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Personalize your custom “Life in the Word” project by clicking the button next to your favorite “Life in the Word” title below...
1. Beautiful Life / Life in Perfect Harmony
3. Life Force
7. Birth / Life
8. New Life
9. Alive
10. Optimism / Happy With Your Fate
11. Live Laugh Love
12. A Life of Serenity Yields Understanding
14. New Beginning
15. Vitality
18. Alone / Solitary Existence
19. Ikigai
20. Destiny / Fate
21. Great Aspirations / Ambition
22. Sacrifice
23. Student
25. Flowers Bloom and Flowers Fall
26. Flowers Bloom and Flowers Wither
27. Faithful / Honorable / Trustworthy / Fidelity / Loyalty
28. Datsuzoku
31. Live In The Moment / Live In The Now
32. Sword of Death
36. Swim / Swimming
37. Best Love / Most Sincere Love
39. Success
40. Sacrifice / Devotion / Dedication
41. Clarity
44. Ardent / Fierce
45. Simplicity
46. Purified Spirit / Enlightened Attitude
47. Resilience / Restoration / Recovery
48. Karma
49. Chaos / Anarchy / Confusion / Mayhem
50. Body
51. Adventure
52. Reiki
53. Passions / Feelings / Emotions
54. Science
55. Banzai
56. Impermanence
57. Year-In Year-Out Have Abundance
58. Empress
59. Ultimate Loyalty to Your Country
60. John 3:16
和美 is a word that means “harmonious” or, “in perfect harmony.”
The deeper meaning or more natural translation would be something like, “beautiful life.”
The first character means peace and harmony.
The second character means beautiful. But in this case, when combined with the first character, beautiful refers to being satisfied with what you have in your life. This can be having good relations, good feelings, comfort, and having enough (with no feeling of wanting).
Note: In Japanese, this is often used as the name "Wami." This title is probably more appropriate if your audience is Chinese.
來世 is a word that 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
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.”
If you believe that life is a journey, this is a nice Japanese title for your wall.
人生行路 means “journey of life” in Japanese Kanji. The actual word order is more like “life (人生) journey (行路)” as Japanese grammar is a bit different than English.
Note: The “journey” part can also be translated as “road,” so this is also how to say “the road of life.”
Because a word list of “Live Laugh Love” is not natural in Japanese, this takes the concept and incorporates it into a proper phrase.
愛と笑いの生活 can be translated as “A life of love and laughter” or “Live life with love and laughter.”
Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.
生 is a Chinese word that means “to be born” and “to give birth.”
Also, it's often used to refer to life itself, and sometimes “to grow.”
生 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 uses words like doctor and student - but it is interesting to note.
生 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: Vitality
新生 literally means “new life” or “new birth” in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.
Depending on the context, this word can also mean newborn, new student, rebirth, new birth, or nascent.
In Japanese, this can be the given name Wakaki.
Note: This is not the most common word selection for a calligraphy wall scroll. But if you’re a westerner, you can bend the rules a bit.
樂天 is about being optimistic and also making the best of whatever life throws at you.
This is hard to define. One dictionary defines this as “acceptance of fate and happy about it.” There is one English word equivalent, which is sanguinity or sanguinary.
You can also say that this means “Be happy with whatever Heaven provides,” or “Find happiness in whatever fate Heaven bestows upon you.” 樂天 suggests being an optimist in life.
Note: This is sometimes a given name in China.
Please note that Japanese tend to write the first character in a slightly-different form (as seen to the right). Let us know if you have a preference when you place your order.
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: 笑愛生活 is not a normal phrase in that it does not have a subject, verb, or object. It is a word list. Word lists are not common in Asian languages/grammar (at least not as normal as 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.
In Korean, this would be 소애생활 or "so ae saeng hwar" but I have not confirmed that this makes sense in Korean.
淡泊以明志寧靜而致遠 is a kind of complex ten-character proverb composed by Zhuge Liang about 1800 years ago.
This is a Chinese proverb that 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
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.
伊始 is a short version of “new beginning” or simply “beginning” in Chinese characters.
You can also translate this as “from this moment on,” “starting now,” or “henceforth.”
In the day-to-day speech, this word can apply to starting a new job, beginning a new career, entering a new chapter of your life, or taking a new position (in politics, scholarship, etc.).
新たな始まり is a Japanese word that means “new beginning” or “new start.”
Here's the character breakdown:
新た (arata) = new; fresh; novel; newly; freshly; or this can be like the prefix “re-” like “re-start” or “reset.”
な (na) is kind of a connecting article. This glues “new” to “beginning.”
始まり (hajimari) = origin; beginning.
Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.
生命力 can mean “vitality” or “libido.”
The first two characters mean “life” or “life force.” The last character is a common word that means “strength.” So together, you get the meaning of “life strength” which is the essence of vitality.
Some will also translate this word as “good health.”
See Also: Life Force | Health
This is a Chinese, Korean and Japanese word that means rebirth or resurrection.
Other definitions include reinvigorated, rejuvenated, a new lease of life, rehabilitation, remaking one's life, starting life anew, regeneration, reorganization, rebuilding, recovery, restoration, remaking, coming back to life, revival, or resuscitation.
獨居 is a Chinese word that can be translated as to live alone, to live a solitary existence, solitude, solitary life, dwelling alone.
You might use a word like this regarding a hermit.
In modern Japan, and Simplified Chinese, they use the version of the first character shown to the right. If you want this version please click on the character to the right instead of the button above.
生き甲斐 is a Japanese word that means something one lives for, a reason for being, a purpose in life, or French, raison d'etre.
Everyone has an ikigai. Finding it requires a deep and often lengthy search for self. Finding your Ikigai is the way to also find satisfaction and meaning in life.
Your Ikigai could be almost anything. For some, it is running for president. For others, satisfaction is found in raising children.
Ikigai is why you get up in the morning; bringing meaning to your life and pursuing your Ikigai makes life worthwhile.
命 is often translated as “destiny.”
Sometimes this character is simply translated as “life” but more in terms of one's lot in life. In a certain context, this can mean command or decree (generally from a king or emperor). Of course, such a decree is part of fate and leads you to fulfill your destiny.
In Chinese, this word leans toward the fate or destiny definition.
In Korean, it is usually read simply as “life.”
In Japanese, it can mean all definitions shown above, depending on context.
See Also: Good Fortune
犧牲 means sacrifice in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.
There is a suggestion in this word that this regards sacrificing your life.
Note: Depending on the context, this can also mean victim or scapegoat in Japanese.
In original and ancient Chinese, this word referred to sacrificial animals. It can still have this meaning in a Buddhist context.
The version of the first character used in modern Japan looks like the image to the right. If you order this from the Japanese master calligrapher, it will be written in this Japanese version.
學生 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.
一度だけ生きる is the simplest Japanese phrase that means “[you] only live once” or “only one [life] to live.”
The first four characters create a word that means “only once.”
The last three characters create a word that means “to live” or “to exist.”
Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.
花開花落 is a complete proverb that lightly speaks of the cycle of life, or how things come and go in life.
This is used as a metaphor to suggest that youth is a temporary state that in time will pass.
This can also be used to suggest that fortunes can come and go (everything is temporary).
Note: There are two very similar versions of this proverb. The other uses a word that means wither instead of fall.
花開花謝 is a complete proverb that lightly speaks of the cycle of life, or how things come and go in life.
This is used as a metaphor to suggest that youth is a temporary state, which in time, will pass.
This proverb can be used to suggest that fortunes can come and go (everything is temporary).
Note: There are two very similar versions of this proverb. The other uses a word that means fall instead of wither.
信義 is a word often used to describe a person with an honest and loyal reputation.
Simply put, this applies to somebody you can trust (with your life).
In Chinese, this is often defined as good faith, honor, trust, and justice.
In Korean, this word means fidelity, truthfulness, or faithfulness.
In Japanese: faith, fidelity, and loyalty. It's also a Japanese male given name when pronounced “Nobuyoshi.”
目的 is a word that means purpose, aim, goal, target, objective, or intention.
If you need a reminder about seeking purpose in life, your job, or following your goal, hanging this on your wall might help.
現世 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). In that context, this is pronounced “utsushiyo” or “ustusiyo” in Japanese. Otherwise, it's pronounced “gensei” in Japanese.
Other translation possibilities include:
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.
殺人剣 is a Japanese title for “Death Sword,” “Life Taking Sword,” or “satsujinken.”
This is the opposite of katsujinken or the “life-saving sword.” This title is not as commonly used in Japanese but pairs well when hung with katsujinken.
The first two Kanji are a word that translates as homicide, murder or kill (a person). 殺人剣 is specifically to kill a person (as the second character means person or human) as opposed to an animal, etc.
The last Kanji is the Japanese variant of the originally-Chinese character for a sword.
See Also: Katsujinken
精氣 is a Chinese, Japanese, and Korean word that means vitality or virility.
Depending on the context, this can also mean “mind and spirit,” “life energy,” or “essence.”
This term is often used in Buddhism with the same meaning.
Note: In modern Japanese, they have simplified the last Kanji to look like the version shown to the right. If you want this modern version, please click on this Kanji. Otherwise, if you click the button above, you’ll get the ancient or traditional version (which is also universal between Chinese, old Korean, and old Japanese).
なんくるない or nankurunai is an Okinawan word, written in Japanese that means “Don't worry, be happy.”
沖縄/Okinawa and/or the 琉球/Ryūkyū Islands have a more laid-back “island style” approach to life. So the nankurunai idea is a perfect match for that lifestyle.
Note: Because this title is entirely Japanese Hiragana, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.
均衡 means balance or equilibrium.
This title is best for a Japanese audience where the word suggests that your life is in balance in all matters (or is a reminder for you to try and keep all matters in balance).
游泳 is the Chinese and Japanese Kanji for swimming, or swim. This can be the act of or the sport of swimming.
In a certain context, this could mean bathing. Further, like the old phrase, “it's going swimmingly.” this word can refer to the “conduct of life.”
禮貌 is a Chinese and old Korean word that means courtesy or politeness.
Courtesy is being polite and having good manners. When you speak and act courteously, you give others a feeling of being valued and respected. Greet people pleasantly. Bring courtesy home. Your family needs it most of all. Courtesy helps life to go smoothly.
If you put the words "fēi cháng bù" in front of this, it is like adding "very much not." it’s a great insult in China, as nobody wants to be called "extremely discourteous" or "very much impolite."
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 in 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
(complete bodily devotion)
獻身 is used to describe being so devoted to something that you will make sacrifices for that goal/thing/person.
You can also translate this word as any of the following:
This can be a dedication to or for someone but is often used as a dedication or making sacrifices for your country, public service, or a cause. For instance, an Olympic athlete makes great sacrifices to train in his/her sport for their country and compatriots.
While the form shown to the upper-left is considered an ancient Japanese version, in modern Japan, they use the simplified version of the first Kanji (shown to the right). Click on the Kanji at the right instead of the button above if you want this modern Japanese version.
If you are looking for a more religious meaning of devotion, see Faith.
See Also: Confidence | Dedication
清 is a word that 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 moonlight 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 reading 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.
復活 is the Chinese, Japanese and Korean word for resurrection or rebirth.
復活 literally 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 contexts, it can mean resuscitation.
See Also: Christianity | Jesus Christ | God of Abraham
親切 is a Chinese/Japanese/Korean word that can also mean affectionate, cordial, warm, or close (emotionally).
Kindness shows you care and are 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.
See Also: Love | Caring | Benevolence
烈 is a Chinese word that means ardent; intense; fierce; stern; upright; to give one's life for a noble cause.
In another context, this character can refer to one's exploits or achievements.
In the Buddhist context, this is burning, fierce, virtuous, and/or heroic.
While technically, it had the same meaning in Japanese, it's usually a female given name, Retsu in Japanese these days.
簡 expresses the idea of something simple or the essence of simplicity in life in Chinese.
This can also refer to a simple slip of bamboo for taking notes or writing a letter (especially in Korean Hanja).
Technically this is a word meaning simplicity and brevity in Japanese but it's rarely used in modern Japanese. Therefore, you should probably only select this character if your audience is Chinese.
See Also: Brevity
A Japanese martial arts title/concept
The first Kanji alone means to wash, bathe, primness, cleanse or purify.
The second Kanji means heart, mind, soul, or essence.
Together, these two Kanji create a word defined as “purified spirit” or “enlightened attitude” within Japanese martial arts.
洗心 is one of the five spirits of the warrior (budo) and is often used as a Japanese martial arts tenet. Under that context, it's often defined as a spirit that protects and harmonizes the universe. Senshin is a spirit of compassion that embraces and serves all humanity and whose function is to reconcile discord in the world. It holds all life to be sacred. It is the Buddha mind.
This title will only be familiar to Japanese who practice certain martial arts. Others may not recognize this word at all.
洗心 does not show up as a word in too many Chinese dictionaries, but it can be read and has the same meaning in Chinese.
There is an issue with the first character. The original, and probably most correct version is shown above. However, many dojo documents and other sources have used a more simple first character. Arguments ensue about which version is correct. If you want to be correct in the Japanese language, use the "Select and Customize" button above. If you want to match the Kanji used by your dojo, click the Kanji shown to the right. There is a slightly different meaning with this first character which means before, ahead, previous, future, precedence.
恢復力 suggests having the power to recover, restore, and rehabilitate. This can refer to yourself, someone else, or even to something, like rehabilitating a burned forest. 恢復力 is the essence of resilience in life.
The first two characters are a word that means to reinstate, resume, restore, recover, regain, or rehabilitate, restoration, rehabilitation, recovery, return, improvement, recovery (from an illness), recuperation, or convalescence.
The last character means strength or power.
See Also: Tenacity | Perseverance
宿業 is the Buddhist concept of Past Karma. Simply put, it's the sum of all the good and bad from all previous lives (perhaps earlier in your current life). This term is not commonly used outside of the Buddhist faith (you'll have a tough time finding a non-Buddhist Asian person that knows this word).
Other ways to translate this are “The karma of previous existence,” “The karma remaining from prior existences,” or simply “Former karma.”
See Also: Buddhism
The first character means confused, dirty, muddy, or mixed.
The second character means confusion and disorder.
Together, these characters mean chaos and sometimes extended to mean a type of anarchy.
This term is often used in a less-than-literal term to describe anything in disarray. Someone might use this word in a sentence like, “My kitchen is in a state of chaos” or “my life is so chaotic.”
Please note that Japanese use an alternate/simplified version of the second character of chaos - 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 chaos calligraphy.
身 is how to write “body” as in your human body, in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and Korean Hanja.
Depending on the 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. Also, they tend to use 体 (karada) in Japanese for the body (depending on context).
See Also: Karada
If you lead a life of adventure (like I do), a 探險 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 characters create the word that means “adventure” or “to explore.”
探険 is a modern Japanese Kanji version, but it more precisely means exploration or expedition rather than adventure. 探險 is the old/ancient Japanese version used before WWII. Let us know if you want the modern Japanese version instead.
See Also: Bon Voyage | Travel
靈氣 is the title of a healing practice now found globally 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 unfamiliar 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 stressed. 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 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 the modern first character, simply click on the Kanji characters to the right.
Note: 靈氣 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 a “mysterious atmosphere” by a Korean who is not familiar with the practice of Reiki (still has a cool meaning in Korean).
情 means feelings, emotions, passions, and sometimes refers to the situation you are in (with your emotions).
At least, this is the definition in Chinese and Japanese. This word is a bit stronger in Korean Hanja, where it means affection, love, compassion, sympathy, tender feelings, and emotions. Just as in Chinese and Japanese, this can also refer to your circumstances or your facts of life in Korean.
情 is also the original Korean Hanja for the surname Jeong (정).
In Japanese, this can be the surname Sei.
The rules of life, the universe, and everything.
At its essence, 理 means science.
理 is a very ambiguous and open term; it speaks to the reason that all things exist, and how things work from the microscopic to the cosmic level.
There are many translations for this word, including inner essence; intrinsic order; reason; logic; truth; science; natural science (esp. physics); principle; the underlying principles of the cosmos; the way of things; ruling principle; fundamental law; intrinsicality; universal basis; or essential element(s).
If you are a scientist, or just searching for “the answer to life, the universe, and everything,” this could be the character for you.
Modern Japanese Version
万歲 is the modern Japanese way to write banzai.
We've made two almost identical entries for this word, with just a variation on the first character. In the last century, 萬 was simplified to 万 in Japan and China. The new generation will expect it to be written as 万 but the old generation can still read the more traditional 萬 form. You must make your determination as to what version is best for you. If your audience is mostly Japanese, I suggest 万歲.
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 when 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 it 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.
無常 is the state of being “not permanent,” “not enduring,” transitory, or evolving.
It can also mean variable or changeable. In some contexts, it can refer to a ghost that is supposed to take a soul upon death. Following that, this term can also mean to pass away or die.
In the Buddhist context, this is a reminder that everything in this world is ever-changing, and all circumstances of your life are temporary.
If you take the Buddhist philosophy further, none of these circumstances are real, and your existence is an illusion. Thus, the idea of the eternal soul is perhaps just your attachment to your ego. Once you release your attachment to all impermanent things, you will be on your way to enlightenment and Buddhahood.
Language notes for this word when used outside the context of Buddhism:
In Korean Hanja, this means uncertainty, transiency, mutability, or evanescent.
In Japanese, the definition orbits closer to the state of being uncertain.
年年有餘 is a common proverb or wish of prosperity you'll hear around the time of Chinese New Year.
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 especially 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
皇后 is the title of empress/emperess, the female form of the emperor.
皇后 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 (now China) until her death and the succession of the emperor's firstborn 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.
皇后 is sometimes used for the title of queen, but more technically, this is the wife of the emperor (a higher level than a queen).
The most famous tattoo in Chinese history
盡忠報國 is a proverb that 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, or job).
3. Report, recompense, give back to (in this case, you are giving yourself to your country as payback).
4. Country, state, nation, kingdom.
神愛世人甚至將他的獨生子賜給他們叫一切信他的不至滅亡反得永生 is the full translation of John 3:16 into Chinese.
This is 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.
Persistence to overcome all challenges
百折不撓 is a Chinese proverb that means “Be undaunted in the face of repeated setbacks.”
More directly translated, it reads, “[Overcome] a hundred setbacks, without flinching.” 百折不撓 is of Chinese origin but is commonly used in Japanese and somewhat in Korean (same characters, different pronunciation).
This proverb 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 the 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 the 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 from 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 proverb 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 despite 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. If you want a single big word definition, it would be indefatigability, indomitableness, persistence, or unyielding.
See Also: Tenacity | Fortitude | Strength | Perseverance | Persistence
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The following table may be helpful for those studying Chinese or Japanese...
Title | Characters | Romaji (Romanized Japanese) | Various forms of Romanized Chinese | |
Beautiful Life Life in Perfect Harmony | 和美 | wa mi / wami | hé měi / he2 mei3 / he mei / hemei | ho mei / homei |
Eternal Life Future Life | 來世 来世 | rai-se | lái shì / lai2 shi4 / lai shi / laishi | lai shih / laishih |
Life Force | 生命 | seimei / inochi | shēng mìng sheng1 ming4 sheng ming shengming | |
Journey of Life | 人生行路 | jinseikouro jinseikoro | ||
Prosperous Life | 享福 | xiǎng fú / xiang3 fu2 / xiang fu / xiangfu | hsiang fu / hsiangfu | |
Live Laugh Love | 愛と笑いの生活 | ai to warai no seikatsu aitowarainoseikatsu | ||
Birth Life | 生 | shou / iku / sho / iku | shēng / sheng1 / sheng | |
New Life | 新生 | waka ki / wakaki | xīn shēng xin1 sheng1 xin sheng xinsheng | hsin sheng hsinsheng |
Alive | 活著 活着 | huó zhe / huo2 zhe / huo zhe / huozhe | huo che / huoche | |
Optimism Happy With Your Fate | 樂天 / 楽天 乐天 | raku ten / rakuten | lè tiān / le4 tian1 / le tian / letian | le t`ien / letien / le tien |
Live Laugh Love | 笑愛生活 笑爱生活 | xiào ài shēng huó xiao4 ai4 sheng1 huo2 xiao ai sheng huo xiaoaishenghuo | hsiao ai sheng huo hsiaoaishenghuo |
|
A Life of Serenity Yields Understanding | 淡泊以明志寧靜而致遠 淡泊以明志宁静而致远 | dàn bó yǐ míng zhì, níng jìng ér zhì yuǎn dan4 bo2 yi3 ming2 zhi4, ning2 jing4 er2 zhi4 yuan3 dan bo yi ming zhi, ning jing er zhi yuan | tan po i ming chih, ning ching erh chih yüan | |
Longevity Long Life | 長壽 长寿 | chouju / choju | cháng shòu chang2 shou4 chang shou changshou | ch`ang shou changshou chang shou |
New Beginning | 伊始 | yī shǐ / yi1 shi3 / yi shi / yishi | i shih / ishih | |
New Beginning | 新たな始まり | arata na hajimari aratanahajimari | ||
Vitality | 生命力 | seimeiryoku | shēng mìng lì sheng1 ming4 li4 sheng ming li shengmingli | |
Rehabilitation Rebirth | 更生 | kousei / kose kosei / kose | gēng shēng geng1 sheng1 geng sheng gengsheng | keng sheng kengsheng |
Release of Desires | 寡欲 | keyoku | guǎ yù / gua3 yu4 / gua yu / guayu | kua yü / kuayü |
Alone Solitary Existence | 獨居 独居 | dokkyo / dokyo | dú jū / du2 ju1 / du ju / duju | tu chü / tuchü |
Ikigai | 生き甲斐 | ikigai | ||
Destiny Fate | 命 | inochi / mei | mìng / ming4 / ming | |
Great Aspirations Ambition | 大志を抱 | tai shi wo idaku taishiwoidaku | ||
Sacrifice | 犧牲 / 犠牲 牺牲 | gi sei / gisei | xī shēng / xi1 sheng1 / xi sheng / xisheng | hsi sheng / hsisheng |
Student | 學生 学生 | gakusei | xué shēng xue2 sheng1 xue sheng xuesheng | hsüeh sheng hsüehsheng |
You Only Live Once | 一度だけ生きる | ichi do da ke i ki ru ichidodakeikiru | ||
Flowers Bloom and Flowers Fall | 花開花落 花开花落 | huā kāi huā luò hua1 kai1 hua1 luo4 hua kai hua luo huakaihualuo | hua k`ai hua lo huakaihualo hua kai hua lo |
|
Flowers Bloom and Flowers Wither | 花開花謝 花开花谢 | huā kāi huā xiè hua1 kai1 hua1 xie4 hua kai hua xie huakaihuaxie | hua k`ai hua hsieh huakaihuahsieh hua kai hua hsieh |
|
Faithful Honorable Trustworthy Fidelity Loyalty | 信義 信义 | shingi | xìn yì / xin4 yi4 / xin yi / xinyi | hsin i / hsini |
Datsuzoku | 脱俗 | datsuzoku | ||
Tanjun Simplicity | 単純 | tanjun | ||
Purpose Aim Goal | 目的 | mokuteki | mù dì / mu4 di4 / mu di / mudi | mu ti / muti |
Live In The Moment Live In The Now | 現世 现世 | gen sei / gensei | xiàn shì / xian4 shi4 / xian shi / xianshi | hsien shih / hsienshih |
Sword of Death | 殺人剣 杀人剣 | satsu jin ken satsujinken | ||
Vitality Virility | 精氣 精气 | seiki | jīng qì / jing1 qi4 / jing qi / jingqi | ching ch`i / chingchi / ching chi |
Don't Worry, Be Happy | なんくるない | nan ku ru nai nankurunai | ||
Balance Equilibrium | 均衡 | kin kou / kinkou / kin ko | héng / jun1 heng2 / jun heng / junheng | chün heng / chünheng |
Swim Swimming | 游泳 | yuuei / yue yuei / yue | yóu yǒng / you2 yong3 / you yong / youyong | yu yung / yuyung |
Best Love Most Sincere Love | 最愛 | moai | ||
Courtesy Politeness | 禮貌 礼貌 | lǐ mào / li3 mao4 / li mao / limao | ||
Success | 成功 | seikou / seiko | chéng gōng cheng2 gong1 cheng gong chenggong | ch`eng kung chengkung cheng kung |
Sacrifice Devotion Dedication | 獻身 献身 | ken shin / kenshin | xiàn shēn xian4 shen1 xian shen xianshen | hsien shen hsienshen |
Clarity | 清 | sei | qīng / qing1 / qing | ch`ing / ching |
Resurrection Re-Birth | 復活 复活 | hukkatsu / hukatsu | fù huó / fu4 huo2 / fu huo / fuhuo | |
Kindness Caring | 親切 亲切 | shin setsu / shinsetsu | qīn qiè / qin1 qie4 / qin qie / qinqie | ch`in ch`ieh / chinchieh / chin chieh |
Ardent Fierce | 烈 | retsu | liè / lie4 / lie | lieh |
Simplicity | 簡 简 | kan | jiǎn / jian3 / jian | chien |
Purified Spirit Enlightened Attitude | 洗心 先心 | sen shin / senshin | xǐ xīn / xi3 xin1 / xi xin / xixin | hsi hsin / hsihsin |
Resilience Restoration Recovery | 恢復力 恢复力 | huī fù lì hui1 fu4 li4 hui fu li huifuli | ||
Karma (of your past lives) | 宿業 宿业 | shukugou / shukugo | sù yè / su4 ye4 / su ye / suye | su yeh / suyeh |
Chaos Anarchy Confusion Mayhem | 混亂 混乱 | kon ran / konran | hùn luàn / hun4 luan4 / hun luan / hunluan | |
Body | 身 | mi | shēn / shen1 / shen | |
Adventure | 探險 探险 / 探険 | tanken | tàn xiǎn / tan4 xian3 / tan xian / tanxian | t`an hsien / tanhsien / tan hsien |
Reiki | 靈氣 灵气 霊気 | reiki | líng qì / ling2 qi4 / ling qi / lingqi | ling ch`i / lingchi / ling chi |
Passions Feelings Emotions | 情 | jou / nasake jo / nasake | qíng / qing2 / qing | ch`ing / ching |
Science | 理 | kotowari | lǐ / li3 / li | |
Banzai | 万歲 / 萬歲 万岁 | banzai | wàn suì / wan4 sui4 / wan sui / wansui | |
Impermanence | 無常 无常 | mujou / mujo | wú cháng / wu2 chang2 / wu chang / wuchang | wu ch`ang / wuchang / wu chang |
Year-In Year-Out Have Abundance | 年年有餘 年年有馀 | nián nián yǒu yú nian2 nian2 you3 yu2 nian nian you yu niannianyouyu | nien nien yu yü niennienyuyü |
|
Empress | 皇后 | kou gou / kougou / ko go | huáng hòu huang2 hou4 huang hou huanghou | |
Ultimate Loyalty to Your Country | 盡忠報國 尽忠报国 | jìn zhōng bào guó jin4 zhong1 bao4 guo2 jin zhong bao guo jinzhongbaoguo | chin chung pao kuo chinchungpaokuo |
|
John 3:16 | 神愛世人甚至將他的獨生子賜給他們叫一切信他的不至滅亡反得永生 神爱世人甚至将他的独生子赐给他们叫一切信他的不至灭亡反得永生 | 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 shen2 ai4 shi4 ren2 shen4 zhi4 jiang1 ta1 de du2 sheng1 zi3 ci4 gei3 ta1 men2 jiao4 yi2 qie4 xin4 ta1 de bu2 zhi4 mie4 wang2 fan3 de2 yong3 sheng1 shen ai shi ren shen zhi jiang ta de du sheng zi ci gei ta men jiao yi qie xin ta de bu zhi mie wang fan de yong sheng | shen ai shih jen shen chih chiang t`a te tu sheng tzu tz`u kei t`a men chiao i ch`ieh hsin t`a te pu chih mieh wang fan te yung sheng shen ai shih jen shen chih chiang ta te tu sheng tzu tzu kei ta men chiao i chieh hsin ta te pu chih mieh wang fan te yung sheng |
|
Undaunted After Repeated Setbacks | 百折不撓 百折不挠 | hyaku setsu su tou hyakusetsusutou hyaku setsu su to | bǎi zhé bù náo bai3 zhe2 bu4 nao2 bai zhe bu nao baizhebunao | pai che pu nao paichepunao |
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. |
Successful Chinese Character and Japanese Kanji calligraphy searches within the last few hours...
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.
Some people may refer to this entry as Life in the Word Kanji, Life in the Word Characters, Life in the Word in Mandarin Chinese, Life in the Word Characters, Life in the Word in Chinese Writing, Life in the Word in Japanese Writing, Life in the Word in Asian Writing, Life in the Word Ideograms, Chinese Life in the Word symbols, Life in the Word Hieroglyphics, Life in the Word Glyphs, Life in the Word in Chinese Letters, Life in the Word Hanzi, Life in the Word in Japanese Kanji, Life in the Word Pictograms, Life in the Word in the Chinese Written-Language, or Life in the Word in the Japanese Written-Language.