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in Chinese / Japanese...

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Personalize your custom “玉” project by clicking the button next to your favorite “玉” title below...


  1. Jade

  2. Gem

  3. Jasper

  4. Sapphire

  5. Yuli

  6. Yuna

  7. Sandaiyu

  8. Ursule

  9. Amaryu

10. Death Before Dishonor

11. Honorable Death - No Surrender

12. Death Before Dishonor

13. You are who you hang out with

14. Daodejing / Tao Te Ching - Chapter 9


Jade

(precious stone)

 yù
 tama / gyoku
 
Jade Scroll

玉 is how to write jade in Chinese, Korean Hanja, and Japanese Kanji. This refers to the semi-precious stone that can be almost white or a vivid green.

Note: In Japanese, this character can mean jewel, ball, sphere or coin depending on context.

If your name is Jade, you may want to choose this to represent your name by meaning rather than pronunciation.

 zhū yù
 shugyoku
Gem Scroll

珠玉 is a Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja word meaning gem.

Beyond just the word gem, this can refer to pearls and jades, jewels, clever remarks, beautiful writing, gems of wisdom, genius, or an outstanding person.

If your name is Gem, this is a nice way to represent your name in 3 Asian languages. Though the pronunciation will be far from Gem, the meaning of gem is really nice.

Note: In Japanese, this is sometimes used as the female given name, Tama.

 bì yù
 hekigyoku
Jasper Scroll

碧玉 is the Chinese and Japanese Kanji title for jasper (the reddish stone composed of quartz and other minerals).

Jasper can also be a Japanese female given name, romanized as Hekigyoku.

 qīng yù
 seigyoku
Sapphire Scroll

青玉 is a Japanese word that means sapphire or jacinth.

青玉 literally means blue/green jade.


Note: This also makes sense in Chinese, but will be read as "blue jade", rather than being understood to be sapphire (藍寶石 is sapphire in Chinese).

 yù lì
Yuli Scroll

玉立 is the name Yuli in Chinese (Mandarin).

 yù nà
Yuna Scroll

This is a common Mandarin Chinese transliteration for the female Italian name Yuna.

 sān dài yù
Sandaiyu Scroll

三代玉 is the name Sandaiyu in Chinese (Mandarin).

This is also the title for “three-generation jade.”

 yù xiù er
Ursule Scroll

玉秀兒 is the name Ursule in Chinese (Mandarin).

 ài mǎ ěr yù
Amaryu Scroll

艾馬爾玉 is the name Amaryu in Chinese (Mandarin).

Death Before Dishonor

Better to be broken jade than unbroken pottery

 níng wéi yù suì
Death Before Dishonor Scroll

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.”

Honorable Death - No Surrender

 gyokusai shugi
Honorable Death - No Surrender Scroll

This ancient Japanese proverb can be translated as “The principle of honorable death and no surrender,” or simply “No surrender.”

If you directly translate this, you get something that means “Doctrine of suicide,” or “Ideology of honorable death.”

玉砕主義 is a specifically-Japanese proverb that embraces the long history of honorable suicide or self-sacrifice for honor in Japanese culture.

Death Before Dishonor

Better to be broken jade than unbroken pottery

 níng wéi yù suì bù wéi wǎ quán
Death Before Dishonor Scroll

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.

You are who you hang out with

 āi jīn sì jīn āi yù sì yù
You are who you hang out with Scroll

金似金挨玉似玉 is a Chinese proverb that literally translates as: [One who is] close to gold [is] like gold [and one who is] close to jade [is] like jade.

Figuratively, this means:
A good environment produces good people.
People are influenced by the company they keep.

Basically, if you hang out with good people, you are likely to become or stay good yourself. The opposite also is true. 挨This is like the moral version of “You are what you eat.”


Note: In Japanese, they have a similar phrase, 類は友を呼ぶ (rui wa tomo o yobu) Birds of a feather flock together. However, this is not a good meaning, so we’re not offering it for wall scrolls.

Daodejing / Tao Te Ching - Chapter 9

 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
Daodejing / Tao Te Ching  - Chapter 9 Scroll

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.

Dr. Charle Muller translates it this way:

To hold until full is not as good as stopping.
An oversharpened sword cannot last long.
A room filled with gold and jewels cannot be protected.
Boasting of wealth and virtue brings your demise.
After finishing the work, withdraw.
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 is the Way of Heaven.


Dr. Muller's translation of all 81 Daodejing chapters


Not the results for 玉 that you were looking for?

Below are some entries from our dictionary that may match your search...

Characters

If shown, 2nd row is Simp. Chinese

Pronunciation
Romanization
Simple Dictionary Definition

see styles

    yu4

 gyoku
    ぎょく

More info & calligraphy:

Jade
jade
(1) (also formerly read as ごく) precious stone (esp. jade); (2) {food} (occ. ギョク) egg (sometimes esp. as a sushi topping); (3) stock or security being traded; product being bought or sold; (4) (See 建玉) position (in finance, the amount of a security either owned or owed by an investor or dealer); (5) geisha; (6) (abbreviation) (See 玉代) time charge for a geisha; (7) (abbreviation) {shogi} (See 玉将) king (of the junior player); (female given name) Hikaru
Jade, a gem; jade-like, precious; you, your.

玉立

see styles
 toudachi / todachi
    とうだち

More info & calligraphy:

Yuli
(place-name) Toudachi

珠玉

see styles
zhū yù
    zhu1 yu4
chu yü
 shugyoku
    しゅぎょく

More info & calligraphy:

Gem
pearls and jades; jewels; clever remark; beautiful writing; gems of wisdom; genius; outstanding person
(1) jewel; gem; (noun - becomes adjective with の) (2) (usu. as 珠玉の〜) gem (of a story, essay, etc.); accomplished work; beautiful piece; (female given name) Tama

碧玉

see styles
bì yù
    bi4 yu4
pi yü
 hekigyoku
    へきぎょく

More info & calligraphy:

Jasper
jasper
jasper; (female given name) Hekigyoku

青玉

see styles
 seigyoku / segyoku
    せいぎょく

More info & calligraphy:

Sapphire
sapphire; jacinth

玉砕主義

see styles
 gyokusaishugi
    ぎょくさいしゅぎ

More info & calligraphy:

Honorable Death - No Surrender
the principle of honorable death and no surrender

お玉

see styles
 otama
    おたま
(1) (abbreviation) ladle; (2) (feminine speech) hen egg; (female given name) Otama

一玉

see styles
 ichidama
    いちだま
(See そろばん・1) soroban bead with value one; (given name) Ichigyoku

万玉

see styles
 mantama
    まんたま
(surname) Mantama

三玉

see styles
 mitama
    みたま
(place-name, surname) Mitama

上玉

see styles
 joudama; joutama / jodama; jotama
    じょうだま; じょうたま
(1) fine jewel; (2) article of excellent quality; (3) (colloquialism) beautiful woman; beauty; stunner; (surname) Uetama

下玉

see styles
 shimotama
    しもたま
(surname) Shimotama

不玉

see styles
 fugyoku
    ふぎょく
(given name) Fugyoku

丞玉

see styles
 sunguoku
    すんぐおく
(given name) Sunguoku

中玉

see styles
 nakatama
    なかたま
(place-name) Nakatama

丸玉

see styles
 marutama
    まるたま
(surname) Marutama

久玉

see styles
 hisadama
    ひさだま
(surname) Hisadama

亀玉

see styles
 kigyoku
    きぎょく
(personal name) Kigyoku

五玉

see styles
 godama
    ごだま
(See そろばん・1) soroban bead with value five

井玉

see styles
 itama
    いたま
(surname) Itama

亨玉

see styles
 kyougoku / kyogoku
    きょうごく
(given name) Kyōgoku

京玉

see styles
 kiyonoku
    きよんおく
(personal name) Kiyon'oku

仁玉

see styles
 nittama
    にったま
(place-name) Nittama

伊玉

see styles
 idama
    いだま
(surname) Idama

余玉

see styles
 yodama
    よだま
(place-name) Yodama

佩玉

see styles
 haigyoku
    はいぎょく
(given name) Haigyoku

保玉

see styles
 hotama
    ほたま
(place-name) Hotama

光玉

see styles
 mitsutama
    みつたま
(given name) Mitsutama

児玉

see styles
 komada
    こまだ
(surname) Komada

兒玉

see styles
 kodama
    こだま
(surname) Kodama

Click here for more results from our dictionary

The following table may be helpful for those studying Chinese or Japanese...

Title CharactersRomaji (Romanized Japanese)Various forms of Romanized Chinese
Jadetama / gyokuyù / yu4 / yu
Gem珠玉shugyokuzhū yù / zhu1 yu4 / zhu yu / zhuyuchu yü / chuyü
Jasper碧玉hekigyokubì yù / bi4 yu4 / bi yu / biyupi yü / piyü
Sapphire青玉seigyokuqīng yù / qing1 yu4 / qing yu / qingyuch`ing yü / chingyü / ching yü
Yuli玉立yù lì / yu4 li4  / yu li  / yuli 
Yuna玉娜yù nà / yu4 na4 / yu na / yunayü na / yüna
Sandaiyu三代玉sān dài yù
san1 dai4 yu4
san dai yu
sandaiyu
san tai yü
santaiyü
Ursule玉秀兒
玉秀儿
yù xiù er
yu4 xiu4 er
yu xiu er
yuxiuer
yü hsiu erh
yühsiuerh
Amaryu艾馬爾玉
艾马尔玉
ài mǎ ěr yù
ai4 ma3 er3 yu4
ai ma er yu
aimaeryu
ai ma erh yü
aimaerhyü
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
Honorable Death - No Surrender玉砕主義gyokusai shugi
gyokusaishugi
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
You are who you hang out with挨金似金挨玉似玉āi jīn sì jīn āi yù sì yù
ai1 jin1 si4 jin1 ai1 yu4 si4 yu4
ai jin si jin ai yu si yu
aijinsijinaiyusiyu
ai chin ssu chin ai yü ssu yü
aichinssuchinaiyüssuyü
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.


Dictionary

Lookup in my Japanese & Chinese Dictionary


Successful Chinese Character and Japanese Kanji calligraphy searches within the last few hours...

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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.


A nice Chinese calligraphy wall scroll

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.

A professional Chinese Calligrapher

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.

Trying to learn Chinese calligrapher - a futile effort

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.

A high-ranked Chinese master calligrapher that I met in Zhongwei

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.