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Old Japanese / Traditional Chinese & Korean
萬歲 is the traditional Chinese, Korean Hanja, and ancient Japanese way of writing banzai.
In modern times, the first character was simplified in Japan and China. So you might want to select the other entry for 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 when the Emperor made a rare public appearance. 萬歲 is what all 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.
Other translations include Cheers! (not the drinking kind), hurrah!, long live [name]!, and 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.
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.
Better to be broken jade than unbroken pottery
寧為玉碎 is the short version of a longer Chinese proverb which means “rather be shattered piece of jade than an unbroken piece of pottery.”
寧為玉碎 says 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 proverb, “Better to die on your feet than to live on your knees.”
歲不我與 is a Chinese proverb that means is a way to express, “Time and tide wait for no man.”
The literal meaning of these Chinese characters is, “Years don't [for] oneself wait.” In more natural English, it's more like, “Years will pass by, with or without you.”
There is also an alternate version, 时不我待, which literally means “Time doesn't [for] oneself, wait.” In natural English, it's more like, “Time waits for no man.”
A 100-year-old is but a traveler passing through this life
Better to be broken jade than unbroken pottery
寧為玉碎不為瓦全 is the long version of a Chinese proverb that 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.
寧為玉碎不為瓦全 is often translated in English as “Death Before Dishonor,” the famous military slogan.
I would also compare this to the English proverb, “Better to die on your feet than to 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.
This text is the ninth chapter of the Daodejing / Tao Te Ching.
The text reads:
持而盈之、不如其已。揣而梲之、不可長保。 金玉滿堂、莫之能守。 富貴而驕、自遺其咎。 功遂身退、天之道。
This classical Chinese passage comes from the Mawangdui (馬王堆帛書) text.
Below are some entries from our dictionary that may match your sui4 search...
Characters If shown, 2nd row is Simp. Chinese |
Pronunciation Romanization |
Simple Dictionary Definition |
萬歲 万岁 see styles |
wàn suì wan4 sui4 wan sui |
More info & calligraphy: Banzai / Wansui |
嵗 岁 see styles |
suì sui4 sui |
variant of 歲|岁[sui4], year; years old |
檖 see styles |
suì sui4 sui |
(tree) |
歲 岁 see styles |
suì sui4 sui sai |
classifier for years (of age); year; year (of crop harvests) Vatsara, a year; cf. 臘 19 strokes. |
歳 see styles |
suì sui4 sui toshi とし |
Japanese variant of 歲|岁 (counter) (archaism) counter for years (following a number in the hito-futa-mi counting system); (1) year; (2) age; years; (3) past one's prime; old age; (suffix) -years-old; (given name) Toshi |
燧 see styles |
suì sui4 sui hiuchi ひうち |
(bound form) material or tool used to light a fire by means of friction or the sun's rays; (bound form) beacon fire (alarm signal in border regions), esp. one lit during daytime to produce smoke hand drilling (to start a fire); hand drill; (place-name, surname) Hiuchi flame |
璲 see styles |
suì sui4 sui |
pendant girdle-ornaments |
睟 see styles |
suì sui4 sui |
bright eye; clear |
砕 see styles |
suì sui4 sui |
variant of 碎[sui4] |
碎 see styles |
suì sui4 sui sai |
(transitive or intransitive verb) to break into pieces; to shatter; to crumble; broken; fragmentary; scattered; garrulous Broken, fragments. |
祟 see styles |
suì sui4 sui |
evil spirit |
穂 see styles |
suì sui4 sui megumi めぐみ |
Japanese variant of 穗[sui4] (1) ear (of plant); head (of plant); (2) point; tip; (3) scion (in grafting); cion; (female given name) Megumi |
穗 see styles |
suì sui4 sui minoru みのる |
ear of grain; fringe; tassel (1) ear (of plant); head (of plant); (2) point; tip; (3) scion (in grafting); cion; (personal name) Minoru |
穟 see styles |
suì sui4 sui |
ear of grain |
繐 see styles |
suì sui4 sui |
fine and loose cloth; tassel |
繸 䍁 see styles |
suì sui4 sui |
tassel |
襚 see styles |
suì sui4 sui |
grave-clothes |
誶 谇 see styles |
suì sui4 sui |
abuse |
譢 see styles |
suì sui4 sui |
old variant of 誶|谇[sui4] |
賥 see styles |
suì sui4 sui |
money and property |
遂 see styles |
suì sui4 sui toguru とぐる |
to satisfy; to succeed; then; thereupon; finally; unexpectedly; to proceed; to reach (noun - becomes adjective with の) (1) end; final; (2) end of life; death; (adverb) (3) never; not at all; (personal name) Toguru to achieve |
邃 see styles |
suì sui4 sui |
deep; distant; mysterious |
鐩 𬭼 see styles |
suì sui4 sui |
(literary) brass mirror used to light a fire by focusing the sun's rays |
隧 see styles |
suì sui4 sui |
tunnel; underground passage |
㒸 see styles |
suì sui4 sui |
archaic variant of 遂[sui4] |
三穗 see styles |
sān suì san1 sui4 san sui miho みほ |
Sansui county in Qiandongnan Miao and Dong autonomous prefecture 黔東南州|黔东南州[Qian2 dong1 nan2 zhou1], Guizhou (female given name) Miho |
不遂 see styles |
bù suì bu4 sui4 pu sui fuzui |
to fail; to fail to materialize; not to get one's way not done |
今歲 今岁 see styles |
jīn suì jin1 sui4 chin sui |
(literary) this year |
作祟 see styles |
zuò suì zuo4 sui4 tso sui |
haunted; to haunt; to cause mischief |
分歲 分岁 see styles |
fēn suì fen1 sui4 fen sui bunsai |
New Year's eve, the dividing night of the year, also styled 歲夜. |
The following table may be helpful for those studying Chinese or Japanese...
Title | Characters | Romaji (Romanized Japanese) | Various forms of Romanized Chinese | |
Banzai Wansui | 萬歲 万岁 | banzai / manzai | wàn suì / wan4 sui4 / wan sui / wansui | |
Banzai | 万歲 / 萬歲 万岁 | banzai | wàn suì / wan4 sui4 / wan sui / wansui | |
Death Before Dishonor | 寧為玉碎 宁为玉碎 | níng wéi yù suì ning2 wei2 yu4 sui4 ning wei yu sui ningweiyusui | ning wei yü sui ningweiyüsui |
|
Time and Tide Wait for No Man | 歲不我與 岁不我与 | suì bù wǒ yǔ sui4 bu4 wo3 yu3 sui bu wo yu suibuwoyu | sui pu wo yü suipuwoyü |
|
Life is Short | 百歲光陰如過客 百岁光阴如过客 | bǎi suì guāng yīn rú guò kè bai3 sui4 guang1 yin1 ru2 guo4 ke4 bai sui guang yin ru guo ke baisuiguangyinruguoke | pai sui kuang yin ju kuo k`o paisuikuangyinjukuoko pai sui kuang yin ju kuo ko |
|
Death Before Dishonor | 寧為玉碎不為瓦全 宁为玉碎不为瓦全 | níng wéi yù suì bù wéi wǎ quán ning2 wei2 yu4 sui4 bu4 wei2 wa3 quan2 ning wei yu sui bu wei wa quan ningweiyusuibuweiwaquan | ning wei yü sui pu wei wa ch`üan ning wei yü sui pu wei wa chüan |
|
Daodejing Tao Te Ching - Chapter 9 | 持而盈之不如其已揣而梲之不可長保金玉滿堂莫之能守富貴而驕自遺其咎功遂身退天之道 持而盈之不如其已揣而梲之不可长保金玉满堂莫之能守富贵而骄自遗其咎功遂身退天之道 | chí ér yíng zhī bù rú qí yǐ chuǎi ér zhī bù kě cháng bǎo jīn yù mǎn táng mò zhī néng shǒu fù guì ér jiāo zì yí qí jiù gōng suì shēn tuì tiān zhī dào chi2 er2 ying2 zhi1 bu4 ru2 qi2 yi3 chuai3 er2 棁 zhi1 bu4 ke3 chang2 bao3 jin1 yu4 man3 tang2 mo4 zhi1 neng2 shou3 fu4 gui4 er2 jiao1 zi4 yi2 qi2 jiu4 gong1 sui4 shen1 tui4 tian1 zhi1 dao4 chi er ying zhi bu ru qi yi chuai er 棁 zhi bu ke chang bao jin yu man tang mo zhi neng shou fu gui er jiao zi yi qi jiu gong sui shen tui tian zhi dao | ch`ih erh ying chih pu ju ch`i i ch`uai erh chih pu k`o ch`ang pao chin yü man t`ang mo chih neng shou fu kuei erh chiao tzu i ch`i chiu kung sui shen t`ui t`ien chih tao chih erh ying chih pu ju chi i chuai erh chih pu ko chang pao chin yü man tang mo chih neng shou fu kuei erh chiao tzu i chi chiu kung sui shen tui tien chih tao |
|
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.
Some people may refer to this entry as Sui4 Kanji, Sui4 Characters, Sui4 in Mandarin Chinese, Sui4 Characters, Sui4 in Chinese Writing, Sui4 in Japanese Writing, Sui4 in Asian Writing, Sui4 Ideograms, Chinese Sui4 symbols, Sui4 Hieroglyphics, Sui4 Glyphs, Sui4 in Chinese Letters, Sui4 Hanzi, Sui4 in Japanese Kanji, Sui4 Pictograms, Sui4 in the Chinese Written-Language, or Sui4 in the Japanese Written-Language.