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1. Adventure
3. Courage to do what is right
5. Creativity
6. Daredevil Warrior / Soul of a Warrior
9. Furinkazan
冒険 is a common Japanese way to say “Adventure.”
The first character can mean “to risk,” “to defy” or “to dare.” The second character means “inaccessible place” or “impregnable position.” Together, you get the idea of why these two characters mean adventure when put them together in Japanese.
Note: The second character is a morphed Japanese Kanji. The original Chinese version is also available and holds the same root meaning.
冒險 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.”
Courage in the face of Fear
勇敢 is about courage or bravery in the face of fear.
You do the right thing even when it is hard or scary. When you are courageous, you don't give up. You try new things. You admit mistakes. This kind of courage is the willingness to take action in the face of danger and peril.
勇敢 can also be translated as braveness, valor, heroic, fearless, boldness, prowess, gallantry, audacity, daring, dauntless, and/or courage in Japanese, Chinese, and Korean. This version of bravery/courage can be an adjective or a noun. The first character means bravery and courage by itself. The second character means “daring” by itself. The second character emphasizes the meaning of the first but adds the idea that you are not afraid of taking a dare, and you are not afraid of danger.
勇敢 is more about brave behavior and not so much the mental state of being brave. You'd more likely use this to say, “He fought courageously in the battle,” rather than “He is very courageous.”
Single Character for Courage
勇 can be translated as bravery, courage, valor, or fearless in Chinese, Japanese and Korean.
勇 is the simplest form to express courage or bravery, as there is also a two-character form that starts with this same character.
勇 can also be translated as brave, daring, fearless, plucky, or heroic.
This is also a virtue of the Samurai Warrior
See our page with just Code of the Samurai / Bushido here
見義勇為 means the courage to do what is right in Chinese.
This could also be translated as “Never hesitate to do what is right.”
This comes from Confucian thought:
Your courage should head in an honorable direction. For example, you should take action when the goal is to attain a just result as, without honorable intent, a person’s gutsy fervor can easily lead them astray.
One who flaunts courage but disregards justice is bound to do wrong; someone who possesses courage and morality is destined to become a hero.
Some text above paraphrased from The World of Chinese - The Character of 勇
See Also: Work Unselfishly for the Common Good | Justice | Bravery
Courageous Energy
勇氣 is one of 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 on 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 valor/valour, nerve, audacity, daring, pluck, plucky, gallantry, guts, gutsy, and boldness.
This is also one of the 8 key concepts of tang soo do.
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 make your selection based on the intended audience for your calligraphy artwork. Or pick the single-character form of bravery/courage which is universal.
創造力 is a word that means “strength of creativity” or sort of “creativity (is your) strength.”
This can also be translated as “ingenuity.”
Creativity is the power of imagination. It is discovering your own special talents. Daring to see things in new ways and find different ways to solve problems. With your creativity, you can bring something new into the world.
The first character means “to create,” and the second means “to make or build.” Together they mean “creative.” The third character means “strength.”
鬼武者 is an unusual title that can be translated two ways, daredevil warrior or demon warrior.
The most common is probably the daredevil warrior. However, the first character means demon, ghost, or soul of the departed. Therefore, it can mean the soul of a warrior or a demon warrior.
This title is Japanese only, and should not be used if your audience is Chinese.
大胆不敵 is a Japanese word that can mean a few things depending on how you read it.
Popular translations include fearless, audacity (the attitude of a) daredevil, or daring.
The first two Kanji create a word that means: bold, fearless, or daring; audacious.
The last two Kanji create a word meaning: no match for, cannot beat, daring, fearless, intrepid, bold, or tough.
As with many Japanese words, the two similar-meaning words work together to multiply the meaning and intensity of the whole 4-Kanji word.
信義尊嚴勇氣 means fidelity, honor, and courage in Chinese.
This is a word list that was requested by a customer. Word lists are not common in Chinese, but we've put this one in 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 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 be arranged with four characters on one side and two on the other.
military strategy
風林火山 is the battle strategy and proverb of Japanese feudal lord Takeda Shingen (1521-1573 AD).
This came from the Art of War by Chinese strategist and tactician Sun Tzu (Sunzi).
You can think of this as an abbreviation to remind officers and troops how to conduct battle.
風林火山 is a word list: Wind, Forest, Fire, Mountain.
The more expanded meaning is supposed to be...
“Swift as the wind, quiet as the forest, fierce as fire, and immovable as a mountain”
“As fast as the wind, as quiet as the forest, as daring as fire, and immovable as the mountain”
“Move as swift as the wind, stay as silent as a forest, attack as fierce as fire, undefeatable defense like a mountain”
“Move swiftly like the wind, stay silent like the forest, attack fiercely like fire, take a tactical position on the mountain”
See Also: Art of War
迫力 is a Chinese word that is a form of personal strength.
It is a word that describes a person who is willing to take a risk. In English, we might say, “Someone with guts.”
An example might be a person that is not rich but invests a lot of money into something (knowing they could double their money or lose it all). Win or lose, this is a person that knows or pushes their potential.
Tearing this word apart, the first character means “to compel,” urgent, urge, force, imminent, or “spur on.” The second means power, strong, bear, or exert.
Note: 迫力 is also a word in Japanese Kanji and Korean Hanja but with a meaning more like force, intensity, appeal, strength, impact, force, or simply power.
It's Never Too Late Too Mend
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.
Sometime 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 from 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 of 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 proverb, 亡羊补牢犹未为晚, 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, quitting 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 proverb in Korean (only Koreans familiar with ancient Chinese history would know it). Best if your audience is Chinese.
NOT APPROPRIATE FOR
CUSTOM CALLIGRAPHY
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. 大便 is only here for reference. 大便 is not appropriate for custom calligraphy!
大便 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).
敢て is a Japanese word that can mean a few things related to the idea of taking up a challenge.
It can be defined as daring (to do something), venturing (often overcoming reluctance), or taking action (even in the face of probable failure). It can also be to take upon oneself or take up a challenge.
無敵 means tough or unbeatable in Chinese characters, Korean Hanja, and Japanese Kanji.
Other translations for this word include unequaled, without rival, a paragon, invincible, unrivaled/unrivalled, no match for, cannot beat, daring, fearless, intrepid, and/or bold.
In Japanese, this can also be the surname Muteki.
The following table may be helpful for those studying Chinese or Japanese...
Title | Characters | Romaji (Romanized Japanese) | Various forms of Romanized Chinese | |
Adventure | 冒険 | bou ken / bo ken | ||
Adventure | 冒險 冒险 | mào xiǎn / mao4 xian3 / mao xian / maoxian | mao hsien / maohsien | |
Bravery Courage | 勇敢 | yuu kan / yuukan / yu kan | yǒng gǎn / yong3 gan3 / yong gan / yonggan | yung kan / yungkan |
Bravery Courage | 勇 | isamu / yu- | yǒng / yong3 / yong | yung |
Courage to do what is right | 見義勇為 见义勇为 | jiàn yì yǒng wéi jian4 yi4 yong3 wei2 jian yi yong wei jianyiyongwei | chien i yung wei chieniyungwei |
|
Bravery Courage | 勇氣 勇气 / 勇気 | yuuki / yuki | yǒng qì / yong3 qi4 / yong qi / yongqi | yung ch`i / yungchi / yung chi |
Creativity | 創造力 创造力 | souzouryoku sozoryoku | chuàng zào lì chuang4 zao4 li4 chuang zao li chuangzaoli | ch`uang tsao li chuangtsaoli chuang tsao li |
Daredevil Warrior Soul of a Warrior | 鬼武者 | oni mu sha / onimusha | ||
Fearless Daring | 大膽不敵 大胆不敵 | dai tan fu teki daitanfuteki | ||
Fidelity Honor Courage | 信義尊嚴勇氣 信义尊严勇气 | xìn yì zūn yán yǒng qì xin4 yi4 zun1 yan2 yong3 qi4 xin yi zun yan yong qi xinyizunyanyongqi | hsin i tsun yen yung ch`i hsinitsunyenyungchi hsin i tsun yen yung chi |
|
Furinkazan | 風林火山 风林火山 | fuu rin ka zan fuurinkazan fu rin ka zan | fēng lín huǒ shān feng1 lin2 huo3 shan1 feng lin huo shan fenglinhuoshan | |
Gutsy Daring Bold | 迫力 | hakuryoku | pò lì / po4 li4 / po li / poli | p`o li / poli / po li |
Better Late Than Never | 亡羊補牢猶未為晚 亡羊补牢犹未为晚 | wáng yáng bǔ láo yóu wèi wéi wǎn wang2 yang2 bu3 lao2 you2 wei4 wei2 wan3 wang yang bu lao you wei wei wan | wang yang pu lao yu wei wei wan wangyangpulaoyuweiweiwan |
|
Shit Defecate Excrement Feces Poop | 大便 | dai ben / daiben | dà biàn / da4 bian4 / da bian / dabian | ta pien / tapien |
Swift Fierce and Daring | 剽悍 | hyoukan / hyokan | piāo hàn / piao1 han4 / piao han / piaohan | p`iao han / piaohan / piao han |
Take Up a Challenge | 敢て | aete | ||
Tough Unbeatable | 無敵 无敌 | muteki | wú dí / wu2 di2 / wu di / wudi | wu ti / wuti |
In some entries above you will see that characters have different versions above and below a line. In these cases, the characters above the line are Traditional Chinese, while the ones below are Simplified Chinese. |
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All of our calligraphy wall scrolls are handmade.
When the calligrapher finishes creating your artwork, it is taken to my art mounting workshop in Beijing where a wall scroll is made by hand from a combination of silk, rice paper, and wood.
After we create your wall scroll, it takes at least two weeks for air mail delivery from Beijing to you.
Allow a few weeks for delivery. Rush service speeds it up by a week or two for $10!
When you select your calligraphy, you'll be taken to another page where you can choose various custom options.
The wall scroll that Sandy is holding in this picture is a "large size"
single-character wall scroll.
We also offer custom wall scrolls in small, medium, and an even-larger jumbo size.
Professional calligraphers are getting to be hard to find these days.
Instead of drawing characters by hand, the new generation in China merely type roman letters into their computer keyboards and pick the character that they want from a list that pops up.
There is some fear that true Chinese calligraphy may become a lost art in the coming years. Many art institutes in China are now promoting calligraphy programs in hopes of keeping this unique form
of art alive.
Even with the teachings of a top-ranked calligrapher in China, my calligraphy will never be good enough to sell. I will leave that to the experts.
The same calligrapher who gave me those lessons also attracted a crowd of thousands and a TV crew as he created characters over 6-feet high. He happens to be ranked as one of the top 100 calligraphers in all of China. He is also one of very few that would actually attempt such a feat.
Check out my lists of Japanese Kanji Calligraphy Wall Scrolls and Old Korean Hanja Calligraphy Wall Scrolls.
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