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1. Jade
2. Gem
3. Jasper
4. Sapphire
5. Yuli
6. Yuna
7. Sandaiyu
8. Ursule
9. Amaryu
11. Honorable Death - No Surrender
(precious stone)
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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 玉 search...
Characters If shown, 2nd row is Simp. Chinese |
Pronunciation Romanization |
Simple Dictionary Definition |
玉 see styles |
yù yu4 yü gyoku ぎょく |
More info & calligraphy: 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 |
珠玉 see styles |
zhū yù zhu1 yu4 chu yü shugyoku しゅぎょく |
More info & calligraphy: Gem(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: Jasperjasper; (female given name) Hekigyoku |
青玉 see styles |
seigyoku / segyoku せいぎょく |
More info & calligraphy: Sapphire |
玉砕主義 see styles |
gyokusaishugi ぎょくさいしゅぎ |
More info & calligraphy: Honorable Death - 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 |
The following table may be helpful for those studying Chinese or Japanese...
Title | Characters | Romaji (Romanized Japanese) | Various forms of Romanized Chinese | |
Jade | 玉 | tama / gyoku | yù / yu4 / yu | yü |
Gem | 珠玉 | shugyoku | zhū yù / zhu1 yu4 / zhu yu / zhuyu | chu yü / chuyü |
Jasper | 碧玉 | hekigyoku | bì yù / bi4 yu4 / bi yu / biyu | pi yü / piyü |
Sapphire | 青玉 | seigyoku | qīng yù / qing1 yu4 / qing yu / qingyu | ch`ing yü / chingyü / ching yü |
Yuli | 玉立 | yù lì / yu4 li4 / yu li / yuli | yü | |
Yuna | 玉娜 | yù nà / yu4 na4 / yu na / yuna | yü 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. |
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.