Custom Motivation Chinese & Japanese Calligraphy Wall Scroll

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

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.

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...  Passion | Commitment | Tenacity | Happiness

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...  Passion | Commitment | Tenacity | Happiness

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.

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

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