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Personalize your custom “兵” project by clicking the button next to your favorite “兵” title below...
1. Bing
2. Soldiers
3. Art of War
5. Marine / Soldier of the Sea
9. Marine Corps
12. The Value of Warriors Lies in Their Quality
16. United States Marine Corps
17. Warrior of God / Soldier of God
19. Warriors: Quality Over Quantity
20. Maintain An Army For 1000 Days, Use It For An Hour
21. Soldiers Adapt Actions to the Situation
兵 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).
兵法 means “Art of War.”
It is also part of the title of a famous book of tactics by Sun Tzu. 兵法 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.
水兵 are the Chinese and Japanese characters for “Sailor.”
Specifically, this refers to an enlisted sailor.
These two characters literally mean “water soldier.”
海兵 is a way to express “Marine” as in an individual “Soldier of the Sea” in Japanese Kanji and old Korean Hanja characters (not to be confused with Korean Hangul).
Breaking down each character, this means:
“ocean/sea soldier/army/warrior.”
Please note that this Japanese/Korean version kind of means “sailor” or “navy” in Chinese.
工兵 means the “engineering corps” of the army or other branches of the military.
The first character alone means work, worker, skill, profession, trade, craft, construction, or labor. The second character means army, force, or military.
士兵 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 the 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.
神兵 is a Japanese, Chinese, and Korean title that means “soldier dispatched by a god,” or “soldier under the protection of the gods.”
神兵 is used more in Japanese (especially in animation) than the other languages.
海兵隊 is the Japanese and Korean way to express “Marine Corps” or simply “Marines.” It is not specific, so this can be the Marine Corps of any country, such as the British Royal Marines to the U.S. Marines.
Breaking down each character, this means:
“ocean/sea soldiers/army corps/regiment/group.”
This literally means: [The value of] soldiers/warriors lies in [their] quality.
兵在精 is part of a longer phrase that ends with “not [just] in [their] quantity.”
兵在精 is a well-known phrase in military circles, so the second part is suggested when one hears or reads these three characters.
military strategy, tactics, and procedure
孫子兵法 is the full title of the most famous book of military proverbs about warfare.
The English title is “Sun Tzu's The Art of War.”
The last two characters have come to be known in the west as “The Art of War,” but a better translation would be “military strategy and tactics,” “military skills” or “army procedures.”
Note: Sometimes the author's name is Romanized as “Sun Zi” or “Sunzi.”
It's written the same in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and Korean Hanja.
Perhaps a pacifist view or perhaps the best kind of victory; 兵不血刃 reflect this idea:
The edges of the swords not being stained with blood.
You could also translate it as: Win victory without firing a shot.
The first character means army or force. The second character means without or none. The last two characters mean bloodstained knives. So it represents a returning victorious army without bloodstained knives. 兵不血刃 is the very literal sense of this Chinese proverb. The title definition is more accurate to the way this proverb is understood.
Asking yourself why the direct or literal translation is different?
...Think of compound words in English such as “nevertheless” if we break it apart to “never the less,” we will have trouble getting the real definition of “in spite of that.” Similar things happen when multiple characters create a compounded word in Chinese.
This literally means an arrogant army is bound to lose.
The meaning is similar to “pride goes before a fall.”
Others may translate this as “defeat is inevitable for an overconfident army,” “being arrogant and overconfident inevitably leads to defeat,” or “pride comes before a fall.”
米海兵隊 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 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 have 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).
兵在精而不在多 is a Chinese proverb that means: [The value of] soldiers/warriors lies in [their] quality, not [just] in [their] quantity.
In simple terms, this says that regarding warriors, quality is better than quantity.
Most tacticians will agree that this can aid in the factor known as “force multiplication.” Having good troops of high morale, excellent training, and good discipline is like having a force that is three times larger.
Nothing could be more true. When I was in the Marine Corps, we trained for years for combat that often lasts only hours.
養兵千日用兵一時 is a Chinese proverb that, also reminds me of a common phrase used in the military to describe combat: “Weeks of total boredom, punctuated with five minutes of sheer 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 Chinese military proverb means, counter soldiers with arms and counter water with an earthen dam.
兵來將擋水來土掩 is about how different situations call for different actions. You must adopt measures appropriate to the actual situation.
To explain the actual proverb, one would not attack a flood of water with gunfire, nor would you counter-attack soldiers by building an earth weir. You must be adaptable and counter whatever threatens with relevant action.
Soldiers need a fluid plan
This literally translates as: Troops/soldiers/warriors have no fixed [battlefield] strategy [just as] water has no constant shape [but adapts itself to whatever container it is in].
Figuratively, this means: One should seek to find whatever strategy or method is best suited to resolving each individual problem.
This proverb is about as close as you can get to the military idea of “adapt improvise overcome.” 兵無常勢水無常形 is the best way to express that idea in both an ancient way, and a very natural way in Chinese.
兵在精而不在多將在謀而不在勇 is a proverb that informs how it is better to have warriors of quality, rather than just a large quantity of warriors in your army/force.
This literally means: [Just as] warriors [are valued for their] quality and not [just] for quantity, [so] generals [are valued] for their tactics, not [just] for [their] bravery.
Below are some entries from our dictionary that may match your 兵 search...
Characters If shown, 2nd row is Simp. Chinese |
Pronunciation Romanization |
Simple Dictionary Definition |
兵 see styles |
bīng bing1 ping hei / he へい |
More info & calligraphy: Soldiers(1) (common) soldier; rank and file; (2) army; troops; (3) warfare; strategy; (personal name) Minetoshi |
兵法 see styles |
bīng fǎ bing1 fa3 ping fa heihou; hyouhou / heho; hyoho へいほう; ひょうほう |
More info & calligraphy: Art of Warart of war; strategy; tactics; (surname) Heihou |
士兵 see styles |
shì bīng shi4 bing1 shih ping |
More info & calligraphy: Soldier / Private |
工兵 see styles |
gōng bīng gong1 bing1 kung ping kouhei / kohe こうへい |
More info & calligraphy: Military Engineeringcombat engineer; military engineer; combat engineering; military engineering |
水兵 see styles |
shuǐ bīng shui3 bing1 shui ping suihei / suihe すいへい |
More info & calligraphy: Enlisted Sailor(naval) sailor |
海兵 see styles |
kaihei / kaihe かいへい |
More info & calligraphy: Marine / Soldier of the Sea |
神兵 see styles |
shinpei / shinpe しんぺい |
More info & calligraphy: Soldier of the Gods |
海兵隊 see styles |
kaiheitai / kaihetai かいへいたい |
More info & calligraphy: Marine Corps |
狙撃兵 see styles |
sogekihei / sogekihe そげきへい |
More info & calligraphy: Sniper / Marksmen |
兵不血刃 see styles |
bīng bù xuè rèn bing1 bu4 xue4 ren4 ping pu hsüeh jen |
More info & calligraphy: Bloodless Victory |
孫子兵法 孙子兵法 see styles |
sūn zǐ bīng fǎ sun1 zi3 bing1 fa3 sun tzu ping fa |
More info & calligraphy: Sun Tzu - Art of War |
米海兵隊 see styles |
beikaiheitai / bekaihetai べいかいへいたい |
More info & calligraphy: United States Marine Corps |
驕兵必敗 骄兵必败 see styles |
jiāo bīng bì bài jiao1 bing1 bi4 bai4 chiao ping pi pai kyouheihippai / kyohehippai きょうへいひっぱい |
More info & calligraphy: Pride Goes Before a Fall(expression) (yoji) defeat is inevitable for an overconfident army; being arrogant and overconfident inevitably leads to defeat; pride comes before a fall |
一兵 see styles |
ippei / ippe いっぺい |
one soldier; (personal name) Kazuhei |
七兵 see styles |
nanahei / nanahe ななへい |
(surname) Nanahei |
三兵 see styles |
sanpei / sanpe さんぺい |
(given name) Sanpei |
上兵 see styles |
kamihei / kamihe かみへい |
(place-name) Kamihei |
下兵 see styles |
shimohei / shimohe しもへい |
(place-name) Shimohei |
丘兵 see styles |
kyuuhei / kyuhe きゅうへい |
(personal name) Kyūhei |
丹兵 see styles |
tanbei / tanbe たんべい |
(personal name) Tanbei |
久兵 see styles |
kyuuhei / kyuhe きゅうへい |
(personal name) Kyūhei |
二兵 see styles |
nihei / nihe にへい |
(given name) Nihei |
五兵 see styles |
gohei / gohe ごへい |
(given name) Gohei |
亘兵 see styles |
kouhei / kohe こうへい |
(personal name) Kōhei |
交兵 see styles |
jiāo bīng jiao1 bing1 chiao ping |
in a state of war |
享兵 see styles |
kouhei / kohe こうへい |
(personal name) Kōhei |
京兵 see styles |
kyouhei / kyohe きょうへい |
(given name) Kyōhei |
亮兵 see styles |
ryouhei / ryohe りょうへい |
(personal name) Ryōhei |
仁兵 see styles |
nihei / nihe にへい |
(personal name) Nihei |
介兵 see styles |
kaihei / kaihe かいへい |
(personal name) Kaihei |
The following table may be helpful for those studying Chinese or Japanese...
Title | Characters | Romaji (Romanized Japanese) | Various forms of Romanized Chinese | |
Bing | 兵 | bīng / bing1 / bing | ping | |
Soldiers | 兵 | hei | bīng / bing1 / bing | ping |
Art of War | 兵法 | hyou hou / hyouhou / hyo ho | bīng fǎ / bing1 fa3 / bing fa / bingfa | ping fa / pingfa |
Enlisted Sailor | 水兵 | suihei | shuǐ bīng shui3 bing1 shui bing shuibing | shui ping shuiping |
Marine Soldier of the Sea | 海兵 | kai hei / kaihei | ||
Military Engineering | 工兵 | kouhei / kohei | gōng bīng gong1 bing1 gong bing gongbing | kung ping kungping |
Soldier Private | 士兵 | shì bīng / shi4 bing1 / shi bing / shibing | shih ping / shihping | |
Soldier of the Gods | 神兵 | shin pei / shinpei | shén bīng shen2 bing1 shen bing shenbing | shen ping shenping |
Marine Corps | 海兵隊 海兵队 | kaiheitai | ||
Sniper Marksmen | 狙撃兵 | sogekihei | ||
Soldier of Fortune | 雇佣兵 | gù yōng bīng gu4 yong1 bing1 gu yong bing guyongbing | ku yung ping kuyungping |
|
The Value of Warriors Lies in Their Quality | 兵在精 | bīng zài jīng bing1 zai4 jing1 bing zai jing bingzaijing | ping tsai ching pingtsaiching |
|
Sun Tzu - Art of War | 孫子兵法 孙子兵法 | son shi hyou hou sonshihyouhou son shi hyo ho | sūn zǐ bīng fǎ sun1 zi3 bing1 fa3 sun zi bing fa sunzibingfa | sun tzu ping fa suntzupingfa |
Bloodless Victory | 兵不血刃 | bīng bù xuè rèn bing1 bu4 xue4 ren4 bing bu xue ren bingbuxueren | ping pu hsüeh jen pingpuhsüehjen |
|
Pride Goes Before a Fall | 驕兵必敗 骄兵必败 | kyouheihippai / kyohehippai kyoheihipai / kyohehipai | jiāo bīng bì bài jiao1 bing1 bi4 bai4 jiao bing bi bai jiaobingbibai | chiao ping pi pai chiaopingpipai |
United States Marine Corps | 米海兵隊 | bei kai hei tai beikaiheitai | ||
Warrior of God Soldier of God | 神の兵士 | kami no heishi kaminoheishi | ||
Tenshin-Ryu Heiho | 天心流兵法 | ten shin ryuu hei hou tenshinryuuheihou ten shin ryu hei ho | ||
Warriors: Quality Over Quantity | 兵在精而不在多 | bīng zài jīng ér bú zài duō bing1 zai4 jing1 er2 bu2 zai4 duo1 bing zai jing er bu zai duo bingzaijingerbuzaiduo | ping tsai ching erh pu tsai to pingtsaichingerhputsaito |
|
Maintain An Army For 1000 Days, Use It For An Hour | 養兵千日用兵一時 养兵千日用兵一时 | yǎng bīng qiān rì, yàng bīng yì shí yang3 bing1 qian1 ri4 yang4 bing1 yi4 shi2 yang bing qian ri yang bing yi shi | yang ping ch`ien jih yang ping i shih yang ping chien jih yang ping i shih |
|
Soldiers Adapt Actions to the Situation | 兵來將擋水來土掩 兵来将挡水来土掩 | bīng lái jiàng dǎng shuǐ lái tǔ yǎn bing1 lai2 jiang4 dang3 shui3 lai2 tu3 yan3 bing lai jiang dang shui lai tu yan | ping lai chiang tang shui lai t`u yen ping lai chiang tang shui lai tu yen |
|
Warriors Adapt and Overcome | 兵無常勢水無常形 兵无常势水无常形 | bīng wú cháng shì shuǐ wú cháng xíng bing1 wu2 chang2 shi4 shui3 wu2 chang2 xing2 bing wu chang shi shui wu chang xing | ping wu ch`ang shih shui wu ch`ang hsing ping wu chang shih shui wu chang hsing |
|
Value of Warrior Generals | 兵在精而不在多將在謀而不在勇 兵在精而不在多将在谋而不在勇 | bīng zài jīng ér bú zài duō jiàng zài móu ér bú zài yǒng bing1 zai4 jing1 er2 bu2 zai4 duo1 jiang4 zai4 mou2 er2 bu2 zai4 yong3 bing zai jing er bu zai duo jiang zai mou er bu zai yong | ping tsai ching erh pu tsai to chiang tsai mou erh pu tsai yung | |
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.