戀 in Chinese / Japanese...

In Chinese, this can mean losing one's love; to breaking up (in a romantic relationship); to feel jilted.

In Japanese Kanji, this means disappointing love, broken heart, unrequited love, or being lovelorn.

失戀 is also valid in old Korean Hanja, which means unrequited love, unreturned love, a disappointment in love, or a broken heart.

Note: In modern Japan, they will tend to write the more simple 失恋 form instead of 失戀. If you order this from the Japanese master calligrapher, expect the more simple modern version to be written (unless you give us instructions to use the older or more traditional version).

初戀 means “first love” in Chinese and Japanese.

You could also say that it means “first crush,” “first affection,” or “puppy love.”

In Japanese and Simplified Chinese, they write the second character as shown to the right. If you want this version, click on the characters to the right instead of the Select and Customize button above.

思戀 is a term used for when you miss a lover.

It suggests that you are separated (not by choice) and have longed for each other. It's a strong feeling of missing your lover.

戀人 means lover, sweetheart, or beloved in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

This term is gender-neutral, so that anyone can use it.

In modern Japan and China, the first character has been simplified. We suggest the traditional version, as shown above if your audience is Chinese or Korean. However, this generation of Japanese are more likely to recognize the simplified version. If you want this simple (modern Japanese) version, please click on the image shown to the right, instead of the button above.

戀心 literally means “loving heart.” It can also be translated as “one's love” or “awakening of love.”

戀心 is used exclusively for love between boyfriends and girlfriends or husband and wife.

Breaking down the meaning of each Kanji, the first means love, affection, or tender passion. The second Kanji means heart, mind, or soul (most will read it as the heart).

A great way to tell your Chinese friends about your lifestyle while keeping your Anglo friends in the dark.

Kind of a huge bold sign to say “I'm Gay” without anybody knowing.

同性戀 literally means “same-sex feeling” or “same-sex affection” in Chinese.

戀しがる is the most common Japanese verb for missing someone or yearning for someone (it could also be missing a place).

戀しがる is the shortest way to say, “I miss you” or “I yearn for you” in Japanese.

Breaking down the characters:
恋し (koishi) yearned for; longed for; missed (acts as an adjective in Japanese).
がる (garu) to feel, behavior (this represents emotion and turns the whole word into a verb in Japanese).

Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.

恋の悩み is a Japanese title that refers to anyone having love troubles (experiencing the pain of love).

Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.

You need the male character in front of the word for homosexual in Chinese to create this word.

It's a much nicer way to say “Gay Male” than English words like Fag, Fairy, Sissy, Puff, Poof, Poofster, Swish, or Pansy. Although I suppose it could be used as a substitute for Nancy Boy, Queer, or Queen (for which, last time I checked, my gay friends said were OK in the right context).

For those of you who think China is a restrictive society - there are at least two gay discos in Beijing, the capital of China. It's at least somewhat socially acceptable to be a gay male in China. However, lesbians seem to be shunned a bit.

I think the Chinese government has realized that the 60% male population means not everybody is going to find a wife (every gay male couple that exists means two more women in the population are available for the straight guys), and the fact that it is biologically impossible for men to give birth, may be seen as helping to decrease the over-population in China.

同性戀自豪感 or “Gay Pride” is a new idea in China. It's so new, that we may have just started the movement by translating this phrase.

If they ever do start having gay pride parades in China, my best guess is that these 6 characters will constitute the term they use to title the parade/movement.

Who knows, maybe in 10 years they will have a pride parade march straight past Tian'anmen Square on Chang An Street (the main drag in Beijing).