinese and Korean Hanja single-character word for kiss.
This is the Chinese two-character word for kiss.
This is the Japanese two-character word for kiss.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kiya
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the German name Klaus or Claus.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Klivia
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kobe.
Kobudo (Japanese)
gǔ wǔ dào
kubudou
This is the title for Kubudo, which can be defined as Okinawan weapons fighting.
The literal translation would be something like "Old Martial Way". The last two characters are often translated as "martial arts" so "Old Martial Arts" is another possible translation.
Please note that even though these are Chinese characters, and can be pronounced in Chinese, this is a Japanese only title. It is not often used nor understood in Chinese. So please consider this to only be appropriate for a Japanese audience.
This is Kodokan. It's used to refer to a certain school or style of Judo. Some may use it as an adjective for other Japanese martial arts. Be careful in selecting the correct Kodokan, as there are two different titles that romanize as Kodokan.
Here's how the characters break down in meaning for this one:
1. Mutual Assistance or Association. Can also refer to a lecture, speech, or explaining something (as in teaching).
2. Way / Path (the Tao/Dao as in Taoism/Daoism)
3. Schoolroom / Building / Establishment / Mansion / Small Castle / Hall (of learning)
Altogether, you get something like, "The Path of Mutual Learning Hall".
More about Kodokan from the Institute of Kodokan.
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This is Kodokan. This is the title of an Aikido dojo, studio, or hall.
Be careful in selecting the correct Kodokan, as there are two different titles that romanize as Kodokan.
Here's how the characters break down in meaning for this one:
1. Light / Bright
2. Way / Path (the Tao/Dao as in Taoism/Daoism)
3. Schoolroom / Building / Establishment / Mansion / Hall (of learning)
Altogether, you get something like, "The Path of Light Establishment".
Kodokan Aikido
kou dou kan ai ki dou
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This is Kodokan Aikido.
Be sure this is the right Kodokan for your school, as there are two different titles that romanize as Kodokan in Japanese.
This is the Japanese Kanji which created the title "koi fish". This word is pronounced "koi" in Japanese.
Here is the reality: This character actually means "carp" in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja. Koi fish really are carp (by species) and were breed to obtain colorful variations in ancient China. Some generations later, some of these colorful fish were transported to Japan, where they also became vastly popular.
Note: Please see our other entry for koi fish (Nishiki Goi) which is a more normal selection for a Japanese koi fish enthusiast to have on their wall.
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This is one Chinese title for what westerners call "koi fish". This literally means "carp fish" (which is what koi fish really are). You probably want the other title, which is more specific to the colorful fish that you are thinking of. Look for "Nishiki Goi" on our website.
Koi Fish / Nishiki Goi
jǐn lǐ
nishiki goi
If you like or collect and maintain koi fish, this is the wall scroll for you.
Technically, this is a certain and revered species of "koi fish" in Japan, but it is the most normal selection for a wall scroll (more normal than the actual Kanji for "koi" or "fish" alone.
This literally means "brocade carp" or "embroidered carp". This term is also used to mean the same thing in China (which is the origin of koi fish breeding and cultivation, several generations before they became popular in Japan).
For those of you that don't know, the Kanji for "koi" (which is pronounced "goi" in this entry) really means "carp". If you want the word that means "koi fish", it would just be the generic word for "carp fish". That would include both colorful carp, and the more mundane gray carp (the ones people eat, if they don't mind lots of bones).
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kollin
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Koralyn.
Korean CKD Virtues
qiān xùn zhèng zhí wēn róu rěn nài kè jǐ bù qū
겸손정직온유인내극기불굴
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right These are the virtues used by Choi Kwang Do Martial Arts.
This is a word list, containing these tenets:
1. Humility (Humble / Modesty)
2. Honesty (Integrity)
3. Gentleness
4. Perseverance (To Endure)
5. Self-Control (Self-Restraint)
6. Unbreakable Spirit (Unyielding / Unbending)
The characters shown here are the ancient Korean Hanja form of writing. If you wish for a Korean Hangul form of these tenets, we can arrange that with our Master Calligrapher Xing An-Ping.
Korean Pronunciation:
1. gyeom son
2. jeong jig
3. on yu
4. in nae
5. geug gi
6. bur gur
Kowtow - The deepest bow
kòu tóu
koutou
고두
This is the term that seems to be known worldwide as kowtow. In Japanese and Chinese, it simply means a deep bow, especially one so low that one's head touches the ground in submission. However, in western culture, it has sometimes come to mean "giving in" or "surrendering to someone else's will". Sometimes even said of a person who stoops to flattery at the expense of their own dignity.
I don't know if you would really want this on a wall scroll, but enough people have searched for this term on our website, that I guess it was time to add it. It just feels strange to see such a word on a wall scroll, so please order with caution. This word is antiquated in both Japanese and Chinese. The act is seldom done anymore, and seen as an ancient ritual of sorts.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kristi
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kristian.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kristie
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kristin.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kristina
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kristine
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kristy
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Krystal
Crystal...or Krystal (alternate)
kè lǐ sī duō
This is another transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the names Crystal or Krystal.
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Kung Fu / Gong Fu
gōng fu
kan fu / ku fu
One of the most famous types of martial arts in the world - and not just because of Bruce Lee.
Some translate the meaning as "Accomplishment by Great Effort". I think this is partially true, but directly translated it literally means "Merit/Achievement/Accomplishment Man". The word "fu" can sometimes mean "husband" or "porter", but in this case, it can only mean "man". However, few in China will think "man" when they hear the word "Gong Fu" spoken.
This term is also used for things other than martial arts. In fact, it's used to refer to a person with excellent skills in crafts that require a great deal of effort such as cooking, tea ceremonies, and calligraphy.
What a lot of people don't know is that the spelling of "Kung Fu" was actually taken from the old Wade Giles form of Romanization. Using this method, the sounds of the English "G" and "K" were both written as "K" and an apostrophe after the "K" told you it was supposed to sound like a "G". Nobody in the west knew this rule, so most people pronounce it with a "K-sound". And so Gong Fu will always be Kung Fu for most westerners.
Also, just to educate you a little more, the "O" in "Gong" has a sound like the English word "oh".
The popular Chinese dish "Kung Pao Chicken" suffers from the same problem. It should actually be "Gong Bao Chicken".
Historical note: Many will claim that Kung Fu was invented by the monks of the Shaolin monastery. This fact is argued in both directions by scholars of Chinese history. Perhaps it is more accurate to say that the Shaolin Monks brought the original fame to Kung Fu many generations ago.
Japanese note: While Japanese martial artists will recognize these characters, Katakana is more often used to approximate the pronunciation of "Kung Fu" with "カンフー". Some will argue as to whether this should be considered a Japanese word at all.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kurt
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kya
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kylan
This is the most popular transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kylie
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kyndra
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kyra.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Laia
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Lali
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Lalie
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Laly
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Lamia
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Lana
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Lance
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Lanna
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the English name Lara
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Lara
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This is the most common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Larissa.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Larry
This is the Chinese name for the country of Latvia
See Also... Europe
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Laughing Dragon Kung Fu
xiào lóng gōng fu
소룡공부
This is the title for a Martial Arts studio (custom-made at by request of the owner of the studio).
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Laura
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Laure
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Laureen
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Lauren
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Laurence
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Laurene
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Laurie
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Laurine
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Laury
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Lautaro
Law of the Fist Karate / Kempo Karate
quán fǎ táng shǒu
ken pou kara te
The first two characters mean "fist law" which is Romanized from Japanese as "Kenpo" or "Kempo".
The last two are a secondary way to express "karate".
Notes:
The more common way to express "karate" is literally "empty hand" (meaning "without weapons in your hand"). This version would be translated literally as "Tang hand" (as in the Tang Dynasty) or "China hand" (sometimes "Tang" means "China" in Japanese). Even though the character for "Tang" is used instead of "empty", it's still pronounced "kara-te" in Japanese.
This is not commonly used in China - so please consider it to be a Japanese-only title.
Many Japanese people will say the last two Kanji are the old and antiquated way to say Karate. This fact does not stop this title from existing, as these four characters are often seen in Kenpo / Kempo Dojos around the western world.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Lawrence
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Layla
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Lazaro
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This is the Chinese word for "Leadership". It contains the ideas of "to lead", "to direct", "to conduct" and "to guide". Putting a wall scroll with this word on your wall suggests that you are honing your leadership skills or hold a position of leadership.
Leadership / Ability to Lead (Japanese Only)
shidouryoku
지도력
This is the Japanese word for "Leadership". This refers to the ability to lead (or with certain adjectives added, the lack of ability to lead).
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Leandra
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Leandro
This is one transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Leanna. The difference between this and the next entry is the first character. In this transliteration, the first character means beautiful or pretty.
This is another transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Leanna.
The first character is the only difference. Both ways, the first character is pronounced like "lee" but this one happens to be the same "lee" as in "Bruce Lee" - it also means plum.
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This is the third transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Leanna. This is the version you should pick if you pronounce your name like "Lay-anna" versus the other too which are like "Lee-anna".
This is the transliteration for the name Leanne in Mandarin Chinese.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Leassa.
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This is the Chinese name for the country of Lebanon
See Also... Asia
This is the most common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the feminine western name Lee.
This character means "pretty" or "beautiful".
Note: This can sometimes be used as a female given name in China. It is not the only given name that sounds like Lee or Li in China. For instance, this is a completely different character than the one used for Bruce Lee's name.
This is an alternate transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the feminine western name Lee.
This character character means "jasmine".
Note: This can sometimes be used as a female given name in China. It is not the only given name that sounds like Lee or Li in China.
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This is the most common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the masculine western name Lee.
This character means "power" or "strength".
Note: This can sometimes be used as a male given name in China. It is not the only given name that sounds like Lee or Li in China.
This is an alternate transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the masculine western name Lee.
This character means "reason", "logic" or sometimes, "science".
Note: This can sometimes be used as a male given name in China. It is not the only given name that sounds like Lee or Li in China.
This means "legendary turtle" in Chinese. This is a great mythological turtle that travels the seas. The creature is comparable to the dragon of China, however, it so happens that dragons became a bit more famous as history progressed. In modern Chinese, this character can just refer to a large sea turtle.
Note: This character can be pronounced in Korean, but this is a very rare Korean Hanja form - it hasn't been used in Korea for at least a few hundred years (even before they switched to Hangul characters).
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Leidy
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Leigh
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Leilani
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Leilany
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Leire
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Lena
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Lenin
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Lenny
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Leo
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Leola
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Léon
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Leona
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Leonardo in English.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Leonardo
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Leondra
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Leonie
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Leonor
Leopard / Panther / Jaguar
bào
hyou
표
This is the Chinese and Japanese word for the big cat known as a leopard, panther or Jaguar.
This can refer to most cats of the Panthera genus as well as the Puma genus (but this is not used for most kinds of lions, except smaller ones like the mountain lion).
Because Jaguars are not native to Asia, the characters for "American continent" is usually added before this character to specifically designate a Jaguar.
This also kind of means Panther or Leopard in Korean Hanja, but in modern Korean, they add a Hangul character to complete the word.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Leopold
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Leopoldo
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name LePine
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Leslie
This is the Chinese name for the country of Lesotho
See Also... Africa
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Leticia
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Letitia
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Levi
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Lewis
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Leyla
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Leyre
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Liam
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Libby
This is the Chinese name for the country of Liberia
See Also... Africa
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Libertad
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Lidia
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Lidiana
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Liduvina
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Liechtenstein
liè zhī dūn shì dēng
This is the Chinese name for the country of Liechtenstein
See Also... Europe
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Liena
Life Energy / Spiritual EnergyEssense of Life
qì
ki
기
Qi which is also Romanized as Chi in Chinese or Ki in Japanese, is a fundamental concept of traditional Asian culture. Qi is believed to be part of everything that exists, as in “life force” or “spiritual energy”. It is most often translated as “energy flow,” or literally as “air” or “breath”.
The character itself is a representation of steam (or breath) rising from rice.
 This was apparently seen as the release of energy from the rice when this concept was first developed. To clarify, the character for rice is shown to the right. The Qi / Chi / Ki character is still used in compound words to mean steam or vapor.
The idea of Qi / Chi / Ki is really a philosophical concept. It's often used to refer to the “flow” of metaphysical energy that sustains living beings. Yet there is much debate that has continued for thousands of years as to whether Qi / Chi / Ki is pure energy, or consists partially, or fully of matter.
You can also see the character for Qi / Chi / Ki in common compound words such as Tai Chi / Tai Qi, Aikido, Reiki and Qi Gong / Chi Kung.
In the modern Japanese Kanji, the rice radical has been changed into two strokes that form an X.
The original and traditional Chinese form is still understood in Japanese, but we can also offer that modern Kanji form in our custom calligraphy. If you want this Japanese Kanji, please click on the character to the right, instead of the “Select and Customize” button above.
More language notes: This is pronounced like “chee” in Mandarin Chinese, and like “key” in Japanese.
This is also the same way to write this in Korean Hanja where it is Romanized as “gi” and pronounced like “gee”, but with a real G-sound, not a J-sound.
Though Vietnamese no longer use Chinese characters in their daily language, this character is still widely known in Vietnam.
See Also... Life Force | Vitality | Life | Birth | Soul
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Life Force
shēng mìng
seimei / inochi
생명
This Chinese, Korean and Japanese word means "life force" or simply "life". The first character means "life" or "birth". The second means "life" or "fate". Together they create the meaning of "life force", though some will translate this as "existence" and sometimes "vitality".
See Also... Vitality | Birth
Life Goes On
shēng huó zài jì xù
No matter what happens, life goes on. For better or worse, life goes one. This is the basic idea behind this modern Chinese phrase which literally says "Life goes on" in these five characters.
A further explanation of this phrase can now be found on our forum here: Life Goes On in Chinese, explained.
A Life of Happiness and Prosperity
xìng fú ér chéng gōng de yì shēng
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This means, "A life of happiness and prosperity" or "A life of happiness and success". It's a great and very positive and inspirational wall scroll selection.
See Also... Prosperity
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Life is a Journey
rén shēng shì yí duàn lǚ chéng
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This phrase means "Life is a Journey".
If this matches your philosophy, this might be the perfect Chinese calligraphy for you.
Life is ShortEven a 100-year-old is but a traveller passing through this life
bǎi suì guāng yīn rú guò kè
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This literally translates as: [Even a] hundred-year-old [person] is [just a] traveler passing by.
The simple message is, "Human life is short". Of course, there is an unspoken suggestion that you should make the best of the time you have here on earth.
Living / Live Life
shēng huó
sei katsu
생활
This means life, living, to live, or the state of being alive. It can also refer to your daily existence or livelihood. It can also be a suggestion to just "Live life".
This is also the term used in other titles such as "healthy living" or Lance Armstrong's "Livestrong" campaign (Chinese title for Livestrong only).
If you need a reminder that you are alive, and to take a breath, this might be the perfect wall scroll for you.
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Life of Love
ài qíng shēng huó
애정생활
This is the Chinese phrase for "[your] Loving Life". Some also translate this as "Loving Life" or "Life full of Love".
This is about being a loving person (to spouse and/or family) during your life. This is not the same as loving the state of being alive - not "love of living", but rather "being loving person during your life".
Note: Korean pronunciation is included above, though use of this phrase in Korean has not been verified.
This is the title for lightning in Chinese.
The first character means, flash, or to dodge / get out of the way. In this case, it's the "flash" meaning. Sometimes this character can be used to mean lightning by itself.
The second character means electricity.
See Also... Thunder | Rain | Storm
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Lila
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Lilian
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Liliana
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Liliane
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Lilith
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Lillian
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Lilly
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Lily
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Lily-Mae
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Lina
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Linda
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Lindia
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Lindsay
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Lindsey
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Lindy.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Linton
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This is how to write "lioness" in Chinese.
Note: This is not a very common title for a wall scroll in China. Perhaps because lions are not indigenous to China. Though oddly enough, rarity of lions made them very prized - and lion dances are a popular festival attraction.
If you do see name of this species of animal written on a wall scroll, it's more likely to be the masculine form of "lion".
Just as Liquor Turns a Face Red, Gold Turns a Heart Black
bái jiǔ hóng rén miàn huáng jīn hēi shì xīn
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right Literally this says: [Just as] white liquor makes people's faces turn red, [So] yellow gold makes people's hearts turn black.
This is a warning about the nature of greed. The suggestion is that one who lusts for gold and riches, will eventually have a black heart (or become a heartless greedy bastard). As a wall scroll, this is a reminder and warning to keep yourself from following the greedy path.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Liroye
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Lisa
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Lisandru
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Lisange
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Lise
This character means to listen, hear, and obey (depending on context).
This character is a stand-alone word in Chinese, but is usually seen in compound words in Korean. Therefore, this title is best for a Chinese audience.
 The ancient form of this character is shown in the upper left. However, there is a modern Japanese Kanji version shown to the right. If you want this modern Japanese version, please let us know when you place your order.
This is the Chinese name for the country of Lithuania
See Also... Europe
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Live For The Day / Seize The Day
ima wo i ki ru
This Japanese phrase can be translated as "live for the day", "live for the moment", "seize the day", or "make the most of the present".
Live Love Die
shēng ài sǐ
sei ai shi
생애사
This came from a customer's request, but it's not too bad. These three simple characters suggest that you are born, you learn to love, and then exit the world.
Live Laugh Love
xiào ài shēng huó
소애생활
In English, the word order shown in the title is the most natural or popular. In Chinese, the natural order is a little different:
The first character means laugh (sometimes means smile).
The second character means love.
The last two characters mean "live" as in "to be alive" or "pursue life".
Please note: This is not a normal phrase, in that it does not have a subject, verb, and object. It is a word list. Word lists are not common in Asian languages/grammar (at least not as normal as they are in English). We only added this entry because so many people requested it.
We put the characters in the order shown above, as it almost makes a single word with the meaning, "A life of laughter and love". It's a made-up word, but it sounds good in Chinese.
We removed the Japanese pronunciation guide from this entry, as the professional Japanese translator deemed it "near nonsense" from a Japanese perspective. Choose this only if your audience is Chinese and you want the fewest-possible characters to express this idea.
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Live In The Moment / Live In The Now
xiàn shì
gen sei
현세
This is a very short way to write "live in the moment" or "live in the now" in Japanese.
This short word is open to interpretation. It's used in Japanese Buddhism to mean "the current epoch" or "the current age" (the current age is but a brief moment in the greater scope of existence). When used in that context, this is pronounced "utsushiyo" or "ustusiyo" in Japanese. Otherwise, it's pronounced "gensei" in Japanese.
Other translation possibilities include:
Live for now
Earthly world
This world
This life
Earthly life
Present life
Present generation
Present incarnation
Current age
This existence
This (momentary) reality
Note: This is also a word in Chinese and old Korean Hanja. While the meaning is more or less the same, this is not recommended for a wall scroll if your audience is Chinese or Korean. This selection is best if your audience is Japanese.
Live in Prosperity
shēng huó yú fán róng zhōng
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This means, "live in prosperity". It's kind of a suggestion to be prosperity the center of your world.
This is the way some people want to live (and you should always live for what you love). However, this phrase does not suggest a peaceful life - rather one that is always busy. It's not for everyone, but it might be for you.
See Also... Prosperity
Live Without Regret
shēng ér wú huǐ
This is how to say "live without regrets" in Mandarin Chinese. This also makes sense in Japanese, but I don't yet have the pronunciation info.
See Also... Live For Today
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Live Strong
jiān qiáng shēng huó
While hard to translate directly, this is the best way to write "Live Strong" in Chinese. If you are a cancer survivor, or simply support Lance Armstrong's ideas, this is a nice selection for a wall scroll.
The first two characters mean strong or staunch. The last two mean living or life (daily existence). While the Chinese version is the reverse order of "Live Strong" it is the only way to write it in a natural form that is also grammatically correct.
Note that we are in no way affiliated or connected to Lance, nor his foundation. This translation is offered because of multiple requests from customers whose philosophies or ideas match those of the Live Strong idea.
See Also... Strength | Vitality | Health | Determination | Discipline
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Livia
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Liya
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This is the most popular transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Lizzie.
This is the most popular transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Lizzy.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Llorenç
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the family name Lockhart.
This is the most common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Logan.
This is the second most common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Logan.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Loick
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Loida
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Lola
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Lolita
This means lonely, solitude, loneliness, and lonesome.
In some context, it can mean reclusive, isolation, single or solo.
This is a Japanese word, but not a good selection for a wall scroll.
In Chinese, this will relay a rather sad feeling to anyone who reads this calligraphy on your wall.
 The version shown to the left is the Traditional Chinese and ancient Japanese version. In modern Japan and China they often use a different more simplified version of the second character (as shown to the right). If you want this Japanese/Simplified version, please click on the character shown to the right instead of the button above.
Longing for Lover
sī liàn
This is a term used for when you miss a lover. It suggests that you are separated (not by choice) and have longing for each other. It's a strong feeling of missing your lover.
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Longevity / Long Life WishesA wish for a long and prosperous life
fú rú dōng hǎi shòu bǐ nán shān
This is a phrase that means "May you have good fortune as great as the eastern oceans, and may your life last as long as the southern mountains".
In ancient Chinese mythology, the eastern oceans and southern mountains are where God resides (basically it is the same as saying "heaven"). So it's like saying, "May your good fortune and life be as vast as the heavens".
There is also a longer, 14-character version of this phrase. Also, this can be cut into two scrolls (with half the phrase on each side - great for hanging on either side of a doorway). Just let me know if you'd like a special version (there is an additional cost).
Longevity / Long Life
cháng shòu
chouju
장수
Used as a noun, this word means "longevity" or "the ability to live long". It can also be an adjective meaning "long lived".
 Please note that Japanese use a simplified version of the second character of longevity - it also happens to be the same simplification used in mainland China. Click on the character to the right if you want the Japanese/Simplified version of this two-character longevity calligraphy.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Lorea
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Loreley
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Lorena
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Lorene
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Lorenzo
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Loreto
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Lorette
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the feminine name Lori.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the feminine name Lori.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Lorianne
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LorraineThe most common Lorraine
luó lún
This is the most common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Lorraine.
This is the second most common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Lorraine.
LorraineThe most accurate Lorraine in Chinese
luó ruì ēn
This is a transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Lorraine that we feel is more accurate to the way the name is supposed to sound in English.
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This is another alternate transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Lorraine.
Lost / Dazed and Confused
mí
mei
미
This is one of those characters that can mean a lot of different things depending on context. When written alone, as a single character on a wall scroll, it opens up the possibilities, and allows you to decide what it means to you.
The key definition is "to be lost". This could be physically or mentally lost. It can be someone lost in their thoughts, lost in an ocean, or just confused about where they are. The reason for the confused state may be due to internal or external reasons.
Here are some entries from various Asian dictionaries...
Chinese: lost, confused, bewilder, crazy about, fan, enthusiast, mystery.
Japanese: lost, astray, be perplexed, in doubt, err, illusion.
Korean: lost, bewildered, fascinated, deluded.
This is another name for "lotus". This happens to be a single-character that expresses "lotus" in Chinese, and the common name of "lotus" in Japanese and Korean (note that there are two ways to pronounce this character in Korean).
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Louie
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Louis.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Louisa.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Louise
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Lourdes
Love and Hate
ài yǔ hèn
애여한
Whether you want to make a joke about what marriage really is, or just feel that the world in full of love and hate, this selection is for you.
These characters happen to literally translate. So the first character is love. The middle character is a connecting particle like "and" in English. The last character is hate.
Upon request, we can omit the "and" character and just put a dot to separate love and hate if you prefer.
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Love and Hate
ài zēng
ai zou
애증
This is a weird selection for a calligraphy wall scroll. But if you really want it, we'll do it.
This version is most appropriate if your audience is Japanese or Korean (for Koreans who can read the ancient Korean Hanja).
The first character means love or affection.
The second character means hate, dislike, detest, or loathe.
Love the Flower, Love the Pot alsoLove Me, Love My Dog
ài huā lián pén ài ài nǚ téng nǚ xù
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This literally translates as: if one loves a flower, [one will] love it's pot; [if one really] loves [one's] daughter, [one will also] love [one's] son-in-law.
Figuratively, is similar to the English phrases:
Love me, love my dog.
Love for a person extends even to the crows on his roof.
Love Forever / Love Eternally
ài yǒng yuǎn
ai ei en
The first character here means "love".
The last two mean forever, eternity, eternal, perpetuity, immortality, and/or permanence.
This is the shortest and most universal way to express this idea in Chinese and Japanese.
Japanese note: This sound more like a title than a phrase in Japanese (if that makes any sense). This is a great title for a romantic book, title of a movie, name of a perfume, or even a name for a store.
See Also... Eternal Love | Forever Love
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Live Laugh LoveJapanese only
ai to warai no seikatsu
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right Because a word list of "Live Laugh Love" is not natural in Japanese, this takes the concept and incorporates it into a proper phrase.
This can be translated as, "A life of love and laughter" or "Live life with love and laughter".
Love Life
rè ài shēng mìng
열애생명
This is the Chinese phrase for "Love Life" or "Love of Life".
If you love your life, or want a reminder on your wall to keep you loving your life each day, this is the selection for you.
To clarify, this is different than "A life full of love", or "love while you live". With this phrase, you are loving the state of being alive.
Note: Korean pronunciation is included above, though use of this phrase in Korean has not been verified.
Lover / Spouse / Sweetheart
ài ren
ai jin
애인
This means lover, sweetheart, spouse, husband, wife, or beloved in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.
The first character means "love" and the second means "person".
This title can be used a lot of different ways, depending on context. Husbands and wives may use this term for each other. But, if you change the context, this title could be used to mean "mistress". It's pretty similar to the way we can use "lover" in many different ways in English.
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Lover / Sweetheart
qíng rén
jou nin
This means lover, sweetheart or beloved in Chinese and Japanese Kanji.
This term is gender-neutral, so anyone can use it.
Please note that this term can easily be read or used to mean "mistress" or the kind of lover that you have an affair with. The context in which this word is used affects the actual meaning. Husbands and wives or boyfriends and girlfriends can also use this term for each other with no ill-meaning.
Loving Father
cí fù
jifu
자부
These characters create the title of loving father, affectionate father, or merciful father. A great gift for your dad.
Loving Mother
cí mǔ
ji bo
자모
These characters create the title of loving mother, affectionate mother, or merciful mother. A great gift for your mom.
See Also... Family
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LoyaltyJapanese Chinese Korean
zhōng chéng
chuu sei
충성
Loyalty is staying true to someone. It is standing up for something you believe in without wavering. It is being faithful to your family, country, school, friends or ideals, when the going gets tough as well as when things are good. With loyalty, you build relationships that last forever.
Notes:
1. This written form of loyalty is universal in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.
2. There is also a Japanese version that is part of the Bushido Code which may be more desirable depending on whether your intended audience is Japanese or Chinese.
3. This version of loyalty is sometimes translated as devotion, sincerity, fidelity, or allegiance.
See Also... Honor | Trust | Integrity | Sincerity
Loyalty / DevotionChinese, Korean, and Japanese
zhōng yì
chuu gi
충의
This is another form of loyalty or devotion.
In Chinese, this is more specifically about being loyal and devoted to your friends.
In Japanese, this is more often used to mean loyalty to your country or nation.
Except for the slight difference noted above between Japanese and Chinese, this word is understood universally in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja. It can also be used to describe devotion or fidelity.
It should be noted that this Kanji combination is being used less and less in modern Japan (this is a better choice if your audience is Chinese, though any Japanese person will clearly understand it).
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Loyce
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This is the most popular transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Loyd
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Luca
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Lucas
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Luci
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Lucia
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Luciana
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Luciano
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Lucila
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Lucrecia
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Lucy
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Ludwig
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Luigi
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Luis
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Luisa
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Luisja
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Luke
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Lulia
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Luna
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Luz
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Lydia
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Lydie
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Lyla
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Lynda
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Lynette
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Lynn
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Lysa
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Lysange
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Maaike
This is the Chinese name for the island of Macao.
Note: Macao / Macau is a special administrative region of the People's Republic of China, but formerly a territory of Portugal. Potugese remains an official language.
See Also... China | Hong Kong | Taiwan | Asia | Portugal
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Macarena
This is the Chinese name for the country of Macedonia
See Also... Europe
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Maceo
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Mactaggart
mài kè tǎ gé tè
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Mactaggart
Madagascar
mǎ dá jiā sī jiā
This is the Chinese name for the country of Madagascar
See Also... Africa
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Maddox
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Madeleine
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Madeline
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Madison
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This is a transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Mae-Lyn or Maelyn.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Mae. It also works in Korean for the same name.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Mafalda
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Magali
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Magaly
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Magdalena
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Maggie
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Maggy
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Maguire
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Maintain An Army For 1000 Days,
Use It For An Hour
yǎng bīng qiān rì, yàng bīng yì shí
양병천일용병일시
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right Nothing could be more true. When I was in the Marine Corps, we trained for years for combat that often lasts only hours.
This phrase also reminds me of a common phrase used in the military to describe combat: "Weeks of total boredom, punctuated with five minutes of shear terror".
This may have some roots in Sun Tzu's The Art of War. Though I can not find this passage in his writings.
On the subject of the Art of War, if you have a favorite passage, we can create a custom calligraphy scroll with that phrase.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Maitane
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Maïté
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This is the Chinese name for the country of Malawi
See Also... Africa
This is the Chinese name for the country of Malaysia
See Also... China | Thailand | Asia
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Malcolm
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This is the Chinese name for the country of Maldives
See Also... Asia
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Malena
This is the Chinese name for the country of Mali
See Also... Africa
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Malorie
This is the Chinese name for the country of Malta
See Also... Europe
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Mandy
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Mani
This is the transliteration into Mandarin Chinese, for the Greek family name, Manolis.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Manuel
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Manuela
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Mar
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Mara
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Marc
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Marcela
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Marcelo
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Marco
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Marcos
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Marcus
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This is the most common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Marek
This is the second most common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Marek
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Maren
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Margaret
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Margareth
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Margarita
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Mari
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Maria
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Mariana
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Mariane
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Marianna
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Mariano
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Maribel
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Maricarmen
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Maricielo
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Maricruz
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Mariela
Marijuana / Weed / Pot
dà má
tai ma
대마
This is how to write marijuana, weed, pot, grass, cannabis or hemp in Chinese and Japanese Kanji. I never thought to add this, but these terms were searched for more than 5000 times on our website.
I have not checked to see if our calligraphers might have any problem with writing this. In case you didn't know, using, selling, distributing pot in China is punishable by death. However, you can buy nice Lebanese hash at the hotel just down the way from the Lebanese Embassy in Beijing (I'm pretty sure it's brought in the country via diplomatic pouch).
This means "Cannabis Sativa" in Korean, but they add a third Hanja character to specifically mean the marijuana species that you know and love.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Marika
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Marilina
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Mariluz
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This is the most common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Marilyn
This is the second most common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Marilyn
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Marilyne
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Marimar
This is the most common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Marina
This is the second most common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Marina.
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This is the Chinese way to express "Marine Corps". This could be the Marine Corps of virtually any country that has an amphibious military force.
Let me know you want a more specific title such as British Royal Marines or U.S. Marine Corps.
The Chinese title for Marines is very verbose...
Breaking down each character, this means:
"ocean/sea military/arms shore/land fighting/war/battle corps/team/group".
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Mario
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Mariola
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Marion
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Marisa
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Marisol
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Maritza
This is the most popular transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Marjorie
This is the second most popular transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Marjorie
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Mark
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Marlan.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Marlen
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Marlena.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Marlene
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Marlon
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Marshall
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Marta
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Martha
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Martial Arts Master (Japanese Only)
wǔ yún zhě
bugeisha
무운자
This is the Japanese Kanji title for "Martial Arts Master". It suggests that you have reached at least the level of black belt, and are probably to the level where you are ready to become an instructor.
Please consider carefully where you stand before ordering this phrase on a wall scroll. If you are not a master, this will make you look a bit foolish.
If you want to get this as a gift for your master at the dojo. Try to discreetly make sure this term is used in your school. Different schools and styles of Japanese martial arts use different terms. You may notice in the Romaji and the characters, this has the same characters as "geisha" which means "person skilled in arts" (what a geisha girl really is). The title here has the character for "martial", "warrior", and/or "military" in front of it. Therefore the literal translation is "martial art person".
These Kanji are valid Chinese characters and Korean Hanja, but this title does not really make sense in Chinese and not often used in Korean, though a Chinese or Korean would be able to guess the meaning by looking at the first and last characters.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Martin
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Martine
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Martinez
Martinique
mǎ tí ní kè dǎo
This is the Chinese name for Martinique (overseas department of France).
See Also... Oceania
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Marvin
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Mary
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Mary-Lou
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Maryane
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Maryanne
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name MaryAnnie.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Marylise
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Maryse
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Mason
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Massimo
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Master / Sifu / Shi Fu / ShifuMartial Arts Teacher
shī fu
si fu
사부
This means master in Chinese (occasionally used in Korean Hanja as well). In the context of Martial Arts, this is the master and teacher who instructs students.
In other contexts, this can simply mean "skilled worker".
Historically, this term has been used for a lot of things, such as, "The tutor of a king or emperor". But now it's more commonly used to mean, master worker, or qualified worker.
Currently, within the field of skilled labor, a master (shifu) is higher than a journeyman, and is considered to be one worthy to teach others.
Note: In the 1970's and 1980's this term was used as a common form of polite address between people. You might say, "master, do you know were Tian'anmen Square is?" to just a person on the street at that time. This usage has almost passed, however, for some reason, people still often refer to taxi cab drivers as "master" in China (though I think/hope this is fading).
Language notes: I've often seen this romanized as "sifu", this is actually the Cantonese romanization. In Mandarin Chinese, it's "shifu". The pronunciation in Mandarin is actually like "sure foo" (using typical English pronunciation). There's an "R-sound" in there, which is not obvious from the romanization. Many martial arts studios incorrectly pronounce this like "she foo". In Cantonese, it sounds like "Sea foo" (almost like "sea food", minus the "d" on the end). This is kind of a weird selection for a calligraphy wall scroll, this entry is more for educational purposes. But you are welcome to buy it if you feel it's appropriate for your circumstances.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Matéo
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Mathieu
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the French name Mathilde.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Mathis
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Matias
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Matilda.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Matilde
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Matrika
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Matt
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Matthew
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Mattis
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Matty
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Maud
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Maura
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Maureen
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Mauri. The same characters are used to write Maury in Chinese.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Mauricio
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Mauritania
máo lǐ tǎ ní yà
This is the Chinese name for the country of Mauritania
See Also... Africa
This is the Chinese name for the country of Mauritius
See Also... Africa
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Maury. The same characters are used to write Mauri in Chinese.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Max
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Maxi
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Maxima
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Maximilianomasculine name
mǎ xī mǐ lì yà nuò
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Maximiliano
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Maximus
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Maxine
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Maxwell
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Maya
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Mayleen
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Mayra
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Mayte
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Spanish family name (surname) Mazo
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name McCary.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name McGinnis
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the family name McGough.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name McGowan
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the masculine name Meena
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the feminine name Meena
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Meg
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Megan.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Meghan.
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This is the most common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Mehmet.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Melanie.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Melany
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Melba
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Melchior
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Mélina
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Melinda
This is the most-common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the English and Spanish name Melissa
This is a less-common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Melissa.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Melody
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Melvin
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Melvyn
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Mercè
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Mercedes
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Meri
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Meritxell
This is the Chinese word for mermaid.
It literally means "beautiful human fish".
Mermaid / Merman (Unisex)
rén yú
ningyo
인어
This is the Japanese, Korean and Chinese word for "merman" or "mermaid".
It literally means "human fish".
This is a non-gender-specific or unisex word in all three languages.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Meryl
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Messon
This is the symbol for metal (often means gold or money) in Chinese, Korean and Japanese.
In an interesting twist, in Japanese, this Kanji can also mean "Friday". I guess Friday is "the golden day" in Japan.
Gold / Metal is one of the five elements that ancient Chinese believed all things were composed of. These elements are also part of the cycle of Chinese astrology. Every person has both an animal sign, and one of the five elements according to the date of their birth. See also Five Elements and Chinese 12 Animals / Zodiac.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Mia
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Micaela
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Michael
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Michele.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Michelle
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Mick
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Mickey
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Miguel in English.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Miguel
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Romanian name Mihai.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Mijal
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Mijer
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Mike
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Miki
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Mila
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Milagros
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin name Milan.
This also happens to be the Chinese name for the city Milan or Milano in Italy.
These characters are only used for their phonetic properties, but this would mean "rice orchid". But any Chinese person will know that you are talking about either the Italian city or a person named Milan (and will not take the literal meaning).
Though technically, you are supposed to use Katakana instead of Kanji, this also sounds like Milan in Japanese. The pronunciation was borrowed from Chinese when Japan borrowed Chinese characters in the 5th century.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Milena
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Miliana
Military Intelligence
jūn shì qíng bào
gunji-jouhou
군사정보
This is the full way to say "Military Intelligence".
The first two characters mean "military affairs".
The second two characters mean "intelligence" or "information-gathering".
If you work in the G2 section of your military unit, this is the wall scroll for you.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Millie
Mind, Body and Spirit
shēn xīn líng
mi shin rei
신심령
This is probably the best way to express the idea of "Body, Mind and Spirit" in Chinese and old Korean Hanja. We are actually using the word for "heart" here because for thousands of years, the heart was thought to be the place where your thoughts, feelings and emotions came from. We do something similar in the west when we say "warm-hearted" or "I love you with all of my heart". In this context, heart = mind in Asian language and culture.
The very literal translation of these three characters is "body, heart & spirit" which could also be interpreted as "body mind & soul".
We have arranged these characters in this order because it simply "feels" like the proper order in the Chinese language. Word lists like this are not so common for calligraphy artwork, so we have to be careful to put them in the most natural order. It should be noted that this is not a common title in Asia, nor is it considered an actual phrase (as it lacks a clear subject, verb, and object).
In Japanese Kanji, they use an alternate form of the character for soul or spirit. If you want this using the Japanese alternate, please click on the Kanji shown to the right instead of the button above.
Japanese disclaimer: This is not a natural phrase/list in Japanese. While not totally-natural in Chinese, this word list is best if your audience is Chinese.
Miracle / Marvel
qí jì
kiseki
This is a Chinese and Japanese word that means miracle, miraculous, wonder, or marvel. The second character is an alternate form (see our other miracle entry for the most common version)
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Miranda
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Mireia
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Miriam
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Mirna
Miss You Forever
yǒng yuǎn xiǎng niàn nǐ
This is how to write "missing you forever" in Chinese.
The first two characters mean "forever" or "eternally".
The third and forth characters mean "missing" or "longing for".
The last character means "you".
This might suggest that you are missing someone whom you will never see again (depending on how you read it, or in what context it is used).
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Missy.
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This is the translation to Modern Mandarin Chinese for the name Missy. This means "Miss" or "little girl".
Sensei / Master / Teacher / Mister
xiān shēng
sensei
선생
If you've taken even a single karate class in your life, you know this term. This is sensei, which is associated in the west with a master or instructor of karate, aikido, judo, and other Japanese martial arts.
In reality, this is a term of respect for almost any professional or skilled person (doctor, lawyer, teacher, etc). In some cases, it is used for musicians and artists who have achieved a certain level of fame, skill, or accomplishment.
It should be noted that this is also a courtesy title in Chinese, but more like calling someone "mister" or "gentleman". It doesn't really have the "master" or "teacher" meaning in Chinese - see our Chinese "Master / Sifu / Shi Fu" entry if your audience is Chinese.
In Korean Hanja, this means teacher, instructor, schoolmaster, or schoolmistress. This entry is more for educational purposes. This is kind of a strange thing to put on a wall scroll. It's a title that is used more orally to show respect, rather than something written in calligraphy. If you feel that it is appropriate in your circumstances, we are very willing to create a piece of sensei Japanese calligraphy artwork for you.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Mitch
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Mitchell
This is the most-common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Russian / Slovenian name Mitja.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Modesto
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Sense of Shame / Sense of Honor
Integrity / Modesty (Korean)
lián chǐ
염치
This simultaneously means "sense of honor" and "sense of shame" in Korean.
This term is often used as a tenet of Taekwondo where the English terms "integrity" and/or "modesty" are applied.
This is also a Chinese word, though it is usually read with the "sense of shame" meaning, and is a poor choice for a wall scroll if your audience is Chinese.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Moisés
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Slovenian name Mojca.
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This is the Chinese name for the country of Moldova
See Also... Europe
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Molly
Mama / Mother / Mommy
mā
마
This is the oral way that most Chinese people refer to their mothers. Often, they will put this together twice (two of the same character in a row) to create a word that sounds like "Mama". That's absolutely what little kids call their mothers in China. This Chinese "Mama" is the rough equivalent of "Mommy" in English. Beyond a certain age, Chinese will start to just say "Ma", which is like saying "Mom".
This entry is just here for a language lesson. This would make a strange wall scroll by Chinese standards. In Chinese, there are sometimes oral words that don't seem appropriate when written in calligraphy, and this is one of them. See our entry for "Loving Mother" for a better selection.
See Also... Loving Mother | Family
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Mona
This is the Chinese name for the country of Monaco
See Also... Europe
This is the Chinese name for the country of Mongolia
See Also... China | Russia | Asia
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Monica
This is one of those cases when an error was made as Chinese characters were absorbed into the Japanese language during the 5th century.
In Japanese, this means monkey.
In Chinese, this means ape.
The Japanese word for ape, means monkey in Chinese, so you can see how they were simply reversed.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Monserrat
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Montse
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Montserrat
This is the most popular transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Monty
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This is the second most popular transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Monty
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Mony
This is how to write the title for "moon" in Chinese, Korean Hanja and Japanese Kanji.
This character is also used to refer to the month. This is because China traditionally uses a lunar calendar, so saying "next moon" is the same as saying "next month" etc.
In modern Chinese and Japanese and old Korean, the character for a number is put in front of this moon character to represent western months. So "one moon" is January "two moons" is February etc.
If you are wondering, in the east Asian way to write dates, the character for "sun" or "day" is used with a number in front of it to express the day of the month. So "ten moons, one sun" becomes "October 1st" or "10/1" (this date happens to be Chinese National Day - The equivalent of Independence Day in the USA, Canada Day, or the Queen's Birthday).
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Morais
Moral and Virtuous
dé
toku
덕
This is the simple way to express the ideas of having virtue, morals, kindness, benevolence, goodness etc. This character also happens to be the first character of the Chinese word for Germany.
 There is a slight deviation in the Japanese Kanji form. If you want the modern Japanese version, please click on the special Kanji shown to the right instead of the button above. Note that the traditional Chinese form is still readable and understood by Japanese people.
See Also... Ethics | Chastity | Prudence | Benevolence | Morality
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the family name Morales
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Morissette
This is the Chinese name for the country of Morocco
See Also... Africa
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Morrigan.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Morris
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Moses
Mother and Daughter
mǔ nǚ
모녀
This simply means "mother and daughter" kind of as a unit, or as if mother and daughter are a whole together.
This is an unusual selection for a calligraphy wall scroll, and can be read many different ways. Your native Asian friends might wonder what you are trying to say. They might even read it as meaning "a mother and daughter without a dad".
This entry was added to our database for a customer's special request. It has the same meaning in Chinese Characters and Korean Hanja.
See Also... Mother And Son
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Mother and Son
mǔ zǐ
bo shi
모자
This simply means "mother and son", or the essence of the relationship and bond between mother and son.
This is really a single word that expresses this idea (showing how important or significant this bond is).
This is not the most common choice for a wall scroll, it is acceptable if you feel this term is important to you.
See Also... Mother And Daughter
This word can be used for motivation - it can also mean power / motion / propulsion / force. It can be anything internal or external that keeps you going.
This is the safest way to express motivation in Chinese. If your audience is Japanese, please see the other entry for motivation. This is a word in Japanese and Korean, but it means "motive power" or "kinetic energy" (without the motivation meaning that you are probably looking for).
See Also... Enthusiasm | Passion
Motivation (Japanese / Korean)
dòng jī
dou ki
동기
This is a common word for motivation in Japanese and Korean.
In Chinese it can have some bad connotations - so it's safer if your target audience is Japanese or Korean.
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This is the Chinese character, Japanese Kanji, and Korean Hanja for mountain.
This is the Chinese name for the country of Mozambique
See Also... Africa
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Muriel
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Murphy
MusashiThe most famous Samurai
mu sashi
This is the short title for a man long in legend. Miyamoto Musashi is probably the most famous Samurai in all of Japanese history. While coming from a lower class, his new sword and fighting techniques put him on par with the best that feudal Japan had to offer. His long career started with his first duel was at age 13!
He is credited both with using two swords at once, and never losing a single battle in his career. After becoming a Buddhist, and getting older, like many old warriors, he took up a peaceful and solitary life until his death around 1645 A.D.
Note: Technically, Musashi is his given name, and Miyamoto is his surname. However, it's suggested that he assumed both of these names, and also had a few other names at childhood, as well as being given a Buddhist name. It's hard to know what to call him, as with most Kanji, there are multiple pronunciations. The characters for Musashi can also be pronounced "Takezō". But, everyone in modern times seems to know him by the name Musashi.
This is the base title for Mushindo (without mind way). This is often coupled with a trailing word to make titles like Mushindo-Kai or Mushido-Kempo.
If you are looking for this title, you probably know more than I can tell you about this martial arts style.
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This is the Chinese name for the country of Myanmar (formerly known as Burma).
See Also... Asia
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Myra
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Myriam
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North American Opossum / Possum
běi měi fù shǔ
This is the full title for North American Opossum (aphesis spelling: Possum). The first two characters mean "North American" as an adjective. The third character means "carries" and refers to the marsupial pouch. The last character means "rat". You could say the literal translation is "marsupial rat".
Chinese opossums vary from the North American variety. If you were to use the last two characters alone, it may suggest the species native to China.
See Also... Year Of The Rat
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Nacho
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Nadia
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Nadina
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Nadine
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Nahomi
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Nahuel
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Nakita
This is the Chinese name for the country of Namibia
See Also... Africa
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Nancy
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Naomi
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Naomie
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Napoleon
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Narciso
NarutoJapanese Anime Series
na ru to
This is the title "Naruto" from the Japanese animation series. See Naruto Anime Series.
Because of the special Japanese character set used to write this title, it can only be written by the Japanese master calligrapher. Do not try to order it from one of our Chinese calligraphers.
Please note that while this is the correct title for this anime series, it can also mean the "@" sign or "at" in Japanese under different context (a Japanese person not familiar with the series may be confused by your wall scroll).
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Nata
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Natalia
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Natalie
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Natalina
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Natasha
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Nathan
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Natividad
This is the Chinese name for the country of Nauru
See Also... Oceania
This is the Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and Korean Hanja word for "Navy". This is not country-specific, so it is the title for "naval service" from any country with a navy.
These two characters literally mean "sea military".
A nice scroll for any sailor who likes Asian characters and has pride in their service.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Nayab.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Nazarena
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Neftalí
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This is the transliteration in Mandarin Chinese for the name Negil.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Neil
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Nelson
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Neo
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Nerea
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Nestor
This is the Chinese name for the country of the Netherlands. The name actually sounds like "Holland", the other common name for this Benelux country.
There is not differentiation between the words Holland and Netherlands in Chinese, the characters shown here represent the only official name for this country in Chinese.
See Also... Belgium | Luxembourg | Europe
Netherlands Antilles
hé shǔ ān dè liè sī qún dǎo
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This is the Chinese name for the Netherlands Antilles (overseas country in the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
See Also... Holland | Netherlands | North America
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Neus
Better Late Than NeverIt's Never Too Late Too Mend
wáng yáng bǔ láo yóu wèi wéi wǎn
망양보뢰유미위만
Long ago in what is now China, there were many kingdoms throughout the land. This time period is known as "The Warring States Period" by historians because these kingdoms often did not get along with each other.
Some time around 279 B.C. the Kingdom of Chu was a large, but not particularly powerful kingdom. Part of the reason it lacked power was the fact that the King was surrounded by "yes men" who told him only what he wanted to hear. Many of the King\’s court officials were corrupt and incompetent which did not help the situation.
The King was not blameless himself, as he started spending much of his time being entertained by his many concubines.
One of the King\’s ministers, Zhuang Xin, saw problems on the horizon for the Kingdom, and warned the King, "Your Majesty, you are surrounded by people who tell you what you want to hear. They tell you things to make you happy, and cause you to ignore important state affairs. If this is allowed to continue, the Kingdom of Chu will surely perish, and fall into ruins".
This enraged the King who scolded Zhuang Xin for insulting the country and accused him of trying to create resentment among the people. Zhuang Xin explained, "I dare not curse the Kingdom of Chu, but I feel that we face great danger in the future because of the current situation". The King was simply not impressed with Zhuang Xin\’s words.
Seeing the King\’s displeasure with him and the King\’s fondness for his court of corrupt officials, Zhuang Xin asked permission of the King that he may take leave of the Kingdom of Chu, and travel to the State of Zhao to live. The King agreed, and Zhuang Xin left the Kingdom of Chu, perhaps forever.
Five months later, troops from the neighboring Kingdom of Qin invaded Chu, taking a huge tract of land. The King of Chu went into exile, and it appeared that soon, the Kingdom of Chu would no longer exist.
The King of Chu remembered the words of Zhuang Xin, and sent some of his men to find him. Immediately, Zhuang Xin returned to meet the King. The first question asked by the King was, "What can I do now?"
Zhuang Xin told the King this story:
A shepherd woke one morning to find a sheep missing. Looking at the pen saw a hole in the fence where a wolf had come through to steal one of his sheep. His friends told him that he had best fix the hole at once. But the Shepherd thought since the sheep is already gone, there is no use fixing the hole.
The next morning, another sheep was missing. And the Shepherd realized that he must mend the fence at once. Zhuang Xin then went on to make suggestions about what could be done to reclaim the land lost to the Kingdom of Qin, and reclaim the former glory and integrity in the Kingdom of Chu.
The Chinese idiom shown above came from this reply from Zhuang Xin to the King of Chu almost 2,300 years ago.
It translates roughly into English as...
"Even if you have lost some sheep, it\’s never too late to mend the fence".
This phrase is often used in modern China when suggesting in a hopeful way that someone change their ways, or fix something in their life. It might be used to suggest fixing a marriage, quit smoking, or getting back on track after taking an unfortunate path in life among other things one might fix in their life.
I suppose in the same way that we might say, "Today is the first day of the rest of your life" in our western cultures to suggest that you can always start anew.
Note: This does have Korean pronunciation, but is not a well-known phrase in Korean (only Koreans familiar with ancient Chinese history would know it). Best if your audience is Chinese.
New Caledonia
xīn kǎ lǐ duō ní yà
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This is the Chinese name for the country of New Caledonia (overseas territory of France).
See Also... North America
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This is the Chinese name for the country of New Zealand
See Also... Austrailia | Oceania
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Newt.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Newton
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Nia
This is the Chinese name for the country of Nicaragua
See Also... North America
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Nicholas
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Nick
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Nicolas
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Nicole
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Nieves
This is the transliteration in Mandarin Chinese for the name Nigel.
This is the Chinese name for the country of Niger
See Also... Africa
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This is the Chinese name for the country of Nigeria
See Also... Africa
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Nikola
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Nils
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Surname Nilson
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Nima
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Nimra.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Nina
This is just the first character of "Ninja". It means to beat, to endure, or to tolerate. Some use this as the short form of "Ninja", but it would be more correct to use the two-character version in most cases (and for clarity). Other definitions of this Kanji include: to bear, put up with, conceal, spy or sneak. It is also a character in Korean Hanja and Chinese, but not well-known with this meaning, but rather a definition like "patience".
Note that when writing this as Kanji, Japanese will tend to write it in the form shown to the right. If you select our Japanese master calligrapher, please expect this Kanji form (yes, it's just one stroke that is slightly different in location, crossing another stroke in the Japanese Kanji form).
Ninjutsu / Ninjitsu
rěn shù
ninjutsu
This is the "art of the ninja" in Japanese. Most Japanese people associate ninjas with some degree of romance and reverence to Japan's ancient past. But most will accept that the ninja is an idea or way of life whose time has passed. However, this has not stopped floods of movies about ninjas and dojos offering Ninjutsu training from keeping the idea of the ninja alive in modern times.
My modern Japanese dictionary defines this term as "assassination, stealth and combat techniques", or "fighting art of the ninja".
These character are sometimes Romanized as two words: Shin obi, or Shin-obi.
Note that when writing this as Kanji, Japanese will tend to write the first character in the form shown to the right. Because this is specifically a Japanese title, we only suggest our Japanese master calligrapher for this selection - and you will get the form shown to the right if you do that (please ignore the fact that some of the images you see during the following pages in the options process will be the Chinese/alternate form).
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Nino.
Nippon Karate-Do Genbu-KaiJapanese Genbu Karate Club
rì běn kōng shǒu dào xuán wǔ huì
ni ppon kara te dou gen bu kai
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This is the title for Nippon Karate-Do Genbu-Kai.
A Japanese karate association of the Genbu school.
Note that while this title does make perfect sense in Chinese, it is really a Japanese title. In fact, the first word is "Japanese/Japan".
If you'd like your martial arts school, dojo or club added to our calligraphy database for easy ordering of a custom calligraphy wall scroll, just post your request on our Custom Asian Calligraphy Request Forum.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Nishta
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Nitzia
This literally means "No Fear". But perhaps not the most natural Chinese phrase (see our other "No Fear" phrase for a more complete thought). However, this two-character version of "No Fear" seems to be a very popular way to translate this into Chinese, when we checked Chinese Google.
Note: This also means "No Fear" in Japanese and Korean, but this character pair is not often used in Japan or Korea (used somewhat by Korean Buddhists to mean fearlessness).
In recent years, this term is starting to appear in various Chinese and Japanese dictionaries with definitions like "without fear", intrepidity, fearless, dauntless, and bold.
See Also... Never Give Up | No Worries | Undaunted | Bravery | Courage | Fear No Man
No Fear(four-character version)
yǒng zhě wú wèi
용자무외
This is a complete sentence that means literally "Brave People Have No Fear" or "A Brave Person Has No Fear" (plural or singular is not implied). We translated "No Fear" into the two variations that you will find on our website. Then we checked Chinese Google and found that others had translated "No Fear" in the exact same ways. Pick the one you like best. A great gift for your fearless friend.
See Also... Fear No Man
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This is how to say "no regrets" in Mandarin Chinese. This also makes sense in Japanese, but I don't yet have the pronunciation info.
See Also... Live For Today
No Worries
fàng xīn
houshin
방심
My Australian friends always say "No worries mate". It's caught on with me, though I drop the "mate" part since it confuses my fellow Americans.
If you would like to express the idea of "no worries" this is the best and most natural way to say it in Chinese.
The characters you see to the left can be translated as "put your mind at rest" or "to be at ease". You could literally translate "no worries" but it doesn't "flow" like this simple Chinese version.
For your info, the first character means to release, to free, to let go, to relax, or to rest. The second character means your heart or your mind.
Note that in Japanese and Korean, this holds the similar meaning of "peace of mind", but can also mean absentmindedness or carelessness depending on context.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Noa
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Noah
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Noahline.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Noam
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The Noble Eightfold PathAshtangika Marga / Astangika-Marga / Atthangika Magga
bā zhèng dào
ha sshou dou
팔정도
This is a complex set of steps that Buddhists much take to cleanse karma, achieve enlightenment, eventually cease the cycle of rebirth and live in a state of Nirvana.
If the idea of 8 separate wall scrolls plus this title is too much for you, we can custom-arrange all eight of these concepts on a single wall scroll. Just post your request on our Asian calligraphy forum, and we can discuss options.
Note: This term is exclusively used by devout Buddhists. It is not a common term, and is remains an unknown concept to most Japanese and Chinese people.
See Also... Buddhism | Enlightenment
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Noe
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Noel
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Noelia
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Noelle
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Noemi
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Non-Violence
fēi bào lì
hibouryoku
비폭력
This is fairly self-explanatory.
The first character means "not", "non-" or "un-"
The middle and last character together mean "violence", "use of force" or simply "violent".
Together, these three characters would normally be translated as "nonviolence". A great gift for your favorite peace-lover.
See Also... Peace
No one knows a son better than the father
zhī zǐ mò ruò fù
This can be translated as "No one knows a son better than his father".
This idiom is based on the idea that after spending many years together, family members know everything about each other. Better than anyone else, a father knows the qualities and shortcomings of his son.
If you are looking for something about "father and son", this is probably the best selection.
This is the original phrase (very old) but others have been composed about various combinations of mothers, sons, daughters, and fathers.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Nora
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Norah
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Norbert
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Norberto
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Noreen.
Norfolk Island
nuò fú kè dǎo
This is the Chinese name for Norfolk Island.
Note: Sometimes written with one more character that means "ocean" making it Norfolk Ocean Island in Chinese.
See Also... Oceania
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Nori
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Norma
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Normand
This is the Chinese name for the continent of North America
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North Korea
běi cháo xiǎn
This is the Chinese name for the country of North Korea. The official English name being Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
See Also... South Korea | Asia
Northern Ireland
běi ài ěr lán
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Nothing / Nothingness
wú
mu
무
This is the simple way to express "nothing". However, this single character leaves a bit of mystery as to what you might really mean if you hang it as a wall scroll. I'm not saying that's a bad thing; as you can decide what it means to you, and you won't be wrong if you stay within the general context.
More info: This character is usually used as a suffix or prefix for Chinese and Japanese words (also old Korean). It can be compared to "un-" or "-less" in English. It can also mean "not to have", no, none, not, "to lack", or nothingness.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Noura
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Nuno
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Nuria
This is the Chinese word for oasis, as in refuge with water in the midst of a vast desert.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Obdulio
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This is the Chinese and old Korean Hanja word for ocean. This can be pronounced in Japanese, and has the same meaning, but is rarely seen alone in Japanese.
Besides ocean or sea, this character can also mean foreign, wide, or vast.
It's more common for Chinese people to use a different word "hai" for ocean or sea.
This is the Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja word for ocean. This also means ocean in Chinese, but it's not a commonly-used term.
The first character means "big" or "great".
The second means "ocean" or "body of water" (it can sometimes mean "foreign" but not in this case).
The first character designates that you are talking about a great or huge body of water (certainly a major ocean and not a smaller sea).
This is the character often used for sea or ocean in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja. In some context, this can refer to the beach, or an area near the sea, such as "Shanghai" (same hai is the second character of Shanghai).
If you are looking for a universal word for ocean or sea - or can't decide which character for ocean or sea that you want, pick this one!
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This is the Chinese name for Oceania (sometimes called Oceanica). The geographical, often geopolitical, region consisting of numerous lands - mostly islands and usually including Australia. Basically, Oceania includes the Pacific Ocean and surrounding area.
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Octaviano
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Octavio
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Odete
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Odón
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Ofelia
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Oglesby
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Olegario
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Olga
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Olive
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Oliver
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Oliverio
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This is the most standard transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Olivia.
This is an alternate transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Olivia.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Ollie.
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This is the Chinese name for the country of Oman
See Also... Asia
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Omar
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Ona
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Once in a Lifetime (Japanese Only)
yī qī yī huì
ichigoichie
일기일회
This Japanese term can be translated as "for this time only", "chance meeting", "one meeting, one opportunity", "never again", or "one chance in a lifetime".
The characters literally mean "one time one meeting" - of course, the Kanji characters have meaning far beyond a direct translation like this.
Some might use this phrase to talk of an opportunity that presents itself just once in your life. It could also be the single chance-meeting with your true soul mate. Basically an expression for any event that might happen once in a lifetime.
 There is also a traditional version of this phrase. Just the last character is different. The traditional form was used in Japan before WWII and in Korea prior to 1900. This phrase is also somewhat known in China. If you want this traditional form, just click on the character to the right.
This means "one love". This is not referring to a person, but the emotion of love. It's like saying "A piece of love" or "One unit of love". There's not a perfect way to express a singular love, which is probably what you were searching for.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Onésimo
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Onofre
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Oona
An Open Book Benefits Your Mind
kāi juàn yǒu yì
개권유익
There are several ways to translate this ancient proverb. Translated literally and directly it says, "Open roll has/yields benefit".
To understand that, you must know a few things...
First, Chinese characters and language have deeper meanings that often are not spoken, but are understood - especially with ancient text like this. Example: It's understood that the "benefit" referred to in this proverb is to the mind of the reader. Just the last character expresses that whole idea.
Second, Chinese proverbs are supposed to make you think, and leave a bit of mystery to figure out.
Third, for this proverb, it should be noted that roll = book. When this proverb came about (close to two thousand years ago) books were really rolls of bamboo slips strung together. The first bound books like the ones we use today did not come about until some thousand years after this proverb when they invented paper in China.
This is a great gift for a bookworm who loves to read and increase their knowledge. Or for any friend that is or wants to be well-read.
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Opening / Blooming Flowers
kāi huā
kai ka
개화
These two characters literally mean opening flowers (a verb). This word is also associated with Springtime, the beginning of something, or youth.
If you like flowers and the Springtime, this is a great selection for you.
In Korean Hanja, this can be a metaphor for achieving enlightenment or becoming civilized (blooming civilization).
See Also... Flowers Fall
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Ophelia
This is an odd one. I've seen this on coffee cups and posters with the meaning of "opportunity". This is a correct definition, but this character also means "machine". In fact, if you put the character for "flying" in front of this character, you have the Chinese word for "airplane" (literally: flying machine). Alone, on a wall scroll, it will be generally understood as "opportunity" but I want you to know this extra information before you make your selection. Note that in Japanese and Korean, this has a similar meaning, but can also mean machine or loom.
See Also... Success
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Opportunity / Good Luck
jī yù
기우
This is the kind of opportunity that comes via good luck or good fortune.
This word is sometimes translated as "stroke of good luck".
While there are other ways to express "opportunity", I think this version is best for a calligraphy wall scroll or portrait.
Note: In Korean Hanja, this would also mean "Meeting someone under strange circumstances".
See Also... Good Luck
Opportunity (informal - oral)
jī huì
kikai
기회
This is a common oral way to express a chance or opportunity. I don't recommend this for calligraphy artwork if your audience is Chinese, as it just would not seem right - as calligraphy is often formal and this is an informal way to say opportunity. I only made this entry because these two characters are sometimes used in the knick-knack and coffee cups with Asian characters market. For those of you with a "ji hui" coffee cup, don't worry, it does make sense.
Note: This word is slightly more formal in Korean with a meaning of "optimal timing". It's actually a good choice if your audience is Korean, but many Koreans cannot read Korean Hanja like this.
This entry also constitutes the way this word was written in Japanese before WWII and the simplification of many Kanji.
This is the name for Opossum (aphesis spelling: Possum) in Chinese.
The first character means "carries" and refers to the marsupial pouch. The second character means "rat". You could say the literal translation is "marsupial rat".
Chinese opossums vary from the North American variety. Using the two characters shown here may suggest the species native to China.
See Also... Year Of The Rat
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This is the character for orchid in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.
Also: Epidendrum.
This character is used in some context to mean fragrant, elegant, or refined.
This character can also be the Chinese family name romanized as, "Lan". However, it is not the only character that can be romanized as Lan.
In Japanese and Korean, this character means orchid, but is also used as a suffix or short name for the Netherlands / Holland.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Oriana
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Oriol
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Orlanda
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Orlando
This is the most popular transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Orna.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Oscar
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Osmundo
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Osvaldo
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Oswaldo
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Ovidio
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Owain
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Owen
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Pablo
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Paco
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Paige
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Pajares
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This is the Chinese name for Palestine. Currently, this refers to the Palestinian territories (collectively the territories of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip), but will still be the same title if a state of Palestine is established.
See Also... Asia | Israel
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Paloma
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Pam
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Pamela
This is the Chinese name for the country of Panama
See Also... North America
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Paola
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This is the Chinese name for the country of Paraguay
See Also... South America
Appreciation & Love
for Your Parents
shuí yán cùn cǎo xīn bào dé sān chūn huī
This is the last line of a famous poem. It is perceived as a tribute or ode to your parent's or mother from a child or children that have left home.
The poem was written by Meng Jiao during the Tang Dynasty (about 1200 years ago). The Chinese title is "You Zi Yin" which means "The Traveler's Recite".
The last line as shown here speaks of the generous and warm spring sun light which gives the grass far beyond what the little grass can could ever give back (except perhaps by showing its lovely green leaves and flourishing). The metaphor is that the sun is your mother or parents, and you are the grass. Your parents raise you and give you all the love and care you need to prepare you for the world. A debt which you can never repay, nor is repayment expected.
The first part of the poem (not written in the characters to the left) suggests that the thread in a loving mother's hands is the shirt of her traveling offspring. Vigorously sewing while wishing them to come back sooner than they left.
...This part is really hard to translate into English that makes any sense, but maybe you get the idea. We are talking about a poem that is so old that many Chinese people would have trouble reading it (as if it was the King James Version of Chinese).
This is the Chinese name for the capital of France.
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Paris (Japanese)(Paris, France)
pa ri
This is the Japanese name for the capital of France.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Paris. It sounds like Paris, but it does not mean Paris (as in France).
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Parker
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This is the transliteration in Mandarin Chinese for the name Pascal.
This is an alternate transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Pascal.
Passion for a Cause(Chinese)
rè qíng
netsujou
열정
Depending on context, this word can mean "cordial", "enthusiastic", "passionate" or "passionately".
This version is sometimes used in Japanese, but the character order is more common in Chinese and Korean Hanja. The meaning in Japanese for this Kanji order is "ardour" or "zeal", but rarely used in modern Japan. I suggest you choose a different version of "passion" if your audience is Japanese.
See Also... Persistence | Devotion | Tenacity | Commitment | Motivation
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Passion for a CauseJapanese / Korean
qíng rè
jou netsu
정열
A reversal of the characters between Chinese and Japanese/Korean languages yields this "passion" meaning. While many characters and even multi-character words have the same meaning in both languages, often some conventions are different or may have changed over time.
Note: This character order is not natural in Chinese. However, a typical Chinese person can guess that this is a Japanese or Korean word and also understand the intended the meaning. This selection is best if your audience is Japanese or old-school Korean.
See Also... Persistence | Devotion | Tenacity | Commitment | Motivation
Past experience is the teacher for the future.Past events not forgotten serve as teachers for later events.
qián shì bú wàng hòu shí zhī shī
The most literal translation to English of this ancient Chinese proverb is:
"Past events not forgotten serve as teachers for later events".
However, it's been translated several ways:
Past experience, if not forgotten, is a guide for the future.
Past calamity is my teacher.
A good memory for the past is a teacher for the future.
The remembrance of the past is the teacher of the future.
If one remembers the lessons of the past; They will serve as a guide to avoid mistakes in the future.
The origin:
This proverb comes from the 5th century B.C. just before the Warring States Period in the territory now known as China.
The head of the State of Jin, Zhi Bo, seized power in a coup. He did this with help from the armies of the State of Han and Wei. Instead of being grateful for the help from Han and Wei, he treacherously took the land of Han and Wei. Never satisfied, Zhi Bo employed the armies of Han and Wei to attack and seize the State of Zhao.
The king of Zhao took advice from his minister Zhang Mengtan and secretly contacted the Han and Wei armies to reverse their plans and attack the army of Zhi Bo instead. The plan was successful, and the State of Zhao was not only saved, but was set to become a powerful kingdom in the region.
Zhang Mengtan immediately submitted his resignation to a confused king of Zhao. When asked why, Zhang Mengtan said, "I've done my duty to save my kingdom, but looking back at past experience, I know sovereign kings are never satisfied with the power or land at hand. They will join others and fight for more power and more land. I must learn from past experiences, as those experiences are the teachers of future events".
The king could not dispute the logic in that statement and accepted Zhang Mengtan's resignation.
For generations, the State of Zhao continued to fight for power and land until finally being defeated and decimated by the State of Qin (which lead to the birth of the Qin Dynasty in 221 B.C.).
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Pastwa
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Patrice
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Patricia
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Patrick
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Patris
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Patsy
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the feminine name Patti.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Patxi
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Pau
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Paul
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Paula
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Pauline
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Paulo
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Pavla.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Paz
Peace and Love
hé píng bó ài
wahei hakuai
화평박애
This is the Chinese and Japanese way to express "Peace and Love". These are two separate words, so the calligrapher will put a slight space between the first two characters which mean peace, and the last two which represent universal love. This space is not shown on the sample character images for this phrase.
A special note: Word lists may seem okay in English, but feel strange in Chinese and Japanese. We don't offer too many of them, but this one is often-requested, and feels okay in Chinese and Japanese, though a bit uncommon in Korean.
See Also... Peace | Love
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Peace of Mind(five character version)
nèi xīn de níng jìng
내심적령정
This is the longer way to express the idea of "peace of mind" in Chinese.
The first two characters mean heart or "innermost being".
The middle character is a connecting modifier.
The last two characters mean peace, tranquility, or serenity.
Some may also translate this as "inner peace", but I like our other inner-peace options for that idea.
This kind of makes sense in Korean, but will have an archaic read - even by those who can understand Korean Hanja.
Peace of Mind
hé píng
wa hei
화평
This is the Chinese order for these two characters which means peace but can also be translated as amicability, pacifically or mildness. This is often translated as a simple way to say "peace of mind". This combination is used in Korean Hanja to mean "peace and harmony".
Alone, the first character means peace and harmony.
The second chracter means balance, when read by itself.
Note: These characters are often seen in the opposite order in Japanese with the same meaning (You'll sometimes find them in this order in Japan, so either way is OK).
Peaceful Heart
jìng xīn
shizugokoro / seishin
정심
This is how to write "peaceful heart" in Chinese.
The first character means peaceful, calm, and quiet. The second means heart, but can also mean mind, soul, or spirit.
Because the word for heart / mind / soul is interchangeable in Chinese, this can also be translated as "a peaceful soul" or "a quiet mind".
I have also seen this translated as "placid temperament" or "spirit of serenity", especially from Japanese.
While they once used the same first character form in Japan, they now use a slightly-simplified version in modern Japan (after WWII). This version is shown to the right, and can be selected for your wall scroll by clicking on that Kanji instead of the button above.
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Peaceful Warrior
píng hé de wǔ shì
This means "Peaceful Warrior" in Chinese. This does in fact sound like an oxymoron in Chinese - but many of you have asked for this special title.
Note, this is not the same thing as "warrior for peace".
See Also... Peace
Peacefulness / Tranquility
Perfectly Quiet
jìng mì
seihitsu
정밀
The first and second character both mean quiet. Together, they reinforce the meanings almost creating a word that means "double quiet" or "perfect quiet".
A good wall scroll for a library, reading room, or other quiet place.
See Also... Peace | Harmony
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Pear
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Pearl
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Pedro
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Peggy
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Pelayo
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Pembroke
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Penelope
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NOT APPROPRIATE FOR
CUSTOM CALLIGRAPHY Penis
yīn jīng
in kei
음경
This is the most common title for penis in Chinese. There are at least 10 more ways to express penis.
A colloquial term used commonly in Chinese is "little brother".
This selection is not appropriate for custom calligraphy. I only added this entry because thousands of people searched for penis on our web site. You guys are weird!
Another way to say penis is "male root", pronounced "nán gēn" in Chinese, "dan kon" in Japanese, and 남근 or "nam geun" in Korean. This is shown to the right.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Penny
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Pepe
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Perez
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Perla
Undaunted After Repeated SetbacksPersistence to overcome all challenges
bǎi zhé bù náo
hyaku setsu su tou
백절불요
This phrase means "Be undaunted in the face of repeated setbacks".
It comes from a long, and occasionally tragic story of a man that lived sometime around 25-220 AD. His name was Qiao Xuan and he never stooped to flattery, but remained an upright person at all times. He fought to expose corruption of higher-level government officials at great risk to himself.
Then when he was at a higher level in the Imperial Court, bandits were regularly capturing hostages and demanding ransoms. But when his own son was captured, he was so focused on his duty to the Emperor and common good that he sent a platoon of soldiers to raid the bandits' hideout, and stop them once and for all even at the risk of his own son's life. While all of the bandits were arrested in the raid, they killed Qiao Xuan's son at first sight of the raiding soldiers.
Near the end of his career a new Emperor came to power, and Qiao Xuan reported to him that one of his ministers was bullying the people and extorting money from them. The new Emperor refused to listen to Qiao Xuan and even promoted the corrupt Minister. Qiao Xuan was so disgusted that in protest he resigned his post as minister (something almost never done) and left for his home village.
His tombstone reads "Bai Zhe Bu Nao" which is now a phrase used in Chinese culture to describe a person of strong will who puts up stubborn resistance against great odds.
My Chinese-English dictionary defines these 4 characters as, "keep on fighting in spite of all setbacks", "be undaunted by repeated setbacks" and "be indomitable".
Our translator says it can mean, "never give up" in modern Chinese.
Although the first two characters are translated correctly as "repeated setbacks", the literal meaning is "100 setbacks" or "a rope that breaks 100 times". The last two characters can mean "do not yield" or "do not give up".
Most Chinese, Japanese, and Korean people will not take this absolutely literal meaning, but will instead understand it as the title suggests above.
See Also... Tenacity | Fortitude | Strength | Perseverance
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This is the Chinese name for the country of Peru
See Also... South America
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Peter
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Petra
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Phenomenon
xiàn xiàng
genshou
현상
I must first say that this word is an odd thing to put on a wall scroll in Asian cultures. It won't make a lot of sense alone, unless you have a special or personal meaning that you attach to it for yourself.
These two characters mean phenomenon in Chinese, Japanese and Korean Hanja. They can also be translated as "a happening" depending on context.
The sum of these characters is a little different than their individual meanings. But I will break it down anyway...
The first character means present, existing, actual, appear, now or current.
The second character alone means pattern after, imitate, image, shape, sign (of the times), form, appearance, to be like, to resemble, to take after, to seem or elephant.
This is the most common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Philip.
This is a secondary transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Philip. Not the most popular version, but valid. For no apparent reason, this one is the most popular for the "double L spelling" of Phillip.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Philippe
This is the Chinese name for the country of the Philippines
See Also... Asia
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Philipppa
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This is the most common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Phillip.
This is a secondary transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Phillip. Not the most popular version, but valid.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Phillipe
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Phoenix.
It sounds like Phoenix, but does not mean Phoenix.
You may want to carefully consider choosing a scroll that means Phoenix instead, if this is your given name.
Phoenix (female)
huáng
ou
황
This is another simple way to write "Phoenix" in Chinese. This is the specifically female element of phoenix, so this is how you write "female phoenix". This character is sometimes used to represent the female empress (many times in history, China was ruled by a woman, in much the same way queens came to power in Europe).
Note that the emperor is always represented as a dragon (not the male version of phoenix).
If you see yourself as a strong woman, this might be scroll for you to express "woman power" or "powerful woman" in a cool way.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Phyllis
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Pia
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Pierce
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Pierre
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Pilar
Pillars of MarriageRespect / Loyalty / Honesty
zūn zhòng zhōng chéng chéng shí
These are the pillars of marriage (at least they are for some - if you have a different set of pillars and want them on a wall scroll, just post a custom phrase request on our forum).
This is actually a "word list", consisting of "Respect/Loyalty/Honesty". Word lists are not as common in Chinese as they are in English, but leaving that concern behind, this has a good meaning.
If you want to customize it more, add an inscription with your wedding date or names (just a small extra fee for translation).
Note: Because these are three separate words, the calligrapher may be inclined to leave a small space between each two-character word. Let us know if you have any preference when you place your order.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Pinxi
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Pischel
Pitcairn Island
pí tè kè ēn dǎo
This is the Chinese name for the country of the Pitcairn Island (overseas territory of the United Kingdom).
See Also... Asia | United Kingdom
Please Forgive Me
qíng yuán liàng
If you are looking for forgiveness, this is what you would say to ask/beg for it.
Note: This is a strange thing to write on a wall scroll for Chinese people - but you can bend the rules if you want in the west.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Pol
This is the Chinese name for the country of Poland
See Also... Europe
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Polyana
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Ponce
This is the Chinese name for the country of Portugal
See Also... Europe
Prayer / Praying
qǐ dǎo
kitou
기도
This is a second way to write "prayer". It is a little more formal than "dao gao", but the general meaning is the same. This Chinese/Japanese/Korean word can be translated as "to pray", "to say one's prayers" or simply "prayer". Like the other common term for prayer, this term generally applies only to western religions that pray to the God of Abraham (Christians, Jews, and Muslims).
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Mantis / Praying Mantis
táng láng
tou rou
당랑
This is mantis or "praying mantis" as it's often titled in English.
Technically speaking, this is especially applies to the narrow-winged mantis (Tenodera angustipennis)
It is best to use this very common two-character Asian title for mantis, as the second character alone can mean mantis or dragonfly (totally ambiguous).
 Note: There is an alternate form of this title which uses the character shown to the right instead of the first character shown above. This is uncommon in both Japan and China (if you really want it anyway, please let us know).
Presentacionfeminine name
pǔ léi sēn tǎ sōng
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Presentacion
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Prez
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Principles of Life
shēng huó xìn tiáo
생활신조
This means "principles of life" or "The personal obligations and rules that you live by". For instance, if you were a vegetarian, the act of not eating meat fits into this category.
This could also be translated as "Way of living".
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Priscila
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Priscilla
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Priscillia
pǔ lǐ xī lì yà
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Priscillia
Prosperity (Japanese)
fán róng
hanei
This is the same "prosperity" as our traditional Chinese version, except for a slight change in the way the second character is written (it's the Japanese Kanji deviation from the original/ancient Chinese form). Chinese people will still be able to read this, though you should consider this to be the Japanese form (better if your audience is Japanese). Sometimes the Kanji form shown to the right is used in Japanese. It will depend on the mood of the calligrapher, as to which form you may receive. If you have a preference, please let us know at the time of your order.
Prosperity(also means salary)
lù
fuchi
록
This character is occasionally used in China to mean "prosperity".
This character once meant the "official's salary" in old feudal China and Korea (obviously, the officials lived well, so you can imagine how this was associated with the idea of being prosperous).
This is only used in Korean historical documents for "salary". In old Japanese, this means "fief", "allowance", "pension", "grant" and sometimes "happiness" depending on context. It's very obscure in modern Japanese.
We have other entries that are better-suited for a wall scroll. This entry just addresses "the coffee cup issue" where this character has been used on coffee cups and tee-shirts in a naive manner.
In other words: Don't order this!
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Prosperous Business
xīng lóng
kou ryuu
흥륭
This kind of prosperity applies to a business. Something great to hang behind your desk if you are a small or large business owner. Doing so says that you either are a successful business, or you wish success and prosperity for your business.
Can also be translated as thriving, flourishing, brisk business, and other words related to prosperity in business.
A good meaning in China, but a little antiquated in Japanese.
See Also... Prosperity
Blessings and Protection
bǎo yòu
This is the more religious and sometimes superstitious word for protection in Chinese. It's sort of a blessing of protection, and is often translated as "bless and protect", "blessing", or "to bless".
This would be used the protection or blessing that a deity (such as God) would bestow upon you. It is not religion-specific in the same way that a language itself cannot be specific to any religion.
Note: Sometimes the second character is written in the form shown to the right. Let us know if you have a preference when you place your order.
See Also... Guardian Angel
Protection
bì hù
hi go
비호
This is not the most common word for a wall scroll, but this is the word for protection in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.
This is the non-religious, non-superstitious form of protection.
This word can be translated as shelter, shield, defend, safeguard, take under one's wing, to put under protection. In certain context, it means to grant asylum or give refuge and sanctuary.
See Also... Guardian Angel
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Protector
bǎo hù zhě
hogosha
보호자
This is the universal word for protector in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.
The first character means to defend, to protect, to insure or guarantee, to maintain, hold or keep, or to guard.
The second character means to protect.
Together the first and second characters create a word that means to defend, to protect, or to safeguard.
The last character means person.
Add all three characters together, and you have a word that means "protector", one who will protect, guard, and keep you safe.
Some will also translate this word as guardian or patron.
See Also... Guardian Angel
Prudence (name)
pǔ lǔ dēng sī
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Prudence.
This sounds like "Prudence", but does not mean "prudence".
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Pure Land Buddhism / Jodo Buddhism
jìng tǔ zōng
jou do shuu
정토종
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Puri
This is the most simple way to express purity or cleanliness in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja. As a single character, the concept is broad: This can be a verb (the act of cleaning, purifying, or to cleanse), but it can also be the state of being clean, pure, and chaste. In some context, it can be a place to clean (like a bathing room for the soul in Buddhist context). In Japanese, this can be a female given name "Jou" or "jō" (the Japanese equivalent of the English girl's name "Chastity").
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Purple / Violet Color
zǐ
murasaki
자
This is the single-character Chinese, Japanese and old Korean title for the color violet / purple. The difference between violet and purple is not really distinguished in Asian languages. However, sometimes a character for "light" is added to the front of this one, which might be closer to the meaning of violet.
Purple / Violet Color(two character version)
zǐ sè
murasakiiro
자색
This is the two-character Chinese, Japanese and old Korean title for the color violet / purple. The second character basically means "color", so this literally means "violet color". It's more common to add the "color character" in Asian languages than it is to say "color" after the name of the color in English. Therefore, this is a very natural way to express "violet" in Asian languages.
Pursue Your Dreams / Follow Your Dreams
Chase Your Dreams
zhuī xún mèng xiǎng
The first two characters mean "to pursue", "to track down", or "to search for".
The last two mean dreams. This version of dreams refers to those with an element of reality (not the dreams you have when you sleep, but rather your aspirations or goals in life).
This title will tell everyone that you want to make your dreams come true.
See Also... Pursuit Of Happiness
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Pursue Your Dreams
Follow Your Dreams
Chase Your DreamsJapanese Only
yume wo oi tsudukeru
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This is the Japanese way to express "Follow Your Dreams". If you have dreams that you want to pursue and make true, this is the phrase for you.
The first character is "dream" or "dreams". The rest of the characters establish the idea of chasing or pursuing.
See Also... Pursuit Of Happiness
Pursuit of Happiness
zhuī xún xìng fú
The first two characters mean "to pursue", "to track down", or "to search for".
The last two mean happiness, happy, or blessed.
This is the best way to translate the English phrase "pursuit of happiness" into Chinese.
See Also... Follow Your Dreams
Push or KnockTo weigh one's words
fǎn fù tuī qiāo
반복추고
During the Tang Dynasty, a man named Jia Dao (born in the year 779), a well studied scholar and poet, went to the capital to take the imperial examination.
One day as he rides a donkey through the city streets, a poem begins to form in his mind. A portion of the poem comes into his head like this: "The bird sits on the tree branch near a pond,
A monk approaches and knocks at the gate..." At the same time, he wondered if the word "push" would be better than "knock" in his poem.
As he rides down the street, he imagines the monk pushing or knocking. Soon he finds himself making motions of pushing, and shaking a fist in a knocking motion as he debates which word to use. He is quite a sight as he makes his way down the street on his donkey with hands and fists flying about as the internal debate continues.
As he amuses people along the street, he becomes completely lost in his thoughts and does not see the mayor's procession coming in the opposite direction. Jia Bao is blocking the way for the procession to continue down the road, and the mayor's guards immediately decide to remove Jia Bao by force. Jia Bao, not realizing that he was in the way, apologizes, explains his poetic dilemma, and awaits his punishment for blocking the mayor's way.
The mayor, Han Yu, a scholar and author of prose himself, finds himself intrigued by Jia Dao's poem and problem. Han Yu gets off his horse, and addresses Jia Bao, stating, "I think knock is better". The relieved Jia Bao raises his head, and is invited by the mayor to join the procession, and are seen riding off together down the street exchanging their ideas and love of poetry.
In modern Chinese, this idiom is used when someone is trying to decide which word to use in their writing or when struggling to decide between two things when neither seems to have a downside.
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Pushing Hands / Tui Sau
tuī shǒu
The first character means "pushing".
The second character means "hand" (or "hands").
This term can be romanized as "Tui Sau", "Tui Sao", or from Mandarin, "Tui Shou".
If you are looking for this term, chances are, you already know the meaning within the context of Tai Chi and other martial arts.
This is the Chinese name for the country of Qatar
See Also... Asia
Qi Gong / Chi Kung
qì gōng
kikou
기공
Qigong is the title of a technique that is somewhere between a medical practice, meditation, and in some cases a religion. The definition is blurred depending on which school of Qigong you are following. In some cases, it is even incorporated with martial arts.
Some people (even Chinese people) mix this title with Tai Chi (Tai Qi) exercises.
Lately in China, people will claim to practice Tai Chi rather than Qigong because the Qigong title was recently used as a cover for an illegal pseudo-religious movement in China with the initials F.G. or F.D. (I can not write those names here for fear of our website being banned in China).
You can learn those names and more here: Further info about Qigong
If you are wondering about why I wrote "Qi Gong" and "Chi Kung" as the title of this calligraphy entry, I should teach you a little about the various ways in which Chinese can be Romanized. One form writes this as "Chi Kung" or "Chikung" (Taiwan). In the mainland and elsewhere, it is Romanized as "Qi Gong" or "Qigong". The actual pronunciation is the same in Taiwan, mainland, and Singapore Mandarin. Neither Romanization is exactly like English. If you want to know how to say this with English rules, it would be something like "Chee Gong" (but the "gong" has a vowel sound like the "O" in "go").
Romanization is a really confusing topic and has caused many Chinese words to be mispronounced in the west. One example is "Kung Pao Chicken" which should actually be more like "Gong Bao" with the "O" sounding like "oh" for both characters. Neither system of Romanization in Taiwan or the Mainland is perfect in my opinion and lead to many misunderstandings.
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Queen / EmpressWife of the King
wáng hòu
ou kou
왕후
This is another way to write queen in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.
This is sometimes used for the title of empress.
The first character means "king" and the second means "wife", or a short form to say "wife of the king / emperor". So this is literally, "king's wife" or "emperor's wife". Some will translate this as "queen consort".
See Also... Queen | Goddess | King | Emperor
I added this because a customer got confused about queens. In Chinese, they do not use the same title of queen for bees as they do for humans. This is the proper title for the queen bee of a hive.
Homosexual Male / Gay Male
nán tóng xìng liàn
You just need the male character in front of the word for homosexual in Chinese to create this word.
It's a much nicer way to say "Gay Male" than English words like Fag, Fairy, Sissy, Puff, Poof, Poofster, Swish or Pansy. Although I suppose it could be used as a substitute for Nancy Boy or Queen (for which last time I checked, my gay friends said were OK in the right context).
For those of you who think China is a restrictive society - there are at least two gay discos in Beijing, the capital of China. It's at least somewhat socially acceptable to be a gay male in China. However, lesbians seem to be shunned a bit.
I think the Chinese government has realized that the 60% male population means not everybody is going to find a wife (every gay male couple that exists means two more women in the population are available for the straight guys), and the fact that it is biologically impossible for men to give birth, may be seen as helping to decrease the over-population in China.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Quentin
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Queralt
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Quim
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Rachael
This is the most popular transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Rachel.
This is an alternate transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Rachel.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Radwan
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Rafa
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Rafael
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NOT APPROPRIATE FOR
CUSTOM CALLIGRAPHY Rage / Fury
bào nù
This means violent rage or fury in Chinese.
This is not appropriate for custom calligraphy!
This is a common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Raimond.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Ralph
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Ramiro
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Ramon
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Ramona.
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This is another common transliteration for the name Ramona. I like the other one better (a bit closer in pronunciation).
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Randall
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Randolph.
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This is the meaning in Chinese for the name Randolph. These two characters mean, "shield of the wolf".
Literally: Wolf Shield.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Randy
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Raquel
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Rasheem
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Raul
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Ray
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This is a common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Raymond.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Rayner
Reach Peace and Calm by Meditation
ān chán
안선
These two Chinese characters create a title that means to reach peace and calm through meditation. This is an excellent wall scroll for your relaxation or meditation room.
This is also a Buddhist-related term that encompasses the idea of entering into dhyana meditation.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Read
Read 10,000 Books, Travel 10,000 Miles
dú wàn juǎn shū, xíng wàn lǐ lù
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This is a lifelong suggestion for expanding your horizons by gaining knowledge, experience, and seeing the world.
Of course, this was written long ago when it was hard to travel 10,000 miles.
With air travel and the business I'm in, I often achieve that lifetime goal on a monthly basis.
However, I am a little behind in the book count.
Note: An ancient Chinese mile (lǐ) referred to in this phrase is a bit shorter than a British/American mile.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Rebeca
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This transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Rebecca sounds the closest to the normal English pronunciation of this name.
This is the most commonly-used transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Rebecca.
Re-Birth / Renaissance
chóng shēng
중생
This is the Chinese word for rebirth. This can be used literally or metaphorically. As a metaphor, you could use this to say something like "We are watching the rebirth of New Orleans after the disaster of Katrina".
This is sometimes translated as "renaissance".
Note: This is not the Buddhist concept of reincarnation or re-birth.
See Also... Reincarnation
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Resurrection / Re-Birth
fù huó
hukkatsu
부활
This is the Chinese, Japanese and Korean word for resurrection or rebirth. Basically this means "return to life".
It is the term used in most Asian Bibles to refer to the resurrection of Christ. In Japanese, it is sometimes used to mean a Christian Revival. In some context it can mean resuscitation.
See Also... Christianity | Jesus Christ | God Of Abraham
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Reed
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Regina
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Reidar
Reiki
líng qì
reiki
령기 or 영기
This is the title of a healing practice that is now found throughout the world but with origins in Japan.
Special note: Outside of the context of the healing practice of Reiki, this means "aura" or "spiritual essence that surrounds all living things". A Japanese person not familiar with the practice will take the "aura" meaning.
Reiki is a technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also heals. It can be compared to massage, but is based on the idea that an unseen "life force energy" flows through us and is what causes us to be alive. If your life force energy is low, you'll be more likely to get sick or feel stress. If your life force energy is abundant and flowing well, you become more capable of being happy and healthy.
There is a lot of information available if you want to Google this term - my job is to offer the calligraphy, while you can decide if it is right for you.
Note: We are showing the ancient (traditional) form of the Reiki Kanji. I have seen Reiki written with both the slightly simplified version and this more classic form. If you want the form of Reiki with the two strokes in the shape of an X on the second character and reformed first character, simply click on the Kanji characters to the right.
Note: This is also a Chinese word, but in Chinese, these characters create a word that refers to a smart person, or someone with high aspirations. It is not read as a healing method in Chinese.
In Korean Hanja, this can be read as "mysterious atmosphere" by a Korean who is not familiar with the practice of Reiki (still has a cool meaning in Korean).
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Reinaldo
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Reincarnation / Transmigration of Souls
lún huí
rin ne
This is a universal word in Japanese and Chinese that expresses the Buddhist idea of "reincarnation", "transmigration of souls" or "the eternal cycle of birth and death". In some context, this can also mean "karma".
The first character means wheel, ring, turn, circle, loop or rotate.
The second character can be thought of as a suffix meaning "-times". This second character can also refer to something that revolves, returns, goes back, or a counter for the number of occurrences of some event.
Together the sum supersedes the parts and it means reincarnation. But knowing the seeing the essence of each character may help you understand some of the meaning behind the word.
 If you request this selection from our Japanese master calligrapher, please expect that the second Kanji will look like the one shown to the right. This is the more common way to write this in Japanese. It's an alternate form of this character in Chinese (so neither way is technically wrong in either language).
See Also... Buddhism | Rebirth
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Remedios
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Remigio
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Renan
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Rene
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Renee
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Renisha
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Renzo
Respect (Japanese / Simplified version)Can also be a sign of gratitude
lǐ
rei
례 or 예
We show respect by speaking and acting with courtesy. We treat others with dignity and honor the rules of our family, school and nation. Respect yourself, and others will respect you.
This is also one of the five tenets of Confucius.
This character can also be translated as propriety, good manners, politeness, rite, worship or an expression of gratitude.
 Please note that Japanese use a simplified version of the character for respect - it also happens to be the same simplification used in mainland China. Click on the character to the right if you want the Traditional Chinese version.
This is also a virtue of the Samurai Warrior
See our page with just Code of the Samurai / Bushido here
See Also... Confucius
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Respect out of fear is never genuine
Reverence out of respect is never false
dǎ pà de rén shì jiǎ de jìng pà de rén shì zhēn de
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This is a proverb that seems to be aimed at world leaders or others in power. Perhaps a suggestion to avoid the practice of "fear mongering" opting instead for a policy of benevolence and justice.
An example: When the Bush administration told Pakistan they could either join America in the "war on terror", or expect some bombs to be coming their way, Bush gained this kind of "less-than-genuine respect" from Pakistanis.
Leaders in places like North Korea and even Saudi Arabia reap the same bogus respect from their own citizens.
Note that calligraphers do not like to repeat the same characters in exactly the same way in the same piece of artwork. So expect the characters that are repeated to be written in different forms in the real artwork (unlike the way they are displayed to the left).
Revenge
fù chóu
fukukyuu
복구
These two characters can be translated as revenge, avenge, reprisal or vengeance.
This is actually a very odd selection for a calligraphy scroll. This would be unusual, if not shocking, to a Japanese or Chinese person that views such calligraphy artwork. Also, my Japanese translator has indicated this word is rather obscure in modern Japanese (see our Japanese version of this bad word).
We do not recommend this for a wall scroll - it is here for educational and reference purposes only.
Revenge (Japanese)
fukushuu / fukushyuu
복수
This can be translated as revenge, avenge, reprisal or vengeance in Japanese Kanji and old Korean Hanja.
This is actually a very odd selection for a calligraphy scroll. This would be unusual, if not shocking, to a Japanese or Korean person that views such calligraphy artwork.
We do not recommend this for a wall scroll - it is here for educational and reference purposes only.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Reyes
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Reynald
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Reynaldo.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Rhianne
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Rhonda.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Rhys
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Ricardo
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Richard
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Richie
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Rick
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Rickey
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Ricky.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Rico
Great AmbitionsBrave the wind and the waves
chéng fēng pò làng
승풍파랑
This means to have great ambitions. British might say "to plough through".
This Chinese idiom can be translated as "braving the wind and waves" or "to brave the wind and the billows". Literally: "ride [the] wind [and] break/cleave/cut [the] waves".
This is a great phrase to encourage yourself or someone else not to be afraid of problems or troubles, and when you have a dream just go for it.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Rigoberto
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This is the Chinese word that means risk or venture. This is mostly used in the context of a business venture or the risk you might take on the stock market.
If you like to gamble on the stock market or "let it all hang out" when doing business transactions, this might be the wall scroll for you.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Rita
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name RJ.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Robbie
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Robert
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Roberta
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Roberto
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Robin
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Robinson
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Robyn
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Rocco.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Rocio
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This is the most common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Rocky
This is the second most common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Rocky
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Rod
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Rodney
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Rodolfo
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Greek name Rodoula
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Rodrigo
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Rodriguez
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Roechele
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Rogelio
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Roger
NOT APPROPRIATE FOR
CUSTOM CALLIGRAPHY Rogue
liú máng
ryuu bou
In Chinese, this means rogue, hoodlum, hooligan, gangster, or a person engaged in immoral behavior.
In Japanese, this is a title for a refugee.
Please don't order this, it's only here for reference only. This is not appropriate for custom calligraphy!
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Roland
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Roman
This is the Chinese name for the country of Romania
See Also... Bulgaria | Europe
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Romeo
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Romina
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Romy
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Ron.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Ronald
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Ronan
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Ronin / Masterless Samurai
làng rén
rou nin
낭인
The Ronin have no master - The most famous are the 47 ronin created after their Lord committed suicide. This term was not exactly a positive title for the Samurai of ancient Japan. However, in recent years, movies and video games have glorified the term Ronin.
In Chinese, this term has the original meaning of a hobo, vagabond or ruffian.
In Korean Hanja, these characters would be read as adventurer, wanderer, someone without a steady job, or someone who is wasting away time.
In modern Japan, this term is used as a nickname for a high school student who has failed a college entry exam (and is trying again).
In Chinese and Korean, the Japanese definition of "Masterless Samurai" is known because of the historical context, even in Japanese, the literal translation is closer to the Chinese and Korean definitions shown above.
This will make a fine wall scroll if you are a fan of the Ronin, or see yourself as a Ronin of sorts. However, please think twice before getting a Ronin tattoo!
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Ronnie
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Ronny
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Rosa
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Rosario
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Rose
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Rose(Name used in botany and some poems)
yě qiáng wēi
nobara
야장미
This is both the technical term for rose in the science of botany. However, it also means wild rose and can be found in some forms of poetry as well.
If you are wondering, this word for rose sounds good in Chinese, not like a super-technical such as the Latin words we use for scientific terms in the west).
Rose Flower(The flower of love)
qiáng wēi
bara / shoubi
장미
This is the most universal way to write rose (as in the flower) because it is understood in both Chinese and Japanese (same characters in either language). This is also a common way to write about roses in Asian poetry. This can be translated as "wild rose" if you are looking for that title.
This is also how to write "rose" in old Korean Hanja (though they now us Hangul and most Koreans of this generation will not be able to read this without a dictionary).
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Roselyn
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Rosendo
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Rosie
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Ross
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Rosy
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Rowena
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Roxana
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Roxanne
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Roy
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Ruben
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Rubens
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Ruby.
This is the Chinese word for Ruby (as in the bright red gem).
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Rudy
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Rufo
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Ruiman
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Rune
This is the Chinese name for the country of Russia
See Also... Europe | Asia
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Ruth
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This is the Chinese name for the country of Rwanda
See Also... Africa
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Ryan
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Sabela
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Sabine
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Sabrina
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Sacha
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Sacrifice(complete bodily devotion)
xiàn shēn
헌신
This means sacrifice in Chinese. This kind of means that you are so devoted to something that you will make sacrifices for that goal/thing/person. Some will also translate this word as, "commit ones energy to", "devote to", or even, "giving your whole body to".
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Sadie
The Saint(single character)
shèng
sei
성
This is the simple, single-character religious form of "saint" in Chinese (also holds same meaning in Japanese and Korean, though rarely used alone like this).
This can also mean: holy, sage, master, or priest.
Note: This character is often used in compound words (words of more than one character) to create further meanings. In compounds, it can mean holy, sacred or divine.
This character is also used as the first word for Spanish and English place names such as "San Diego" and "St. Louis" in Chinese (not Japanese).
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Salama
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Saleem
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Sally
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Salva
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Salvador
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Sam
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Samantha.
This is the most common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Sami.
This is an alternative transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Sami.
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This is the second most common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Sammy
This is the Chinese name for the country of Samoa (formerly known as Western Samoa). The official name is the Independent State of Samoa. Not to be confused with American Somoa which is to the southeast.
See Also... Oceania
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Samuel
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Samy
San Marino
shèng mǎ lì nuò
This is the Chinese name for the country of San Marino
See Also... Europe
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Sandra
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Sandy
Sangha
sēng qié
sougya
승가
In Buddhism, this term refers to a community of monks and/or nuns (one of the "Three Jewels"). In general terms, it can simply mean "all followers of the Buddha".
Notes: Though there are not vast numbers of Chinese Hindus, in the Hindu faith, this term means "community together".
The original Sanskrit word is also Romanized as samgha.
The first character means "monk". The second character means Buddha or Shakyamuni.
This is really a transliteration of the original Sanskrit, but it uses two very profound Chinese characters related to Buddhism.
Some may pronounce this as "seng qie" or "seng jia" in Mandarin (two possible pronunciations for second character). Note that "qie" would sound a bit like "chee-ah" using typical English pronunciation. Chinese Romanization is not actually designed to match English sounds.
 Note that when writing this as Kanji, Japanese will tend to write the first character in the form shown to the right. If you select our Japanese master calligrapher, please expect this special Kanji form. However, it should also be noted that this is not a common term in Japanese (except by certain sects of Buddhism or perhaps devout Buddhists in Japan).
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Sanny
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Santiago
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Santos
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Sara
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Sara
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Sarah
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Sasha
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Satina
Satori / Enlightenment(Japanese Only)
satori
This is the Japanese term for enlightenment which can also mean to perceive, discern, realize, understand or comprehend. The first character has the same meaning in Chinese and Korean, but has deeper significance in Japanese culture and language. This version of Satori incorporates the Japanese secondary character (which is Hiragana, not Kanji) that adds the "ri" to Satori. It's not totally necessary to have the second character, as it does not add to the meaning as much as clarity for the context in which you are using this term.
Saudi Arabia
shā tè ā lā bó
This is the Chinese name for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
See Also... Asia
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Saúl
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Savannah
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Scarlett
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Schmidt
This character is the word for scorpion in Chinese, Korean and Japanese.
Note: Sometimes the radical on the right side of this character is omitted. If this is an issue for you, please specify whether or not you want that radical included (otherwise, it will depend on the mood or feeling of the calligrapher).
FYI: This radical is more often omitted in Korean and Chinese. Most often kept as part of the character in Japanese.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Scott
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Sean
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Sebastian
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Seleste
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Self-Confidence
zì xìn
jishin
자신
This is simply the character for confidence with the character for self in front of it. The literal translation holds the same meaning in English, Chinese and Japanese.
See Also... Confidence
Self-Confidence
zì xìn xīn
자신심
This is the long title for self-confidence. It differs from the other version, only with the addition of the character for heart or soul at the end. With that addition, you could say this means self-confident heart.
See Also... Confidence
Self-Respect / Self-Esteem
zì zūn
jison
자존
This word means self-respect or self-esteem in Chinese, Korean and Japanese. It can also mean "pride in oneself".
Note: Japanese sometimes put the character for heart after these two. However, this two-character word is universal between all three languages (which is often better since more than a third of the world's population can read this version as a native word).
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Selflessness
wú sī
mushi
무사
This would be literally translated as "none self" in Chinese, Korean, and Japanese. It is used to express "selflessness" or "unselfish". This is a popular term for the idea of being selfless or unselfish in modern China and Japan.
This term is not as commonly-used in Korea, but still has good meaning.
See Also... Unselfish | Altruism
Selflessness
wú wǒ
muga
무아
This is a more common way to say selflessness in Japanese. This literally means "no self" or a better translation might be "not thinking of oneself". This is also understood in Chinese and Korean. This is a very old word in CJK languages.
This is the word a Buddhist would use express the idea of selflessness or unselfishness. For Korean Buddhists it can mean self-renunciation.
See Also... Altruism
Semper Fidelis / Always FaithfulU.S. Marines Slogan
yǒng yuǎn zhōng chéng
This is the clearest and most natural way to translate "Semper Fidelis" or "Always Faithful" into Mandarin Chinese. This is specifically meant for U.S. Marines who often use the shortened term "Semper Fi".
The first two characters are a word that means always, forever, and/or eternally.
The last two characters are a word that means fidelity, loyal, and/or devoted.
I spent 10 years in the Marines, so it was a no-brainer to add this to our calligraphy database.
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This is the Chinese name for the country of Senegal
See Also... Africa
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Serafin
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Serena
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Sergio
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Seth
Sexysex appeal / eroticism / sexuality
xing gǎn
seikan
This is not really appropriate for a wall scroll. But this is the closest word in Chinese that matches the way we use "sexy" in English. In China, this could be used to refer to a hot girl, or a hot car.
In Japanese, this is translated as "sexual feeling".
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This word means "sexy" in Japanese.
This is not really appropriate for a wall scroll, so consider this for educational purposes only.
Sexy / Voluptuous
yāo yàn
you en
요염
This means sexy, fascinating, voluptuous, or bewitching in Japanese Kanji. This is specifically in regards to women.
This has a dictionary meaning of flirtatious or bewitchingly pretty in Chinese. However, in practice, this would refer to a sexy but bitchy woman in modern China. This is also a word in old Korean Hanja, however, I have not confirmed how it is perceived in Korean culture.
This may not be appropriate for a wall scroll unless your audience is Japanese only.
Note: The second character can also be written in the alternate version shown to the right.
Seychelles
sài shé ěr qún dǎo
This is the Chinese name for the country of Seychelles
See Also... Africa
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This a two-character transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Shaina
This a three-character transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Shaina. Both versions are close to the correct pronunciation for this name. It is just common for books and other publications to use either of these two versions.
Shakyamuni / The Buddha (Japanese)
shì jiā
sha ka
This is the way to write Shakyamuni in Japanese.
It's just two Kanji, the first is a simplified version of the one used in Chinese for Shakyamuni, and the second one is identical to the Chinese.
This refers to the Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama, 563 BCE-483 BCE) also known as Sakyamuni and Gautama Buddha.
This has very good meaning in Japanese, but is an odd selection for a wall scroll. It appears here more for reference.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Shakyra
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Shana
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Shanae
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Shane
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Shanie
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Shanna.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Shannen
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Shannon
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Shantelle
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The Shaolin monks of China have been practicing the art of Kung Fu for thousands of years. While there are many schools of Kung Fu in China, Shaolin are one of the more religiously devout and disciplined.
The title of Shaolin actually refers to a specific Buddhist monastery. It should be noted that the Shaolin were famous in China long before the Kung Fu TV show. Their fame in China is due to the monks' heroic and swift rescue an emperor during the Tang Dynasty. Most Chinese people are not keenly aware of the Kung Fu TV show, and have no idea who David Carradine is or anything about his character, Kwai Chang Caine.
Note: The literal meaning of these two characters is "little forest".
The fame of the Shaolin has spread all over Asia, as even though this is a Chinese title, the same characters are used in Japanese with the same meaning.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Shari.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Sharon
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Shaun
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Shawn
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Shea.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Sheila
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Shela
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Shelby
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Shelly
Shenzhou Spacecraft
shén zhōu
This is the name of the Chinese spacecraft "Shenzhou". The name means "devine craft" or "saintly vessel". The name is a play on words in Chinese, as there is an alternate name for China that is pronounced "Shenzhou" but means "Divine land" or "Land of the Gods" (just the second character is different).
The first flight of a Shenzhou spacecraft was in 1999, with more missions following. The next is planned for 2008, and will include China's first "spacewalk". The tenth Shenzhou mission is planned for 2015, when China has promised it's people that a Chinese astronaut will walk on the moon (or at least orbit the moon - there are two ways to interpret the announcement made in 2005).
For those of you concerned, this word is pronounced more like "Shen Joe" (with a slighly soft "J") than the Romanization would suggest.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Sheri
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Sherry
Just for fun, if you want to name yourself after the alcoholic drink, you can use this name. This is what they call sherry (extra strong wine) in China.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Shiela
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Shiite sect of Islam
shí yè pài
This is the Chinese title for the Shiite sect of Islam.
True Emptiness Yields Transcendent ExistenceBuddhist Term
zhēn kōng miào yǒu
shin kuu myou u
According to Soothill this is:
The true void is the mysteriously existing; truly void, or immaterial, yet transcendentally existing.
This is the state of being absolutely nonexistent after removing all errant worldly influences. This is achieved when all forms of existence is seen for their real nature.
This is a complex Buddhist concept. Feel free to add to the conversation about this concept here:
Asian Forum: Shinku Myou
Shinobi / Ninja Outcast (Japanese Only)
shino-bi
Shinobi is a term often associated with ninjas of ancient Japan. It really means stealing (into), a spy, a sneaking thief, or a surreptitious visit to a house of ill repute. Though sometimes used to refer to an outcast ninja.
This term was somehow given a better report when various video games, TV series, and even a movie came out with this Shinobi title.
These character are sometimes Romanized as two words: Shin obi, or Shin-obi.
Note that when writing this as Kanji, Japanese will tend to write the first character in the form shown to the right. Because the second character is Hiragana, we only suggest our Japanese master calligrapher for this selection - and you will get the form shown to the right if you do that (please ignore the fact that some of the images you see during the following pages in the options process will be the Chinese/alternate form).
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Shirila
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Shirley
NOT APPROPRIATE FOR
CUSTOM CALLIGRAPHY Shit / Manure / Dung / Feces / Excrement / Poop
fèn
kuso
분
Seems a lot of you want to know how to write "shit" in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja. This is the single character version of shit, which is used to express the ideas of manure, dung, and bullshit. Yes, at least in Chinese, they use this in much the same way as shit or bullshit is used in English.
Please don't try to order this, it's here only for reference. This is not appropriate for custom calligraphy!
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NOT APPROPRIATE FOR
CUSTOM CALLIGRAPHY Shit / Defecate / Excrement / Feces / Poop
dà biàn
dai ben
대변
Seems a lot of you want to know how to write "shit" in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja. Well, here it is.
Do not, under any circumstances, try to order this selection for a wall scroll. None of the calligraphers that I work with would dare to lower themselves to such a level, and actually write "shit" for you. This is only here for reference. This is not appropriate for custom calligraphy!
This word is thousands of years old, and was absorbed into both Japanese and Korean (if you note, the pronunciation is very similar in all three languages).
This version is sometimes used as a verb (when used with some other words).
Shito-Ryu Ki-Me-Kan Karate-Do (Japanese Only)
mì dōng liú qì mù guǎn kōng shǒu dào
shito-ryu ki-me-kan karate-dou
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This is the title for Shito-Ryu Ki-Me-Kan Karate-Do.
A school of Karate.
Note that while this title can be pronounced in Chinese, it only makes complete sense in Japanese.
Shito-Ryu (Japanese Only)
mì dōng liú
shii tou ryuu
This is the title for Shito-Ryu.
Note that while this title can be pronounced in Chinese, it only makes complete sense in Japanese.
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Shogun / Japanese General
jiāng jūn
shougun
장군
In the west, when someone mentions "Shogun" we may be filled with thoughts of gallant warriors. Some might even think of the TV mini-series with Richard Chamberlain. Often westerners use the words Samurai and Shogun interchangeably. So I will clear it up really quickly...
Shogun in the simplest definition is a General. You could also use words such as commander, lord, overlord, highest ranking, or commanding officer, since "Shogun" has held some slightly ambiguous meanings at times in Japanese history.
Sometimes a Shogun was a general, other times he was the leader of a military government in Japan.
Variants of the same characters are used in China for the rank and title of a General of the People's Liberation Army (and the same term and characters have been used for the last 2200 years since the Qin Dynasty).
Chinese or Korean Army General (Shogun)
jiāng jūn
shougun
장군
There is a slight variation in the way the first character is written. This is the more Chinese and Korean Hanja version. So if you want to specifically refer to a Chinese or Korean General, this is the way. Japanese people would still easily identify this as "shogun".
Note: This term is also used for Admiral in Korean in certain context (if you need a better title for Admiral, just let me know).
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Shona
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Shorinji Kempo / Kenpo
shào lín sì quán fǎ
shourinji kenpou
This is a specific type of martial arts in Japan that claims origins in the Kung Fu practiced in the original Shaolin Monastery of China.
The first three characters mean "Shaolin Monastery" and you might notice the Japanese is pronounced in a very similar way. This is because many words were "borrowed" from the original Chinese when Japan did not have a written language and simply absorbed Chinese characters into their language around the 5th century. When a Japanese word did not exist, the Chinese pronunciation was often absorbed as well as the written form.
The last two characters mean "fist law" or "method of the fist". It has long been argued as to whether the Japanese for these characters should be Romanized as "kempo" or "kenpo". The official method should be "kenpou" but it's common to drop the "u" that comes after the "o".
I imagine if you are looking for this title, you already know what it means, so the above is simply extra information that a student of Shorinji Kempo might want to know.
Shotokan (Japanese Only)
sōng tāo guǎn
shou tou kan
송도관
These Kanji characters make up the title for Shotokan.
This should be considered a Japanese-only title. It does make sense and is pronounceable in Chinese and Korean, but only as a title for a building (perhaps a martial arts hall) surrounded by pine trees. Also, the first two characters were simplified in both Japanese and Chinese. The third character was simplified in Chinese, but not Japanese.
Upon request, we can offer the fully traditional Chinese version, but be sure you know what you are asking for.
Note: This would be understood in Chinese and Korean Hanja by a person from those cultures who is familiar with martial arts and various schools of Japanese karate.
Shotokan Aikido (Japanese)
sōng tāo guǎn hé qì dào
shou tou kan ai ki dou
송도관합기도
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This is the title for Shotokan Aikido in Japanese.
Note: Chinese and Korean pronunciations of these characters are included above, however, this title would only be understood in Chinese or Korean by someone who practices or is familiar with Shotokan Aikido. Please consider this title to be "Japanese only".
See Also... Martial Arts | Hapkido
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Shotokan Karate-Do (Japanese Only)
sōng tāo guǎn kōng shǒu dào
shou tou kan kara te dou
송도관공수도
These Kanji characters make up the title for Shotokan Karate.
This should be considered a Japanese-only title. It does make sense and is pronounceable in Chinese and Korean, but only as a title for a building (perhaps a martial arts hall) surrounded by pine trees - followed by the characters for "The empty hand method" (kong shou dao / Karate-do). Also, the first two characters were simplified in both Japanese and Chinese. The third character was simplified in Chinese, but not Japanese.
Upon request, we can offer the fully traditional Chinese version, but be sure you know what you are asking for.
Note: This would be understood in Chinese and Korean Hanja by a person from those cultures who is familiar with martial arts and various schools of Japanese karate.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Sibylle
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Sidney
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Sierra Leone
sài lā lì áng
This is the Chinese name for the country of Sierra Leone
See Also... Africa
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Silvana
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Silvia
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Silvina
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Silvio
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Simon
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Simone
This character expresses the idea of something simple, or the essence of simplicity in life.
This can also refer to a simple slip of bamboo for taking notes or writing a letter (especially in Korean Hanja).
See Also... Brevity
When you take this word apart, you find the sum is a little different than the parts. The first character means blood and the second means heart. It is important to note that for thousands of years, it was believed that your heart was both your soul and your mind in Asian culture. When you add blood to the heart, it is your whole being - it is pure and clean dedication with your whole soul.
Most Chinese dictionaries define this as sincerity of heart or a MEDICAL TERM!!!
Please think carefully before ordering this selection - it was only added as others have used this for coffee cups and other novelties (though perhaps naively).
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This is the Mandarin Chinese transliteration for the surname Singleton.
Only the sleepless know the length of night;
Spending years with someone is the only way to know
bù mián zhī yè cháng jiǔ jiāo zhī rén xīn
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This literally translates as: [Only one who does] not sleep, learns how long the night is; [Only by] long acquaintance [does one] learn a person ['s true] character.
Basically, this proverb suggests that we really need to experience something intimately and for a long time to really know everything about it.
Note: Sometimes this proverb is split into just the first or second idea alone (first 5 or last 5 characters only).
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Sloane
Slovak Republic
sī luò fá kè gòng hé guó
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This is the Chinese name for the country of the Slovak Republic
See Also... Czech Republic | Europe
Slovenia
sī luò wén ní yà
This is the Chinese name for the country of Slovenia
See Also... Europe
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A sly rabbit has three openings to its den-or- The crafty rabbit has three different entrances to its lair
jiǎo tù sān kū
This speaks to the cunning character of a sly rabbit. Such a rabbit will not have just one hole, but rather a few entrances and exits from his liar.
About 2,250 years ago a very rich man told his assistant to go and buy something wonderful that he did not yet posses. He was a man that already had everything, so the assistant went to a local village that owed a great deal of money to the rich man. The assistant told the village elders that all debts were forgiven. All the villagers rejoiced and praised the rich man's name. The assistant returned to the rich man and told him he had purchased "benevolence" for him. The rich man was mildly amused, but perhaps a bit confused by the action.
Some time later, the rich man fell from the favor of the Emperor, and was wiped out without a penny to his name. One day he was walking aimlessly and stumbled into the village in which the debts had been forgiven. The villagers recognized the man and welcomed him with open arms, clothed, fed, and gave him a place to live.
Without trying, the man had become like the sly and cunning rabbit. When his exit was blocked, he had another hole to emerge from - and was reborn. This story and idiom comes from a book titled "The Amendment" - it's unclear whether this man actually existed or not. But the book did propel this idiom into common use in China.
Still today this idiom about the rabbit is used in China when suggesting "backup plans" alternate methods, and anyone with a good escape plan.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Sly
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Smith
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Smooth and Steady
píng wěn
heion
평온
This word can also be translated as calmness, quietness, quietude and is used in Chinese and Korean.
The version shown here, would be considered the ancient Japanese form. The second character has been simplified in Japan (the same simplified form is used in mainland China, except for calligraphy). Please include a special instruction with your order if you want the simplified form of that second character. Both forms can be universally read.
See Also... Smooth Sailing
Smooth Sailing
yī fán fēng shùn
일범풍순
This is just what you think it means. It suggests that you are on a trouble-free voyage through life, or literally on a sailing ship or sail boat. It is often used in China as a wish for good luck on a voyage or as you set out on a new quest or career in your life. Some may use this in lieu of "bon voyage".
The literal meaning is roughly, "Once you raise your sail, you will get the wind you need, and it will take you where you want to go". Another way to translate it is "Your sail and the wind follow your will".
This is a great gift for a mariner, sailor, adventurer, or someone starting a new career.
Note: Can be understood in Korean Hanja, but rarely used.
See Also... Bon Voyage | Adventure | Travel
Japanese Snapping Turtle
Chinese Soft Shell Turtle
biē
suppon
별
This character refers to different turtles in different languages. See individual language notes below:
Japanese: This means "snapping turtle" or "mud turtle". Chinese: This means soft-shelled turtle. A specific species, Trionyx Sinensis which is native to Asia.
In China, this species is related to the "wang ba", a soft-shelled turtle sometimes known in English as a banjo turtle (due to it's long neck, and general shape). Unfortunately, there is a word, "wang ba dan" which means the egg of this species of turtle. That term has come to mean "bastard" in Chinese (a turtle hatches from an abandoned egg, and does not know who his mother or father is). This is not a good selection for a wall scroll if your audience is Chinese.
In Korean, this character can be pronounced (though most Koreans would have to look it up in a dictionary). It has not been in common use in Korea for at least a few hundred years.
General notes: You may notice that the bottom half of this character is the same as some other turtle-related titles. That bottom half is actually an ancient character that means "toad".  Though not see in this way today, most turtle-related characters hold the meaning of "a toad with a shell" in their ancient origin. That toad character is rarely used alone anymore, but you can see what it looks like in the image to the right.
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This is the Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja for the word "snow".
Note: In Korean, this can also mean to whiten or wipe our a grievance.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Socrates
This is the most common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Sofi
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This is the second most common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Sofi
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Sofia
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Sol
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Soldier / Private
shì bīng
사병
This means "Soldier", but more specifically, a rank-and-file soldier (a private or troop - you could say a ground-pounder). Our other entry for "solider / serviceman" is probably better for a wall scroll (since someday, you will be promoted
Note: In Japanese, they use these characters in opposite order to create the same meaning word. In that order, it's pronounced "heishi" in Japanese. Just let us know if you want it in Japanese Kanji order when you place your order.
See Also... Military | Warrior
This character can be used to express soldiers, troops, a force, an army, weapons, arms, military, warfare, tactics, strategy, or warlike. The final meaning depends on context. It's also part of the Chinese title for the Terracotta soldiers. In fact, this character is usually used in compound words (words of more than one character). Sometimes this single character is the title used for the pawns in a chess game (in a related issue, this is also a nickname for soldiers with the rank of Private).
See Also... Military | Warrior
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Soledad
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Solel
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Solenne
Solidarity / Cooperation
tuán jié
danketsu
단결
This means to join forces, unity, united, union, combination, cooperation or solidarity. In fact, this was part of the Chinese title used for the Solidarity workers union in Poland. In some circumstances, this can mean "hold a rally".
 This is also a word in Japanese. However, the first Japanese Kanji has morphed since being absorbed from Chinese. That Japanese form is shown to the right. If you want this modern Japanese form, just click on the Kanji to the right, instead of the button above.
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Solomon Islands
suǒ luó mén qún dǎo
This is the Chinese name for the country of Solomon Islands
See Also... Oceania
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Solveig
This is the Chinese name for the country of Somalia
See Also... Africa
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Sonia
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Sonja
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Sonnenberg
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Sonnier
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Sonny
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Sophia
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Soraya
Sorry / Apology
duì bù qǐ
This is how Chinese people say "I'm sorry", "pardon me", or "forgive me".
This is the most common phrase to apologize for everything from bumping into someone to breaking someone's heart. Basically, it's used in the same way we use "sorry" for many situations.
Note: This is a strange thing to write on a wall scroll for Chinese people - but you can bend the rules if you want in the west.
This is the Chinese name for the country of South Africa
See Also... Africa
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This is the Chinese name for the continent of South America
This is the common Chinese name for the country of South Korea. The official English name being Republic of Korea.
See Also... North Korea | Asia
Southern Praying Mantis
nán pài táng láng
남파당랑
This can be translated literally as "Southern School Praying Mantis" or "Southern Style Praying Mantis".
Despite its name, the Southern Praying Mantis style of Chinese martial arts is unrelated to the Northern Praying Mantis style. Southern Praying Mantis is instead related most closely to fellow Hakka styles such as Dragon and more distantly to the Fujian family of styles that includes Fujian White Crane, Five Ancestors, and Wing Chun.
This style of martial arts focuses more on fighting skills rather than aesthetics.
Of course, you already knew that if you were looking for this term.
Note: This title can be pronounced and does have meaning in Korean, but only to Koreans familiar with Chinese martial arts.
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This is the Chinese name for the country of Spain
See Also... Europe
This is the most common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Spencer.
This is an alternate transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Spencer. I think this one actually sounds more like Spencer, but is not as common as our other version.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Spike
Spirit
jīng shén
sei shin
정신
This is the kind of spirit that you have if you perform well in sports or competition. It is the idea of having a good attitude, and putting your all into something - so much so that others can see or feel your spirit. It is the essence of your being that can only be subjectively described because there are no words that can fully explain what "spirit" really is.
For your information:
My Japanese dictionary further tries to explain this word by comparing it to mind, soul, heart or intention.
My Chinese dictionary compares these characters to meanings like vigor, vitality, drive and mentality.
My Korean dictionary defines this as mind, spirit and soul.
See Also... Vitality | Heart | Soul
This is the Chinese name for the country of Sri Lanka
See Also... Asia
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Stacy
Stanislas
sī tǎn ní sī lā sī
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Stanislas
State of Anarchy(Japanese)
wú jíng chá
mukeisatsu
무경찰
This means the state of anarchy. More literally it means "without rules or judges". This combination of characters makes sense in Korean and Chinese, but with a meaning closer to, "without police". This is kind of a weird selection for a wall scroll, and a rather obscure idea (a couple of customers begged for this term, so we added it).
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Steeve
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Steeven
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Stefan
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Stefany
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Stella
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Stephanie.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Stephany
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Stephen
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Steve
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Steven
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Stevens
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Stevie
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Stewart
Sticky Hands / Chi Sau
chī shǒu
The first character means "wood glue" or can be understood as "sticky" or "sticking".
The second character means "hand" (or "hands").
This term can be romanized as "Chi Sau", "Chi Sao", or from Mandarin, "Chi Shou".
This is a concept that comes from the Wing Chun (AKA: Ving Tsun, Wing Tsun, or Yong Chun) style of martial arts. If you are looking for this term, chances are, you already know the meaning within the context of Wing Chun.
This is the character that means rock or stone in both Chinese and Japanese.
Alone, this will be read as "stone" in Japanese, but in some context, it is a unit of measure for the volume of about five bushels.
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This is the Chinese word for storm.
If the meaning of storm is somehow important or significant to you, these are the characters you want.
The first character means wind, and the second means violent or sudden.
Note: This would be understood in Korean Hanja, however, Koreans would generally use these characters in reverse order.
See Also... Rain | Wave
Storm / WindstormBest for Japanese audience
bào fēng
baku fuu / bou fuu
폭풍
This is the Japanese Kanji and old Korean Hanja word for storm (can also mean gale, tempest, typhoon, hurricane, gale, violent wind, or windstorm - especially in Korean and Chinese).
If the meaning of storm is somehow important or significant to you, these are the Kanji you want.
The first Kanji means violent or sudden. The second Kanji means wind.
This also means storm in Chinese, but more in regards to a wind storm than a general storm. It's about the same for this word in Korean.
See Also... Rain | Wave | Wind
Always Striving for Inner Strength
zì qiáng bú xī
This proverb or idiom suggests that the pursuit self-improvement is eternal. The first two characters mean inner-strength with the idea of self-improvement. The last two characters mean "never rest" or "striving without giving up".
Some will translate these four characters as, "Exert and strive hard without any let up".
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Strong / Healthy
jiàn
ken
건
This "strong" character is the more "healthy" version of strong. This is the "strong" that is appropriate for an athlete.
Beyond "healthy", it can also mean strength, persistence, vigorous or invigorated.
Strong bones come from hard knocks
bù kē bù pèng bù yìng
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This literally translates as: Without being knocked around a bit, [one's] bones won't become hard.
Figuratively, this means: One can't become strong without first being tempered by "hard knocks".
While true for everyone, this sounds like the "Iron Body" form of Kung Fu, where practitioners bodies are beaten (and often bone fractured) in order to become stronger.
For the rest of us, this is just about how we can be tempered and build character through the hardships in our lives.
Strong / Healthy (Japanese)
sukoyaka
This is a verbose way to say strong and healthy in Japanese. This is the "strong" that is appropriate for an athlete.
Beyond "healthy", it can also mean strength, persistence, vigorous or invigorated.
Japanese also use the first Kanji to mean the same thing. This version just adds two hiragana which serve to emphasize or amplify the word and clarify the meaning.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Stu.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Stuart
Student
xué shēng
gakusei
학생
This is how to write "student" in Chinese, pre-WWII Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.
If you are a "student of life", this might be an interesting wall scroll to hang in your reading room.
The first character means "study" or "learning".
The second character means "life" or "birth". Don't read too much into that second character, unless you decide that this means "the birth of studies" or "the life of learning". Everyone in China, Japan, (and those who can read Hanja in Korea) will just read this word with the meaning of "student".
If you put the character for "little" in front of this word, it becomes "elementary school student". Prefixed with "middle" it becomes "middle school student". Prefixed with "big" it becomes "university student" (though when these two characters for student are seen alone, it often suggests "university student"). The term "high school student" is written differently.
 There is a very common simplified version of the first character for this word. You will see this form in modern Japan and mainland China, Singapore, and other places. If you want this simplified version, please click on the character shown to the right instead of the "select and customize" button above.
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Success
chéng gōng
seikou
성공
This Chinese and Japanese word for "success" is often used to refer to "career success", but is also used for other successes in life.
It matches the western dictionary definition of "The achievement of something desired, planned, or attempted". And it's also used it this old Chinese proverb:  which means Failure is the Mother of Success.
Sometimes this word is translated as prosperity, but success, succeed, or successfully are more correct definitions.
See Also... Prosperity
This is the Chinese name for the country of Sudan
See Also... Africa
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Sue
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Sule
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Sullivan
Sun / SolarAlso means Day, Sunshine, Sunlight, or Japan
rì
hi / nichi
일
This is the word for sun. It also means day, and can refer to the day of the month when expressing the date.
Example: October 1st would be "10 Moons, 1 Sun".
This character is also the first Kanji for the title of Japan (in Chinese, Japanese Kanji and Korean Hanja). Thus, this character is used as an adjective for things that are Japanese.
Ever heard of Japan being called, "The land of the rising sun"? Well, that's what the full title of Japan means.
Depending on context, this character can mean Sunshine or Sunlight.
Note: In Japanese, this Kanji has a variety of possible pronunciations. The pronunciation changed depending on context and how this Kanji is combined with other Kanji. When used alone, this is usually "hi" (pronounced like "hee"), but sometimes it's "nichi". When combined, it can be "tsu", "ni", "ka", and a few others.
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Sunni sect of Islam
xùn ní pài
This is the Chinese title for the Shiite sect of Islam.
Sunshine
yáng guāng
you kou
양광
This is the Chinese and Japanese Kanji word for sunshine.
This is a more emotional word compared to another Asian word that means "sunlight". If you were going to sing a song, or write a poem, this is the word you would use.
Note: A rarely-used word in Korean.
Surely I come quicklyPart of Revelation 22:20
shì le wǒ bì kuài lái
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This is an excerpt from Revelations 22:20. It says "Surely, I am coming quickly" or "Surely I come quickly" depending on which Bible translation you use.
The Chinese translation here comes from the Chinese Union Bible which has been around for almost 100 years and it the standard for Chinese Christians.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Suretha
This is the Chinese name for the country of Suriname
See Also... South America
This is the most common way to express "survivor" in Chinese. It literally means "lucky/fortunate surviving person".
This is kind of an odd selection for a wall scroll, but there is no better way to say survivor in Chinese calligraphy.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Susan.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Susana
Got a sushi restaurant and need an appropriate wall scroll? Or maybe you love sushi enough to have it on your wall. This sushi calligraphy scroll is for you.
Note that the written characters for sushi are exactly the same in both Chinese and Japanese. However, the first character is actually a modern Japanese / Simplified Chinese so in some cases it will be written differently in Taiwan, Hong Kong and some older Japanese sushi restaurants.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Susie
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Suzanne
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Suzel
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Suzie
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Sveta
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Swan
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Swann
This is the Chinese name for the country of Swaziland
See Also... Africa
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Sword
jiàn
ken / tsurugi
검
Sword Saint (Japanese)
jiàn shèng
kensei
This can be translated as "Sword Saint", "God of the Sword" or "Saint of the Sword". This is an ancient Japanese title bestowed on a master with the greatest of skills in swordsmanship.
Keep in mind that this is an antiquated term. It will only be understood in the context of martial arts. The pronunciation "kensei" also applies to other words like "constitutional government" and power (these words have different kanji and are completely unrelated).
Notes: This is sometimes Romanized as "kensei", "ken sei", and incorrectly as "Kensai".
Chinese Note: This title is pronounceable in Chinese, but seldom, if ever used in Chinese. Also, the first character is an alternate character form for sword, currently only used in Japan.
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Sworn Friend / Ally
méng yǒu
meiyuu
맹우
This means a sworn friend or ally. If you stand on the same side of an issue with someone, and perhaps fight for the same cause together, this is the term you would use to describe such a partner.
There may not be a personal relationship, as this term is also used to describe whole countries that make a coalition, or fight against a common enemy.
This would be most appropriate if you are a high-level military officer, giving this wall scroll to an officer of another country as you join forces together, and go to war.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Sylvia
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Sylvian
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Sylvie
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Syndi.
This is the Chinese name for the country of Syria
See Also... Asia
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Tabata
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Tabatha
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Tabbatha
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Tácito
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Tadeo
Taekwondo
tái quán dào
te kon do
태권도
This is one of the most widespread types of martial arts in the world as well as being an Olympic sport. Taekwondo was born in Korea with influences of Chinese and Japanese styles, combined with traditional Korean combat skills. Some will define it as the "Korean art of empty-handed self-defense".
In the simplest translation, the first character means "kick", the second character can mean either "fist" or "punching" the third means "way" or "method". Altogether, you could say this is "Kick Punch Method". When heard or read in various Asian languages, all will automatically think of this famous Korean martial art. It is written the same in Japanese Kanji, Chinese, and Korean Hanja characters - so the appearance of the characters are rather universal. However, you should note that there is another way to write this in modern Korean Hangul characters which looks like the image to the right. 
We suggest the original Korean Hanja (Chinese characters) for a wall scroll, but if you really need the Hangul version, you must use master calligrapher Xing An-Ping: Order Taekwondo in Korean Hangul
Note: Taekwondo is sometimes Romanized as Tae-Kwondo, Tae Kwon Do, Taekwon-do, Taegwondo, Tae Gweon Do, Tai Kwon Do, Taikwondo, Taekwando, Tae Kwan Do and in Chinese Taiquandao, Tai Quan Dao, Taichuando, or Tai Chuan Tao.
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Tai Chi Chuan / Tai Ji Quan
tài jí quán
tai kyoku ken
태극권
This is the famous Taoist meditation and martial art exercise. The direct translation of these characters would be something like "grand ultimate fist", but that does not quite hit the mark for what this title really means.
An early-morning walk through any city in China near a park or open area will yield a view of Chinese people practicing this ancient technique.
The typical scene is an old man of no less than 80 years on this earth, with a wispy white beard and perhaps a sword in one hand. He makes slow moves that are impossibly smooth. He is steady-footed, and always in balance. For him, time is meaningless and proper form and technique is far more important than speed.
For the younger generation, faster moves may look impressive and seem smooth to the casual observer. But far more discipline and mental strength is needed to create perfectly smooth moves in virtual slow motion.
Note: There are two ways to Romanize these Chinese characters as seen in the title above. The pronunciation and actual characters are the same in Chinese. If you really used English sounds/words to pronounce this, it would be something like "tie jee chew-on" (just make the "chew-on" as one flowing syllable).
Tai Chi / Tai Ji
tài jí
taikyoku
태극
This is the shortened title for Tai Chi Chuan or Tai Ji Quan that as sometimes used in Western countries. Basically just removing the last character which means fist. I don't recommend this two-character selection because it's not really a word without the third character in Japanese and Chinese.
This is the Chinese name for the Republic of China which is more commonly known as Taiwan. The island of Taiwan is actually considered a renegade province of mainland China. It became the last holdout of the former government of China after Chairman Mao took power during the revolution that followed WWII.
Note: There are two totally different ways two write the first character of Taiwan.  They are not always considered Simplified and Traditional, but one is more simple than the other, so they fit that track. The more complex form is seen upper left of this box. The more simple form (looks like a house) can be seen to the right. If you want a certain style, please specify in the "special instructions" when you order.
See Also... Asia
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Tajikistan
tǎ jí kè sī tǎn
This is the Chinese name for the country of Tajikistan
See Also... Asia
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Tamara
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Tammy
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Tandra
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Tania
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Tansel
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Tanya
This is the Chinese name for the country of Tanzania
See Also... Africa
The Tao or Dao of Being Human / Humanity
rén dào
jindou
인도
This is literally the "The Way of Being Human", or "The Human Way". It can also be translated as "humanity".
This word has a secondary meaning of "sidewalk" as in "the way for people to walk" (in Japanese and Korean only). But as calligraphy artwork, nobody will read it with that translation.
Please note that there are two ways to Romanized Dao or Tao as in Daoism = Taoism. It's the same word in Chinese.
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Tao / Dao of the Heart / Soul
xīn dào
This means "The Way of the Heart" or "The Way of the Soul". The first character means "heart", but can also mean soul, spirit, mind, or your essence. In this case, it is most accurately translated with the heart or soul meaning.
The second character is Dao as in Daoism. Please note, this is the same thing as Tao as in Taoism (just Romanized differently - it's always been the same in Chinese for about 2300 years.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Tara
This is the title for the practice of using tarot cards in Chinese.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Tasia
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Tatiana
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the German / Swiss name Tatjana
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Tatum
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Taylor
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Tazzle
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Tea. This is the name of Greek origin, pronounced "TAY-ah". Not like the drink!
Teacher / Master / Old Sage
lǎo shī
If you looked at these characters literally, they mean "old teacher", "old master", or "old sage". Together, they are understood as "teacher". When you think about that, also realize that with age comes respect in Asian cultures. So calling someone old is actually a term of respect (not like the way we mean it in English). You could actually replace "old" with "respected" and be closer to the way this is meant in Chinese.
Teachers in general are more respected by their students and the population in China. When I was a teacher in China, I certainly felt that.
This term is also used for masters of certain fields. For instance, a master calligrapher would respectfully be addressed as "teacher". In fact, in this case, "master" and "teacher" are synonymous.
Other artists (especially those are are famous or accomplished) should be addressed with this term. Also, some schools of martial arts use this term of respect for their masters/teachers/instructors.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Teddy
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Tegan
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Telémaco
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Telésforo
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Tello
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Telmo
Temistoclesmasculine name
tè mǐ sī tuō kè lái sī
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Temístocles
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Taekwondo Tenets / Spirit of Taekwon-do
tái quán dào jīng shén lǐ yì lián chǐ rěn nài kè jǐ bǎi zhé bù qū
태권도정신예의염치인내극기백절불굴
 This is General Choi's writing that is often called "The Tenets of Taekwon-do". The actual title would be translated as, "Taekwondo Spirit" or "The Spirit of Taekwondo". It was originally written in Korean Hanja (Chinese characters used in Korea for about 1600 years).
General Choi's original calligraphy is shown to the right. Your custom calligraphy will be unique, and not an exact match, as each calligrapher has their own style.
In modern times, the common form of written Korean is Hangul (a phonetic character set). The table below shows the text in Hangul and Hanja along with a pronunciation guide and a brief English translation:
| Traditional Korean Hanja | Modern Korean Hangul | Pronunciation | English |
跆拳道精神 | 태권도정신 | tae gweon do jeong sin | Taekwondo Spirit |
禮儀 | 예의 or 례이 | ye yi | Courtesy / Etiquette / Propriety / Decorum / Formality |
廉耻 | 렴치 or 염치 | yeom ci | Integrity / Sense of Honor |
忍耐 | 인내 | in nae | Patience / Perseverance / Endurance |
克己 | 극기 | geug gi | Self-Control / Self-Denial / Self-Abnegation |
百折不屈 | 백절불굴 | baeg jeor bur gur | Indomitable Spirit (Undaunted even after repeated attacks from the opponent) |
| Note that the pronunciation is the official version now used in South Korea. However, it is different than what you may be used to. For instance, "Taekwon-do" is "tae gweon do". This new romanization is supposed to be closer to actual Korean pronunciation. |
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Tennessee
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Tenorio
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Téo
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Teodoro
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Teodosio
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Teódulo
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Teófilo
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Tere
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Terencio
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Teresa
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Terrance.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Terrell.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Terri.
(unisex)
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Terry.
(This name is unisex in Chinese)
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Tertuliano
This is the Chinese name for the country of Thailand
See Also... Asia
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Thalia
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Thank You / Xie Xie
xiè xie
This is how to say thank you in Chinese. It is pronounced a bit like "shea shea" as in the English word for shea butter. Except you pronounce the X like "sh", but with your tongue firmly at the bottom of your mouth.
Unless you are putting this wall scroll near the exit of your store or restaurant to thank customers for coming, it is a bit of an odd selection. A gift of thanks to another person should be a more personal selection with more meaning than a simple thank you. Although common to write xie xie inside a card or letter of thanks.
Thankfulness
gǎn jī
kangeki
감격
Thankfulness is being grateful for what we have. It is an attitude of gratitude for learning, loving and being. Appreciate the little things that happen around you and within you every day. Think positively. Thankfulness brings contentment.
Different meaning in Japanese - more like "deep emotion", "impression", "inspiration" - not recommended for a Japanese audience.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Thelma
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Theo
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Theodore
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Theresa.
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This is the most commonly-used transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Thibaud.
I think this transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Thibaud sounds more correct than the most common form.
This is one transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Thomas
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This is a second common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Thomas.
There are two common ways to transliterate this name into Chinese. Both sound reasonably close to the English pronunciation of Thomas, so just pick the one that looks best to you. If you like horses, pick this one, as the second character means horse.
God of Thunder
léi shén
rai jin
This is how to write the Japanese "Thunder God". They don't really have separate words for thunder and lightning in Japanese, so this is also the "Lightning God".
These characters make sense in Chinese as well (though not a common title).
This is also the origin of the English name Raiden.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Tiago
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This is the Chinese name for the Tibet autonomous region. It is a vast area in southwest China for which the Chinese government has little control (except in the capital of Llasa). During your travels in Tibet (outside of Llasa) you will find it's rough country full of ruthless bandits and honorable and upright Living Buddhas. There are about 2000 Living Buddhas in Tibet, and at least 10 times more bandits ready to ambush you on the road or trail.
On the eastern frontier of Tibet, you will find the place designated to be Shangri-la. It's a friendly village of Tibetans and is the gateway to greater Tibet.
See Also... China | Nepal | Asia
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Tibisay
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Tiburcio
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Ticiano
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Tico
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Tieler
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Tifaan.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Tiffany
Tiger Rumor
sān rén chéng hǔ
삼인성호
These four characters together relay the meaning that can be expressed in English as, "When three people say there's a tiger running in the street, you believe it".
Of course, there is an ancient story behind this phrase...
This is actually an idiom that resulted from a conversation that occurred around 300 B.C.
The conversation was between the king of the Wei kingdom and one of the king's ministers named Pang Cong.
It was near the end of one of many wars, this time with the Zhao kingdom. Pang Cong was to be sent by the king to the Zhao kingdom with the king's son who was to be held hostage. It was common at the time for a king to make his son a hostage to secure stable peace between warring kingdoms. Before minister Pang Cong departed, he asked his king, "If one person told you there was a tiger running in the street, would you believe it?".
"No", the king said.
The minister continued, "What if two people told you?"
The king replied, "Well, I would have my doubts, but I might believe it".
The minister continued, "So, what if three people told you that there is a tiger running in the streets?"
The king replied, "Yes, I would believe it, it must be true if three people say it".
The minister then reminded the king, "Your son and I are now traveling far away to live in the distant Zhao kingdom - much farther from your palace than the street. Rumors may fly about me in my absence, so I hope your majesty will weight such rumors appropriately".
The king replied, "I have every trust in you, do not worry" While the minister was gone, the king's enemies gossiped about minister Pang Cong on many occasions. At first, the king thought nothing of these comments and rumors. But slowly as the rumors mounted, the king began to suspect ill of his minister.
Some time later when peace was well-established, the minister and prince were freed and returned to the kingdom of Wei. The king received his son, BUT DID NOT EVEN SUMMON MINISTER PANG CONG TO THE PALACE!
Hopefully this story will help you see how dangerous words can be when used to promote rumors, or create ill will. And perhaps will inspire you to not believe everything you hear.
There is also a secondary suggestion in this idiom that gossip is as ferocious as a tiger. Some Chinese people who don't know the ancient story above may believe that this scroll means that rumors are as vicious as three tigers.
Note: This phrase appears in my Korean dictionary, but is not well-known in Korea.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Timmy
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Timoteo
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Timothee
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Timothy
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Tina
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Tirso
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the surname Tisdell
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Tita
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Tito
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Tobías
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Toby
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Tod
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This is the Chinese name for the country of Togo
See Also... Africa
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Tolomeo
Tom Clan Generational Poem
ěr chāng yǒu yán sì jié kāi wén yì guāng zōng chuán shì zé yuǎn jìn běn lì dào lóng jī shàn jiā guó zhòng xué yè guǎng chéng fāng
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This is the Tom Clan Generational Poem. If you are interested in this poem, you probably already know the meaning, so for now we'll forgo including a translation.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Tom
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Tomás
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Tommy
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This is the Chinese name for the country of Tonga
See Also... Oceania
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Toni
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Tony
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Tonya
Tooth for a tooth
yǐ yá huán yá
This phase often goes with "An eye for an eye", even in Chinese. Revenge seems to cross all languages, cultures, and even species (animals are known to take revenge too).
If a Chinese person uses just one phrase, it will be this "tooth for a tooth" one. Although, we are more likely to say "eye for an eye" alone in English.
Chinese people may also read this with a meaning of "Bite me and I will bite you back". However, it literally means "tooth for a tooth" or "you take my tooth, I take yours".
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Torcuato
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Tori
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Toribio
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Tove.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Tracey
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Tracy
Training / Drill
xùn liàn
kunren
훈련
If training or drill is important to you (especially for military drill and training), this might be just the thing for a drill master to hang behind his/her desk.
This term is universal in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja. It can also mean practice or exercise, depending on context.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Travis
Treasure
cái bǎo
zaihou
재보
This is the Japanese word meaning "treasure" or "money and valuables".
The first character means "property", "money", "wealth" or "assets". The second character means "treasure", "wealth" or "valuables" in Japanese. Together these two characters reinforce each other into a word that clearly means treasure in Japanese.
This is also a word meaning "money and valuables" in Chinese, but more of a daily use word - not as appropriate for a wall scroll if your audience is Chinese.
 The second character shown to the left is the ancient/traditional Japanese version. In modern Japan, this character has been simplified. This simplified version is shown to the right. If you want this modern Japanese/simplified version, just click the Kanji on the right, instead of the button above.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Treena.
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This is the transliteration for the name Trevor in Mandarin Chinese.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Tricia
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Trina
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Trinidad and Tobago
tè lì ní dá hé duō bā gē
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This is the Chinese name for the country of Trinidad and Tobago.
Definitions vary as to whether in North or South America.
See Also... North America | South America
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Trinidad
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Trinity
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Tristan
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Troy
Shin BuddhismTrue Pure Land Buddhism
jou do shin shuu
Known in the west as "Shin Buddhism", this is a school of Japanese "Pure Land Buddhism". This form is also known as "True Pure Land Buddhism" or "Jodoshinshu" (jōdoshinshū).
If you are looking for this title, you probably already know the rest of the story.
See Also... Pure Land Buddhism
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True Victory is Victory Over Oneself
masa katsu a gatsu
This is often translated as, "True victory is victory over oneself".
However, literally, Kanji by Kanji, it means, "True victory [is] my/self victory".
My Japanese friends rate this very highly for a wall scroll.
See Also... Know Thy Enemy Know Thyself
Trust No One / Trust No Man
wú fǎ xìn rèn
This is the kind of thing you expect to hear in a spy movie.
"Trust no one, 007!"
The first two characters express the idea of "no way" or "cannot".
The last two characters mean "trust".
The characters must go in this order due to Chinese grammar issues and in order to sound natural.
Note: This is not an ancient Chinese phrase by any means. It's just that we received a lot of requests for this phrase.
This is as close as you can get to the phrase "trust no man", though technically no gender is specified.
This is the Chinese name for the country of Turkey
See Also... Asia
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This is the Chinese name for the country of Turkmenistan
See Also... Asia
Turks and Caicos Islands
tè kè sī huò kǎi kè sī qún dǎo
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This is the Chinese name for the Turks and Caicos Islands (overseas territory of the United Kingdom).
Note: Sometimes a different fourth character is used.
See Also... Asia | United Kingdom
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Turner
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Turtle...also means tortoise
guī
kame
구
This is the generic term for turtle in Chinese, and old Korean Hanja. It's like saying "turtle" (or "tortoise") without being specific about species of turtle.
Please note that there are many special characters in Chinese and a few in Japanese that denote specific species of turtle, and do not include this character. We can't possibly cover all of these species, but if you want a certain one, such as "loggerhead" or a "leatherback", just post your request for a special Chinese / Japanese Kanji / Korean Hanja calligraphy word and we'll do our best to research your special species.
If you noticed, I said species names that do not include this character. This is because, in much the same way we can do it in English by just saying, "loggerhead", instead of "loggerhead turtle", the same can be done in Chinese and Japanese.
 This may be hard to believe, but the image shown to the right is an alternate version of this character, which is currently used in Japan. This was originally an alternate form in ancient China for turtle - but it's so obscure now, that most Chinese people would just think this is the Japanese version of turtle (I did a lot of research on this). The version shown in the upper left is traditional Chinese (also used in Korea, prior to 100 years ago). It will generally not be recognized by the new generation of Japanese people. If your audience is Japanese, please click on the Kanji image shown to the right to have the calligrapher write that version (instead of clicking the button above).
This is the Chinese name for the country of Tuvalu
See Also... Oceania
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Tyco
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Tylar
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Tyler
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Tyra
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Tyrone
This is the Chinese name for the country of Uganda
See Also... Africa
This is the Chinese name for the country of the Ukraine
See Also... Europe
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Ulises
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Umberto
United Arab Emirates
ā lā bó lián hé qiú cháng guó
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This is the Chinese name for the United Arab Emirates
See Also... Asia
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United Kingdom
dài yīng lián hé wáng guó
United States of America (USA)
měi guó
This is the Chinese name for the United States of America (USA)
See Also... North America
Unselfish: Perfectly Impartial
dà gōng wú sī
대공무사
This is comes from an old story from some time before 476 BC. About a man named Qi Huangyang, who was commissioned by the king to select the best person for a certain job in the Imperial Court.
Qi Huangyang selected his enemy for the job. The king was very confused by the selection, but Qi Huangyang explained that he was asked to find the best person for the job, not necessarily someone that he personally liked or had a friendship with.
Later, Confucius commented on how unselfish and impartial Qi Huangyang was by saying "Da Gong Wu Si" which if you look it up in a Chinese dictionary, is generally translated as "Unselfish" or "Just and Fair".
If you translate each character, you'd have something like, "Big/Deep Justice Without Self". Direct translations like this leave out a lot of what the Chinese characters really say. Use your imagination, and suddenly you realize that "without self" means "without thinking about yourself in the decision" - together, these two words mean "unselfish". The first two characters serve to really drive the point home that we are talking about a concept that is similar to "blind justice".
One of my Chinese-English dictionaries translates this simply as "just and fair". So that is the short and simple version.
Note: This can be pronounced in Korean, but it's not a commonly-used term.
See Also... Selflessness | Work Unselfishly For The Common Good | Altruism
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Urbano
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Úrsula
This is the Chinese name for the country of Uruguay
See Also... South America
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United States Marine CorpsJapanese Only
bei kai hei tai
미해병대
This is the Japanese way to write "United States Marine Corps" or simply "U.S. Marines".
Breaking down each Kanji, this means:
"rice (American) ocean/sea soldiers/army/military corps/regiment/group".
This title will only make sense in Japanese, it is not the same in Chinese! Make sure you know your audience before ordering a custom wall scroll.
If you are wondering about the rice, America is known as "rice country" or "rice kingdom" when literally translated. The Kanji for rice is often used as an abbreviation in front of words (like a sub-adjective) to make something "American". Americans say "rice-burner" for a Japanese car, and "rice-rocket" for a Japanese motorcycle. If you did the same in Japanese, it would be exactly the opposite meaning.
Note: I have not verified this, but I've found this title used for U.S. Marines in Korean articles, so it's most likely a normal Korean term as well (but only in Korean Hanja).
See Also... Marine Corps | Navy | Army | Art Of War | Warrior
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Valentin
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Valentina
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Valentine
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Valeria
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Valeriano
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Valle
Vampire
xī xuě guǐ
kyuu ketsu ki
흡혈귀
This is how to say "vampire" in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.
Quite literally this means "Suck Blood Ghost" or more naturally in English "Ghost Who Sucks Blood". This title is also used for leeches and blood-sucking vermin.
Just like the word "vampire" in English, this title is used in Asian languages colloquially to refer to "cruel exploiters" and especially in China, it can be used to refer to "capitalists exploiting the workers".
Alone on a wall scroll, this will be understood with just the "vampire" or "bloodsucker" meaning.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Vanesa
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Vanessa
This is the Chinese name for the country of Vanuatu
See Also... Oceania
Vatican City
fàn dì gāng chéng
This is the Chinese name for the country of Vatican City
See Also... Europe
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Vay
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Velasco
This is the Chinese name for the country of Venezuela
See Also... South America
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Ventura
Goddess of Love: Venus
wēi nà sī
This is how the name for Aphrodite, Goddess of Love is written in Chinese characters.
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Venustiano
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Vergil
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Veronica
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Vianey
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Vicente
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Vickie
This is the most popular transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Vicky / Vicki
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This is the second most popular transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Vicky / Vicki
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Victor
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Victoria.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Victorino
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Victorya.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Vidal
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Villalobos
bǐ lì yà luò wò sī
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the family name Villalobos
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Vince.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Vincent
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Violante
Violet (English name)
wéi ào lì tè
This is the Mandarin Chinese transliteration for the name Violet.
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Violet (the flower)
zǐ luó lán
This is the Chinese title for the flower we refer to as the violet in English. Some may call it the gillyflower.
Violet Color (rare)
gàn
감
This is a slightly-rare Chinese and old Korean title for the color violet or purple.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Violeta
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Virgil
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Virgilio
U.S. Virgin Islands
měi shǔ wéi ěr sī qún dǎo
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This is the Chinese name for the United States Virgin Islands (overseas territory of the United States).
See Also... North America | British Virgin Islands
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Virginia
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Viviana
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Viviane
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Vizcaino
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Vladimiro
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Wael
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the family name Wagner
Note: We only offer family names upon special request. This entry in our database is the result of one of these requests.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Waldo
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Walker
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Wallace
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Walter
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Wanda
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This means war, battle, or fight.
This is often used to title various wars. For instance, if you add the character for "2" before this character, you have the Chinese title for WWII.
In certain context, someone can use this word to mean campaign, game, or match.
Note: In Japan, they tend to use the form shown to the right. If you pick the Japanese master calligrapher, you may get/request this version. It should also be noted that this Kanji is seldom used alone in Japanese.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Warren
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Warrington
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Warrior for Peace
hé píng wǔ shì
This means "Warrior for Peace" (warrior who fights for peace) in Chinese.
Note, this is not the same thing as "peaceful warrior".
See Also... Peace
Value of Warrior Generals
bīng zài jīng ér bù zài duō jiàng zài móu ér bù zài yǒng
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This literally means: [Just as] soldiers/warriors [are valued for their] quality and not [just] for quantity, [so] generals [are valued] for their tactics, not [just] for [their] bravery.
This is a phrase that follows one about how it is better to have warriors of quality, rather than just a large quantity of warriors in your army/force.
See Also... 兵在精而不在多
This is an alternate title for a warrior or samurai in Japanese. It is often romanized as "Musha".
The literal meaning of these Kanji is "war person", "military person", or "martial person".
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Warrior / Fighter
sen shi
This is an alternate title for warrior, soldier, fighter, or combatant in Japanese. From Japanese, this is often romanized as "Senshi".
See Also... Knight | Army | Marines | Samurai
Soul of a Warrior
jīng shén yǒng shì
정신용사
This can be translated as the spirit or soul of a warrior. The first two characters can be translated as vigor, vitality, drive, spirit, mind, heart, mental essence and psychological component. Basically "your soul".
The second two characters mean "warrior" or literally "brave soldier/man" although some will translate this word as "hero". Therefore, this is also how to say "soul of a hero".
Note: This title is best for Chinese and old Korean. It does make sense in Japanese, but is not a common or natural Kanji combination in Japanese.
We have two versions of this phrase. The only difference is the first two and last two characters are swapped. The version here suggests that you are the warrior or hero. The other version suggests that you admire or like the idea of the spirit of a warrior.
Warrior Essence / Warrior Spirit / Martial
wǔ
bu
무
This character is the essence or spirit of a warrior. This character is part of the word "wu shu" which is sometimes translated as "martial arts" or "kung fu".
In more modern speech and other context, this can mean military, martial, warlike, fierce, and perhaps violent, but usually as a prefix for a longer word or phrase.
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Water(One of the five elements)
shuǐ
mizu
수
This is the symbol for water in Japanese and Chinese.
Water is one of the five elements that ancient Chinese believed all things were composed of. These elements are also part of the cycle of Chinese astrology. Every person has both an animal sign, and one of the five elements according to the date of their birth. See also Five Elements and Chinese 12 Animals / Zodiac.
If you like to ride a surf board, and "the way of the wave" is your life, this could the scroll for you.
The additional meanings contained in these characters include ripple, storm, surge, breaker, wandering and unrestrained.
The Way of the WaveThe Tao of the Waves
làng zhī dào
This is a great title for a surfer whose lifestyle is entwined with the surf and waves.
This can be translated a few different ways:
The Way of the Wave
The Dao of the Wave
The Tao of the Waves
Note: Dao and Tao are the same character, just sometimes romanized differently.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Wayne
The Game of Weiqi / Weichi / Go
wéi qí
This is the Chinese title for the ancient game of strategy known as Weiqi or Wei Chi in Chinese, and Go in Japanese.
Note: In Japanese, this game is known by a different single Kanji as seen to the right. If you want this Japanese "Go" character, click the Kanji to the right instead of the button above.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Welch
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A Traditional Warm Welcome
huān yíng guāng lín
환영광림
This would be the ultimate Chinese "welcome mat". Except it will be on your wall, and people will not step on it.
In a somewhat literal translation, you could say it means, "I feel happiness as I welcome you, as you have brought a shining light to this place with your arrival" or in a more simple way, "I am happy you've come as your presents really brightens up the place".
It has become common for this greeting to be announced by the staff upon the arrival of any customer in to a fancy store in China. You will also see these characters on the "welcome mats" in front of 4 and 5 star hotels in China.
Having this on a wall scroll is an extra nice touch. I have seen a few horizontal scrolls with this phrase on the wall behind the reception desk of better hotels, or near the front door of fine shops. At the most fancy department stores and restaurants in China, several greeters (almost always young women) will stand by the front door all wearing sashes with this phrase embroidered on them. As you walk in, they will bow and say "huan ying guang lin" to welcome you to the establishment.
Note: The first two and last two characters do make words in Korean Hanja, but seldom used as a sentence like this in Korean.
Wellness
shēn tǐ jiàn kāng
shin tai ken kou
신체건강
This is how to express "wellness" in Chinese. The meaning is not much different than the idea of "good health". In fact, the first two characters alone are often translated as "health". Some will also translate this title as "physical health".
If you want to fill your room with a feeling of wellness, this is the wall scroll for you.
This is also the ancient way to express wellness in Japanese Kanji and old Korean Hanja. The modern Japanese form is only different on the second Kanji, but Koreans have completely changed their common writing system in the last 100 years.
See Also... Health | Vitality
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Wenceslao
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Wendy
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Werner
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Wes
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Wesley
Western Europe
xī ōu
sei ou
서구
This is the Chinese, old Korean Hanja, and traditional Japanese name for Western Europe.
Please note that Japanese use an alternate/simplified version of the character for Europe - it also happens to be the same simplification used in mainland China. Click on the character to the right if you want the Japanese/Simplified version of this two-character Western Europe calligraphy.
Western Samoa
xī sà mó yà
This is the Chinese name for the country of Western Samoa
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A lot of people search our website for "white". I am not sure the purpose, unless your family name is white.
This is the universal character for white in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.
In certain context, outside of the white definition, it can mean snowy, empty, blank, bright, clear, plain, pure, or gratuitous. In Korean, this can be a family name romanized as Paek or Baeg.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Whitney
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Wilderg
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Wilfredo
wēi ěr fú léi duō
This is the most common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Wilfredo.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Wilfrid
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Wilfried
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Will
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name William
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Williams
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Willie.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Willy
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Wilson
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Wing Chun
yǒng chūn
wing2 cheun1
This martial arts technique has an oral history (versus a written one) so very little can be said for sure about its origins.
Wing Chun (or Wing Cheun) is a Chinese martial art that emphasizes short combat strokes.
The characters literally mean "Singing Spring" (as in springtime).
If you are wondering, the spelling and pronunciation of this martial arts style in English comes from the Cantonese pronunciation of these characters. The second character sounds similar in both Mandarin and Cantonese, but the first is quite different.
Wing Chun Fist
yǒng chūn quán
This is the title for the "Wing Chun" school of martial arts, but with the addition of the character for "fist" on the end. So this is "Wing Chun Fist".
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Wolf
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WomanThe ancient way to say Woman
jīn guó
This is the very old way to say woman in Chinese. A common title ancient China, this actually refers to the scarf or head wrapping worn by virtually all women at that time.
This is kind of a cool way to say Woman now. The actual gender character alone on a wall scroll would actually just look like a fancy sign for the woman's restroom (WC).
 If you are curious, the character to the right directly means female or woman. This is useful information if you are a woman in need of a toilet in China.
Woman Hero / Heroine
jīn guó yīng xióng
This is a cool and somewhat ancient way to say woman hero in Chinese. This word is used in modern times to refer to an outstanding woman or a woman with great accomplishments.
In the old days, it was a title for a woman warrior (oh, did I mention that there were great female generals who led huge armies into battle in ancient China?)
Wood(One of the five elements)
mù
ki
목
This is the symbol for wood in Japanese, Korean and Chinese. This can sometimes mean "tree" depending on context. In fact, the character comes from a pictogram that is supposed to resemble a tree.
Wood is one of the five elements that ancient Chinese believed all things were composed of. These elements are also part of the cycle of Chinese astrology. Every person has both an animal sign, and one of the five elements according to the date of their birth. See also Five Elements and Chinese 12 Animals / Zodiac.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Woody
Work Unselfishly for the Common Good
kè jǐ fèng gōng
극기봉공
This can also mean: "Place Strict Standards on Oneself in Public Service".
This Chinese phrase is often used to express how one should act as a government official. Most of us wish our public officials would hold themselves to higher standards. I wish I could send this scroll, along with the meaning to every member of Congress, and the President (or if I was from the UK, all the members of Parliament, and the PM)
The story behind this ancient Chinese idiom:
A man named Cai Zun was born in China a little over 2000 years ago. In 24 AD, he joined an uprising led by Liu Xiu who later became the emperor of the Eastern Han Dynasty.
Later, the new emperor put Cai Zun in charge of the military court. Cai Zun exercised his power in strict accordance with military law, regardless of the offender's rank or background. He even ordered the execution of one of the emperor's close servants after the servant committed a serious crime.
Cai Zun led a simple life, but put great demands on himself to do all things in an honorable way. The emperor rewarded him for his honest character and honorable nature by promoting him to the rank of General and granting him the title of Marquis.
Whenever Cai Zun would receive an award, he would give credit to his men and share the reward with them.
Cai Zun was always praised by historians who found many examples of his selfless acts that served the public interest.
Sometime, long ago in history, people began to refer to Cai Zun as "ke ji feng gong".
See Also... Unselfish | Selflessness | Altruism
Worldwide Wish for Peace and Prosperity
qǐ shèng shì kāi tài píng
계성세개태평
Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This means "To bring flourishing peace and security to the world (our current era)".
It's really a wish that a new door leading to peace and prosperity could be opened to mankind.
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Wu Wei / Without ActionDaoist / Taoist Tenet
wú wéi
mui
Wu Wei is a Daoist (Taoist) tenet, that speaks to the idea of letting nature take its course.
Some will say it's about knowing when to take action and when not to. In reality, it's more about not going against the flow. What is going to happen is controlled by the Dao (Tao), for which one who follows the Dao will not resist or struggle against.
There is a lot more to this concept, but chances are, if you are looking for this entry, you already know the expanded concept.
Warning: Outside of Daoist context, this means idleness or inactivity (especially in Japanese where very few know this as a Daoist concept).
This is one transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Xavier.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Xenia
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Ximena
Xing Yi QuanStyle of Martial Arts
xíng yì quán
ke i ken
This is the title for the Xingyiquan style/form of Chinese martial arts involving explosive linear movements.
Some translate this as "shape-of-the-mind fist".
While pronunciation has never changed in Chinese, the old romanization was "Hsing I Chuan". This is still used in Taiwan.
This term is used in some Japanese martial arts circles where it's romanized from Japanese as keīken, keiiken, or keiken.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Spanish name Xochitl. Please note that this is supposed to sound like Xochitl in Mandarin but is not a match for the meaning.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Yabeling
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Yaiza
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Yamila
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Yaneth
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Yanina
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Yanira
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Yanis
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Yann
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Yannel
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Yannis
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Yasmine
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Yaya
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Yeşim.
This is the Chinese name for the country of Yemen
See Also... Asia
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Yeray
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This is the most commonly-used transliteration into Mandarin Chinese for the Middle Eastern name Yesim or Yeşim.
This is the second most common transliteration into Mandarin Chinese for the Middle Eastern name Yesim or Yeşim.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Yessica
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Yolanda
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Yoli
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Yonathan
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Yovana
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Ysatis
Ultimate Loyalty to Your CountryThe most famous tattoo in Chinese history
jìn zhōng bào guó
This is the tattoo worn on the back of Yue Fei, a famous Chinese warrior who lived until 1142 A.D.
The tattoo can be translated as "Serve the country with the utmost loyalty". More literally, it means, "[The] Ultimate Loyalty [is too] Duty [of] Country".
Legend has it that this tattoo once saved his life when he was accused of treason.
The first two characters have come to create a word that means "serve the country faithfully" or "die for the country". Note: It's more a willingness to die for one's country than the actual act of dying.
The last two characters have come to mean, "Dedicate oneself to the service of one's country".
Both of these words are probably only in the Chinese lexicon because of this famous tattoo.
If you break it down, character-by-character, here is what you get:
1. To the utmost, to the limit of something, the ultimate.
2. Loyalty or duty (a sense of duty to one's master, lord, country, job).
3. Report, recompense, give back to (in this case, you are giving yourself to your country as payback).
4. Country, state, nation, kingdom.
More about the famous warrior and army general, Yue Fei
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Yulieth
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Yuri
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Yvaine
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Yvette.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Yvonne
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Ywen
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the given name Christian.
See Also... Christianity
Christiane
kè lǐ sī dì ān
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Christiane
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Christie
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Christin
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Christina
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Christine
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Christopher
kè lái sī duō fū
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Christopher
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Christy
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Vicki which is popular in Taiwan (not used as much in the mainland).
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Zac.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Zacarías
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Zach.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Zachary
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Zack
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Zamantha
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This is the Chinese name for the country of Zambia
See Also... Africa
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Zan
Zen Contemplation
rù dìng
입정
This title can be defined as Zen contemplation in Japanese, or sit quietly in (Buddhist) meditation in Chinese. It also carries a similar meaning in Korean Hanja. Therefore, this is a rather universal term for meditation in the context of Buddhism throughout the Orient.
Can also be translated as "Meditatively equipoised" or "enter into meditation by stilling the karmic activities of deed, speech, and thought".
The original Sanskrit word is samapanna. In Tibetan: snyoms par zhugs pa.
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Zen Understanding
cān chán
참선
This title speaks of reaching an understanding (of Zen or the world). It also means "to practice meditation". The two concepts lead you to the idea that meditation leads to understanding. This is pretty deep, so you can do your own research, or decide what this means for you.
This can also be defined in a more complex way as "thoroughly penetrating with meditative insight".
Zen / Chan / Meditation...as in Zen Buddhism
chán
zen
선
First let's correct something: The Japanese romanization for this character, "zen" has penetrated the English language. In English, it's almost always incorrectly used for phrases like "That's so zen". Nobody says "That's so meditation" - right? As the title of a sect, this would be like saying, "That's soooo Baptist!"
This character by itself just means "meditation". In that context, it should not be confined to use by any one religion or sect.
Regardless of the dictionary definition, more often than not, this character is associated with Buddhism. And here is one of the main reasons:
Zen is used as the title of a branch of Mahayana Buddhism which strongly emphasizes the practice of meditation.
However, it should be noted that Buddhism came from India, and "Chan Buddhism" evolved and developed in medieval China. The Chinese character "Chan" was eventually pronounced as "Zen" in Japanese. Chan Buddhists in China have a lot in common with Zen Buddhists in Japan.
More about the history of Zen Buddhism here.
Please also note that the Japanese Kanji character for zen has evolved a little in Japan, and the two boxes (kou) that you see at the top of the right side of the character have been replaced by three dots with tails. The original character would still be generally understood and recognized in Japanese (it's considered an ancient version in Japan), but if you want the specifically modern Japanese version, please click on the zen Kanji to the right. Technically, there is no difference in Tensho and Reisho versions of zen since they are ancient character styles that existed long before Japan had a written language.
 There is also an alternate/shorthand/simplified Chinese version which has two dots or tails above the right-side radical. This version is also popular for calligraphy in China. If you want this version, just click the character to the right.
Further notes: Zen is just one of seven sects of Buddhism practiced in Japan. The others are 律 Ritsu (or Risshū), 法相 Hossō, 論 Sanron 華嚴 Kegon, 天台 Tendai, and 眞言 Shingon.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Zenaida
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Zenón
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Zephyr
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Zettie
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This is the Chinese name for the country of Zimbabwe
See Also... Africa
RatYear of the Rat / Zodiac Sign
shǔ
nezumi
서
This is the character for rat (and sometimes mouse) in Chinese, old Korean, and Japanese.
If you were born in the year of the Rat, you . . .
Are sensitive and smart.
Easily to adapt to the new environments.
Have a curious nature.
Are good at using the opportunities that are presented to you.
In some contexts, this character could mean "mouse".
See also our Chinese Zodiac page.
Ox / Bull / CowYear of the Ox / Bull - Zodiac Sign
niú
ushi
우
This is the character for bull, cow, ox, or bovine creature in Chinese, old Korean, and Japanese.
If you were born in the year of the ox / bull / cow, you . . .
Are dedicated to your work.
Are discrete, careful and conscientious.
Value work and family.
Note that in this Chinese character, there is no distinction between bull and cow. All bovine creatures fit into the definition of this character. To distinguish between male and female, another sex-designating character is added in front of this character. Therefore, in China, the energy drink "Red Bull" (Hong Niu) is often translated in the minds of Chinese people as "Red Cow" or even "Red Ox".
See also our Chinese Zodiac page.
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TigerYear of the Tiger / Zodiac Sign
hǔ
tora
호
This is the character for tiger in Chinese, old Korean Hanja, and Japanese Kanji.
Since you already know what a tiger is, here's some trivia: If you look at the Japanese pronunciation, you might remember a movie called "Tora Tora Tora" which was the code word used to initiate the attack on Pearl Harbor. It simply means "Tiger Tiger Tiger".
In Chinese culture, the tiger is considered to be the king of all animals (in much the way we see the lion in western culture).
From the Chinese Zodiac, if you were born in the year of the tiger, you . . .
Have a strong personality.
Are full of self-confidence.
Love adventure
Don't like to obey others.
See also our Chinese Zodiac or Tiger Calligraphy pages.
Rabbit / HareYear of the Rabbit / Zodiac Sign
tù
usagi
토
This is the character for rabbit or hare in Chinese, old Korean, and Japanese.
If you were born in the year of the rabbit, you . . .
Are gentle and full of sympathy.
Love to help others.
Enjoy a quiet life.
Are a good worker.
Are however, a bit of a pushover.
See also our Chinese Zodiac page.
DragonYear of the Dragon / Zodiac Sign
lóng
ryuu / tatsu
룡
This is the character for dragon in Chinese, old Korean Hanja, and Japanese Kanji.
The dragon is the creature of myth and legend that dominates Chinese, Japanese, and even European folklore. In China, the dragon is the symbol of the Emperor, strength and power, and the Chinese dragon is known as the god of water.
From the Chinese Zodiac, if you were born in the year of the Dragon, you . . .
Have a strong body and spirit.
Are full of energy.
Have vast goals.
Have a deep level of self-awareness.
Will do whatever you can to "save face".
See also our Chinese Zodiac or Dragon Calligraphy pages.
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Snake / SerpentYear of the Snake / Zodiac Sign
shé
hebi
사
This is the character for snake or serpent in Chinese, old Korean, and Japanese.
If you were born in the year of the snake, you . . .
Are calm.
Are and inspiration to others.
Have a stubborn nature like a mule (you do not like to concede).
See also our Chinese Zodiac page.
HorseYear of the Horse / Zodiac Sign
mǎ
uma
마
This is the character for horse in Chinese, old Korean, and Japanese.
If you were born in the year of the horse, you . . .
Are outgoing and active.
Don't give up easily.
Are known to have a bad temper.
See also our Chinese Zodiac page.
Goat / SheepYear of the Goat / Zodiac Sign
yáng
hitsuji
양
This is the character for goat or sheep in Chinese, old Korean, and Japanese.
If you were born in the year of the goat (sheep), you . . .
Are sophisticated and considerate
Can always find the best solution to problems.
Are tolerant.
Are not afraid of hardship.
Know how to save money (thrifty).
See also our Chinese Zodiac page.
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MonkeyYear of the Monkey / Zodiac Sign
hóu
후
This is the character for monkey in Chinese.
This means ape in Japanese due to a error made long ago as Japan absorbed Chinese characters.
If you were born in the year of the monkey, you . . .
Are smart, brave, active and competitive.
Like new things.
Have a good memory.
Are quick to respond
Have an easy time winning people's trust.
Are however, not very patient.
See also our Chinese Zodiac page.
Note: This character does have the meaning of monkey in Korean Hanja, but is not used very often.
Rooster / ChickenYear of the Rooster / Zodiac Sign
jī
niwatori
계
This is the character for rooster or chicken in Chinese, old Korean, and Japanese.
If you were born in the year of the rooster (chicken), you . . .
Have a unique sense of color.
Are high principled and responsible.
Have persuasive power.
Are honest.
Have a great ability to communicate.
Please note: There are a few different ways to write rooster / chicken as shown to the right. If you are particular about the form, please let us know when you place your order.
See also our Chinese Zodiac page.
DogYear of the Dog / Zodiac Sign
gǒu
inu / ku
구
This is the character for dog, canine or hound in Chinese.
If you were born in the year of the dog, you . . .
Are strong-willed
Loyal to your friends and mate.
Never compromise when you think you are right.
Note: Can be pronounced, and means dog in Japanese, but feels like a very old word (see our other dog if you need a Japanese dog).
See also our Chinese Zodiac page.
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Boar / PigYear of the Pig / Zodiac Sign
zhū
inoshishi
저
This is the character for boar, pig, or swine in Chinese and old Korean.
If you were born in the year of the boar / year of the pig, you...
Are optimistic.
Have good luck with wealth and money.
Are honest, generous, and warm-hearted.
 The character shown to the right is the Japanese Kanji for "wild boar".
It's an alternate/simplified form of pig/boar in Chinese (can be read by both Chinese and Japanese people). Click on that character instead of the button above if you want this version.
See also our Chinese Zodiac page.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Zoe
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Zoik
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Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Zoroastro
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Zowie
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Amneh.
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This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Shireen.
Flowers / Blooming / Splendid / China
huá
ririka
화
This character is really open to interpretation. This character meant flowers or blooming in ancient China. It still has that meaning in Japanese, and Buddhist context.
In modern China, this means glorious, beautiful, splendid, magnificent, or the best part of something. It can also refer to the country of China or something Chinese (such as people - overseas Chinese are often called "hua ren"). This is also a surname in China.
In Japanese, this can be the female given name "Ririka". It's also the short name for a certain kind of playing cards in Japan.
In Korean, This can be the surname "Hwa". While it also means splendid, flowery, or the country of China in Korean.
This is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Payton.
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This is a shorter (2-character) transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Raymond.
This is a shorter (2-character) transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Raimond.
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In Korean Hanja, this character is generally written in the variant shown to the right.
This can be pronounced in Japanese, but this is seldom seen as a lone Kanji, and thus is not appropriate if your audience is Japanese. They will at least use a second Hiragana character in Japanese, as shown to the right. This is "nomi".
The common oral character looks like the one shown to the right. But this is not appropriate for a wall scroll.
In some cases (often in ancient Chinese) the character shown to the right is used to mean drink. But this word refers to anything you consume in your mouth. This character is most often used to mean "eat" in modern Chinese.
